IHG Announces Senior Management Appointments

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has announced two internal executive appointments with Peter Gowers becoming Chief Executive, Asia Pacific region, and Kirk Kinsell as President, Europe Middle East & Africa (EMEA).

Peter Gowers is currently Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and will remain on the executive committee of IHG.

His new appointment will take effect 1 November 2007. He succeeds Tony South, Acting Chief Executive for Asia Pacific, who will resume his responsibilities as Senior Vice President, Development and Asset Management, for the region at that time.

Kirk Kinsell is currently Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer for the Americas region, and will join the executive committee on his appointment. His appointment is effective 1 September 2007 when he will succeed outgoing President and Board member Richard Hartman who formally retires from IHG at the end of September.

Andrew Cosslett, CEO, IHG, said: “I am delighted to be able to make these two key appointments from within the company.”  “This says a great deal about the strength and depth of management we have at IHG.”

“Both Peter and Kirk have been hugely influential in the development of IHG, building our brands, developing stronger relationships with our owners and driving up our rate of growth.”

“Peter has been responsible for raising the quality of our brand management, most clearly seen in the recent, highly successful evolution of the InterContinental brand.”  “He has overseen the development of Priority Club Rewards into the industry’s largest loyalty scheme with over 33 million members, and built up the power of IHG’s websites and reservation systems.”

“Kirk has been at the heart of the resurgence of our Americas region in recent years.”  “He has driven up our deal pace and taken the Americas hotel development pipeline to record levels.”  “His extensive experience both inside and outside the hospitality industry, combined with his commercial acumen and drive for results, made him the right choice to take our EMEA business up to the next level.”

In his 20-year hospitality career, Kinsell has held a variety of senior positions in the hospitality industry including time with Holiday Inn Corporation and ITT Sheraton.

From 1998, he spent four years outside the industry in COO and CEO roles, before re-joining IHG in 2002 as Senior Vice President, development, the Americas.

Aged 52, Kinsell holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, San Diego and a Master of Professional Studies from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. He is married with two children.

Gowers started his career as a management consultant with Arthur D. Little, which included an Asia-based assignment in Singapore. He joined IHG – then Bass – in a strategic planning role in 1999 and was promoted to Executive Vice President, Strategy for the hotels business in 2002.

In 2003, he became Executive Vice President of Global Brand Services for IHG and was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer in 2005. Aged 34, Peter is a graduate of Oxford University with a B.A. in Jurisprudence (Law). He is married with two children.

Appointments to the vacated internal posts will be made in due course.

Report by The Mole