IHG raises the Barr as Gowers goes

SINGAPORE – Intercontinental Hotels (IHG) Asia Pacific CEO Peter Gowers is leaving the company.

Gowers was appointed in July 2007 in controversial circumstances, after former CEO Patrick Imbardelli left following the discovery of inaccuracies on his CV.

Now Gowers is quitting IHG on July 31. His departure was announced in the fourth paragraph of an IHG media release.

IHG spun the following not-so-simple explanation, “This change is part of a broader cost saving programme involving streamlining various parts of the global organisation, discretionary cost control, improved efficiency and effectiveness and making greater use of IHG’s scale to achieve purchasing savings.”

When Gowers was appointed as Asia Pacific CEO, IHG global boss Andy Coslett enthused, “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.”

No longer it seems.

IHG says its Asia Pacific organisation is being restructured and streamlined “while giving greater focus to individual parts of the region”.

“IHG’s operations in Greater China are now of sufficient scale that they will become a separate business unit under the leadership of Keith Barr, regional managing director based in Shanghai.”

A second business unit comprising IHG’s operations in southern Asia, Japan, Korea and the Pacific will be led by Jan Smits, regional managing director based in Singapore.

Coslett thanked Gowers for his contribution to the company.

By Ian Jarrett