NATIONAL REPORT—The following companies and organizations have bolstered their leadership rosters—Dream Hotel Group, AHLA and Zaplox. Here’s a look at executives on the move:
Dream Hotel Group Appoints New VP, Development
Dream Hotel Group has tapped Ariel Freeman Sanett to be its VP of development. In this role, Sanett will be responsible for developing Dream Hotel Group’s portfolio of brands—Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels—leveraging her relationships in the U.S. and abroad.
Sanett joins Dream Hotel Group with more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Most recently, she served as the VP of business development at Crescent Hotels & Resorts in Washington, DC, where she was responsible for all corporate business development activities. Additionally, she has held senior leadership positions with Management Search Executive in London, HI Group and Aries Hospitality Group.
AHLA Taps Amy Travieso to Join Government Affairs Team
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has tapped Amy Travieso as VP of government affairs, covering regulatory and legislative affairs on technology, innovation and other policy areas. She officially joins AHLA on Jan. 2, 2018.
Travieso comes to AHLA from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where she currently serves as the lead Democratic liaison for the Chamber’s Technology Engagement Center (C-Tec). Before joining the Chamber, she spent 10 years in the House of Representatives, serving the last six as the deputy chief of staff for Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28), who co-chairs the Blue Dog Coalition.
In addition to supporting AHLA’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with the administration, Travieso will also provide strategic support for the association’s political action committee, HotelPAC.
Zaplox Expands Management Team
Zaplox, which provides mobile key services for the global hotel industry, has strengthened its management team with the appointment of two C-level executives to newly created positions. Hotel technology industry veteran Eric Michélsen has been tapped as chief technical officer (CTO) and Pernilla Brodd has been named chief marketing officer (CMO).
Michélsen brings with him many years of industry experience, having served in several executive level roles, including as CTO at Assa Abloy Hospitality. As the company’s new CMO, Brodd brings extensive experience in brand building and strategy, with several years of success in expansive global sales initiatives and significant growth at software companies such as InRiver and Consafe Logistics.