NATIONAL REPORT—Hotel Business has been rounding up appointments. Here’s what we found:
Radisson Hotel Group Appoints Saurabh Prakash to New Role
Radisson Hotel Group has appointed Saurabh Prakash as its new VP, commercial, Asia-Pacific. Based at the company’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore, Saurabh is a member of the Asia-Pacific executive committee and will oversee all aspects of the region’s commercial activities, including sales, revenue optimization, distribution, marketing and loyalty. He has worked for major hotels across Asia-Pacific. He spent a majority of his career with Marriott International, where he worked in India, Malaysia, China and Singapore.
AHLA Names Rosanna Maietta President of Foundation
TheAmerican Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has named Rosanna Maietta as president of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF). She has served as interim president of the foundation since May 2017, but also currently serves as SVP of communications and marketing. As AHLEF president, Maietta will lead the foundation and its team to advance its mission of ensuring a strong and viable future for the entire lodging industry by fueling the talent pipeline, according to the organization. She will be responsible for raising the foundation’s profile and overseeing its scholarship, research, and career development programs. Maietta will also oversee the administration of AHLA’s intermediary contract with the U.S. Department of Labor to expand apprenticeship programs.
Omni Hotels & Resorts Names Cara Banasch as VP of Sales
Omni Hotels & Resorts has appointed Cara Banasch as VP of sales, effective May 21. She will lead all field and global sales teams, and will be responsible for creating and implementing revenue-generating strategies across the entire luxury hotel brand. Banasch will report to Daniel Surette, SVP of sales and marketing for Omni Hotels & Resorts. Prior to joining Omni, she served as SVP of business development and strategy for the New Orleans Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. A long-term veteran of the hotel and hospitality industry, Banasch has held multiple leadership roles at properties in the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide family, where she developed winning sales and marketing strategies in global sales for 16 new-construction projects across multiple cities, and as an area director in the Northeast and Southeast.