NEW YORK CITY—Loews Hotels & Resorts has named S. Kirk Kinsell as president and CEO, effective March 2, 2015. Loews announced the appointment now to reveal the information in conjunction with Kinsell's current employer—InterContinental Hotels Group—announcing that the company's president of the Americas, who is also a board member, is stepping down.
In the interim at Loews Hotels, Paul Whetsell will remain CEO and then become vice chairman once Kinsell steps in. Both executives will report to Jonathan Tisch, chairman. AT IHG, Kinsell will be replaced by Elie Maalouf, senior advisor at McKinsey & Co. and formerly president and CEO of HMSHost Corp. Maalouf also will become a member of IHG's executive committee.
Kinsell joins Loews after 19 years in senior positions with InterContinental and more than 35 years in the hospitality business. At IHG, he oversaw more than 3,700 hotels and was responsible for business development and performance of all hotel brands and properties in North and South America. Prior to IHG, Kirk was with ITT Sheraton and Trammell Crow Hotel Co.
“Kirk's broad experience in development, sales, and brand operations makes him an ideal choice to lead Loews Hotels forward in our next phase of growth and operational excellence,” says Tisch. “I want to thank Paul Whetsell for his leadership over the last several years. He has been instrumental in profitably growing our brand and broadening our customer base through the addition of key properties in gateway cities and by building upon the success of our existing portfolio.”
“It has been an honor to work at Loews Hotels. I'm proud of what we have been able to accomplish together and I look forward to helping Kirk and the team,” adds Whetsell. “I've known Kirk for many years and he is absolutely the right person to advance our strategy from this point.”
“I am impressed with Loews Hotels and the strategic steps taken over the last few years to enhance the operational effectiveness of the network and strengthen the brand," notes Kinsell. “The company has exceptional assets and a solid foundation in place. I have spent the majority of my career at larger chains, and am gratified by the prospect of being able to shape the continued growth of one of the most storied luxury brands in the industry.”
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
Once you are an ALM Digital Member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
*May exclude premium content© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Rayna Katz
Rayna Katz is a seasoned business journalist whose extensive experience includes coverage of the lodging sector, travel and the culinary space. She was most recently content director for a business-to-business publisher, overseeing four publications. While at Meeting News, a travel trade publication, she received a Best Reporting award for a story on meeting cancellations in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
