INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Airbnb has brought on an Apple veteran as its new global head of operations, while HREC and Penta Hotels have added new personnel. Here’s a look.
Tara Bunch Named Airbnb Head of Global Operations
Tara Bunch will be joining Airbnb as its global head of operations. In this role, Bunch will oversee Airbnb’s customer service, trust and safety and payments teams and report directly to Airbnb Co-founder/CEO Brian Chesky.
Bunch joins Airbnb after eight years at Apple where she served as VP of AppleCare. In that position, she managed a global team responsible for all aspects of service and repairs for Apple customers worldwide, including online and on-device support and thousands of authorized service providers. Before joining Apple, she was SVP at Hewlett Packard, leading the global customer service and support operations.
In overseeing Airbnb’s customer service, trust and safety and payments teams, Bunch will be responsible for global teams supporting hosts and guests in more than 220 countries and regions and payments in 63 currencies.
Michael Salloway joins HREC
HREC Investment Advisors has added hospitality broker Michael Salloway as VP, based in the company’s Atlanta office.
Salloway has successfully structured and completed deals in the Southeastern U.S., including sales with transactions in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
Prior to HREC, he sold hotels for a small brokerage firm in Atlanta. Previously, he spent a number of years in the Northeast (New York and Boston) and begin his foray into hospitality when he began investing in hotel assets and debt funds.
Rogier Braakman Appointed Managing Director at Penta Hotels
Rogier Braakman is the new managing director at Penta Hotels Worldwide GMBH.
In this position he is succeeding Eugène Staal, who served the brand as president for more than two years.
Braakman entered the position in February 2020. He began his career with several management positions, both on property for The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta, as well as at corporate positions within Hilton Hotels and Landal GreenParks. He then embarked on a 12-year entrepreneurial journey, building up Sandton Hotels and Pillows Hotels.