Two hotel companies—and hotels across North America—have appointed new sales and marketing leaders in recent weeks. Here are some names to know.
Outrigger Hospitality Group
Outrigger Hospitality Group has appointed Jason Pirock vice president, global brand marketing.
Pirock comes to Outrigger from Springboard Hospitality, where he led marketing, brand and communications strategy for more than 50 boutique hotels, restaurants and bars nationwide. He has more than 18 years of senior marketing leadership experience with Springboard, Aparium Hotel Group and brands including Hyatt, Brookfield Retail Properties, Target and Sears.
PM Hotel Group
Hotel management company PM Hotel Group has appointed Rodahl Leong-Lyons as area director of sales & marketing for the Hawaii region.
Leong-Lyons is returning to Hawaii to contribute her expertise locally while strengthening PM Hotel Group’s presence in the market.
Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
In the Bahamas, Chris Watson is the new director of sales & marketing at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar.
In his most recent role as area vice president, field sales at Hyatt, Watson oversaw more than 300 hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Before that, Watson was regional vice president of sales with the Hyatt Sales Force, leading a team of more than 30 global sales directors. He also worked at the Hyatt Regency Dallas and Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
A graduate of Florida State University, Watson started his career as a corporate management trainee.
Omni Fort Lauderdale Hotel
Aaron Weegar will be the director of sales & marketing at the upcoming Omni Fort Lauderdale, Fla., slated to open later this year.
Weegar has worked for more than 20 years at luxury resorts, including the Diplomat Beach Resort and Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin.
Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, appointed David Sobek director of sales and marketing.
Sobek has spent more than two decades working at brands like Four Seasons, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International. Most recently, he was director of sales for The Phoenician Resort and the Canyon Suites in Scottsdale. Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles in pre-opening sales, multiproperty portfolio management and large-scale event partnerships, like the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four,
In addition to his leadership roles, Sobek is an adjunct professor at Grand Canyon University, teaching upper-level marketing and revenue management courses. He holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a BS in Business Administration from Arizona State University.
The Singer Oceanfront Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton
Davidson Resorts has appointed Jonathan Casals director of sales of The Singer Oceanfront Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton, in Florida.
Casals has previously worked at Le Meridien Dania Beach in Fort Lauderdale and The Westin Fort Lauderdale.