2025 was a big year for C-suite movement at major hospitality companies. In particular, a number of CEOs both joined and departed notable businesses. Here are some notable changes from throughout the year.
Appointments
In April, Lee Curtis transitioned from CEO to board director with Reside, a provider of flexible and extended-stay housing solutions, and was succeeded by Gavin Morgan. Morgan, a veteran executive with more than 30 years of experience in real estate and investment management, was most recently a managing director at Westbridge Capital, which acquired Reside in 2017,
In May, Ben Perelmuter became CEO of hotel management company Remington Hospitality following the departure of former CEO Sloan Dean. He previously was president and chief operating officer of TPG Hotels & Resorts for more than two years. His career also includes time at Aimbridge Hospitality, where he advanced from general manager to division president.
Also in May, Vail Resorts named Rob Katz CEO. Katz succeeded Kirsten Lynch, who stepped down as CEO and as a director of the board. Lynch declared plans to remain in an advisory role to the company for an interim period to facilitate a smooth transition. Katz announced plans to continue on as chairperson of the board, which comprises 11 directors.
In June, nearly three months after acquiring hotel benchmarking platform HotStats, David Woolenberg, the CEO of hospitality revenue-management software company Duetto, stepped down and Alex Zoghlin stepped into the role. Zoghlin most recently was the CEO of ATPCO, and before that was the global head of innovation and technology at Hyatt Hotels Corporation. He was also the founder and CTO of Orbitz.
In July, Club Med appointed Stéphane Maquaire to replace Henri Giscard d'Estaing as president and CEO of Club Med Holding. Maquaire joined Club Med from Carrefour, where he was executive director for Carrefour Brazil and Latin America.
In September, Phil Andreopoulos was appointed chief executive officer of the Yotel brand. Most recently, Andreopoulos was chief commercial officer for EMEA at Marriott International, where his responsibilities spanned brand management, marketing, e-commerce, sales, reservations, revenue management, loyalty, communications and consumer insights across 78 countries and all Marriott brands. Before this role, Andreopoulos was chief operating officer for owner & franchise services EMEA and Sub-Saharan Africa, where he oversaw the growth and development of franchise operations as well as systems and sales engines.
Also in September, Atrium Hospitality promoted Rob Mangiarelli to chief executive officer after serving as president. Since joining Atrium Hospitality, Mangiarelli has united teams across the portfolio, strengthened performance and championed innovation with purpose.
In December, Tortuga Resorts, a real estate and asset management platform focused on luxury beachfront hospitality across Mexico and the Caribbean, appointed Leo Schlesinger chief executive officer. Schlesinger began his career in banking and financial services with multinational institutions such as Citi and Cigna and later spent more than 20 years in private equity, leading portfolio companies and building multi-country, brand-partnered platforms. He most recently was group CEO of Norte 19, one of Latin America's largest publicly traded hotel owners and operators, overseeing a portfolio of 154 hotels across diverse markets and working closely with global hotel brands, including Marriott and City Express. Previously, Schlesinger was CEO of Aliat Universidades, a private equity-backed portfolio company.
Also in December, Arash Azarbarzin became CEO at Viceroy Hotels & Resorts. Azarbarzin was the CEO of real estate investment and hospitality management company Highgate. His previous leadership roles include CEO of SH Hotels & Resorts, where he oversaw 1 Hotels, Treehouse Hotels and Baccarat brands, and as a founding member and president of sbe Hotel Group, where he helped shape the lifestyle hospitality movement.
Departures
The year also included some notable departures. In June, Sonder Holdings Co-Founder and CEO Francis Davidson stepped down as the company’s chief executive officer and as a member of its board of directors. Janice Sears, Sonder’s chairperson of the board, was appointed interim CEO. In November, Sonder Holdings ended operations and announced plans to initiate a Chapter 7 liquidation of its U.S. business.
In July, Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs announced plans to step down after 13 years of leading the brand. As the top leader at the company, he led the brand through major expansion and the pre-pandemic acquisition by IHG Hotels & Resorts. Within a few weeks, Jacobs had launched his new company: Wild Origins.