NEW YORK CITY-Loews Corp. has appointed Paul Whetsell president and CEO of its Loews Hotels Group, the company announced Tuesday. He’ll join Loews from Virgin Hotels, where he has been executive director.

At Virgin Hotels, he focused on guiding the company’s operations and shepherding property acquisitions. According to Jonathan Tisch, chairman of Loews Hotels and co-chairman of the board of Loews Corp., this is an area that Whetsell will focus on in his new position a well.

“With Paul’s tenure and experience in the industry, and now in is role as our new president and CEO,” Tisch said in a prepared statement, “we will continue to operate the unique properties in our portfolio, while also looking for additions to the company through acquisition, development and management.”