< PreviousMarketing Power List hoteliermiddleeast.com May 2022 20 Christelle Bou Cherbel Marketing and communications manager, The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa A long-time employee of The Westin Doha, Christelle Bou Cherbel has been supporting the lavish property for close to fi ve years. From developing the hotel’s overall marketing, PR and social media plans, to assisting with interviews and speech rehearsals, Cherbel has a hand in maintaining the hotel’s image as an immaculate luxury destination. Recent successful campaigns include the winter pool villa push where she revamped the outdoor space and conducted a photo shoot of the villas , generating 350 leads in two weeks. Gerrit Haertprich, DOSM said: “Christelle did an outstanding job by leading her marketing team and its strategies. Her contribution is the key to our property’s success.” Colette Sullivan Marketing & PR manager, Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek A well-known marketer in Dubai hospitality, Colette Sullivan returns to another power list. Posted at the Radisson Blu in Dubai Deira Creek, Sullivan has made an effortless shift from the strikely different propostion of Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis. While with the venteran property Radisson Blu, she has created a new outside catering brand and full multi- channel launch campaign with the go-live date expected in May. She implemented several F&B campaigns including festive and valentines with revenue results exceeding pre-pandemic times. Sullivan also launched a multi-channel Dubai bucket list campaign idea for the UAE Golden Jubilee. Jan Hanak GM, said: “Colette has been excellent in implementing new creative ideas and revenue conversion activities.” market and neighbouring Saudi Arabia all because of her effort in marketing this new outlet. The hotel’s general manager Sammy Gani, said: “Cristalyn is a seasoned professional with a drive to get the job done. She is passionate about her work and takes great pride in her results. “Cristalyn goes above and beyond when it comes to aligning her goals. As a senior leader, she is a great resource for the other team members.” Cristalyn Pastrana Complex director of marketing, The Westin City Centre Bahrain, Le Meridien City Centre Bahrain In her role, Cristalyn Pastrana has successfully launched the newest addition to Bahrain’s dining scene, the only Spanish restaurant in Bahrain, Salero at The Westin City Centre Bahrain. During a short period, this outlet gained popularity in the local Marketing Power List 21 May 2022 hoteliermiddleeast.com last seven years, with a record-breaking revenue in F&B month on month. Benjarong Thai Restaurant increased revenue by AED1.2M compared to 2019, while she has also led the highly-successful ‘12 Hands. One Night’ collaborative dinner series. Dusti’s SVP of operations Prateek Kumar said: “For Dusit Thani Dubai, she continues to implement innovative, resourceful and creative ideas to keep both F&B and rooms above our competition.” Danelle Ruth Palang Director of marketing and communications, Dusit Thani Dubai, Dusit2 Naseem Resort Jabal, Akhdar, Oman While Danelle Ruth Palang is entrusted with elevating the reputation and stance of all her hotel’s operations, she clearly has a particular skill for F&B. In Q4 of 2021, Dusit Thani Dubai achieved its highest revenue fi gure in the Deli Mwenze Marketing & communications manager, Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort Marketing is all about putting a hotel’s name out there in the best way possible. Some of Deli Mwenze’s greatest achievements though are behind the scenes. He has increased revenue by recruiting, motivating and leading a diverse team and exceeding expected targets. He has also Saved 30 percent on agency fees through negotiation while increasing quality, quantity and effi ciency. Dean Walsh, DOSM, said: “Deli is a passionate and enthusiastic individual with an infectious charm that motivates everyone around him to do their best. His ability to connect with people through various channels of communications and to maintain the brand standard and value makes him worthy of acknowledgement.” Connected directly to the mighty Burj Khalifa, Gao has a duty not only to her hotel but potentially to Dubai hospitality as a whole. Leading such an important hotel, she heads content creation, videos, press releases and a range of media campaigns. The hotel’s general manager Thomas Peruzzo, explained: “Gao Di has proven herself a committed and integral member of the Armani team. She applies herself wholeheartedly in everything she does, whether helping out the operations team or leveraging her many creative talents to curate marketing content for Armani Hotel Dubai. We are very proud to have her part of the Armani Hotel team.” Di Gao Marketing and communications manager, Armani Hotel Dubai Di Gao leads what is currently the only Armani hotel in the region. Marketing Power List hoteliermiddleeast.com May 2022 22 months after the opening and successfully planned and executed a range of campaigns. These include the ‘Where Love Happens’ weddings campaign, which generated 44 quality wedding leads. Along with the Floating Breakfast campaign which went viral globally. In fact, the hotel has amassed more than 100,000 Instagram followers since opening towards the end of 2020. GM Marianne Fitzgerald, said: “Elena magnifi ed the brand message and Address Beach Resort’s concept and was a key stakeholder in facilitating many impactful marketing and PR campaigns. She has brought a refreshing perspective and creative ideas to the resort.” Elena Raznoza Marketing & communications manager, Address Beach Resort Elena Raznoza joined Address Beach Resort in February 2021, one and a half Elmira Gazizova Marketing manager, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai Elmira Gazizova has continued to ensure that all communications showcase all facilities of Nikki Beach Resort & Spa, both as a beachside resort and lifestyle beach club destination. She has a hand not only in the marketing and communications departments but also the operations team for both the resort and beach club, where she helps Nikki Beach Resort & Spa with creating brand new guest experiences. Attuned to both marketing and operational demands, the aspirational Gazizova has positioned herself to have an immense impact at the resort, helping keep it in travellers’ minds and up to date with the latest trends. Eleni Paraskevopoulou Cluster director of marketing and communications, Fairmont The Palm, Mövenpick JLT, Th8 Palm, RIVA Beach Club Eleni Paraskevopoulou has launched a number of successful campaigns that have led to an increase in room and F&B revenue across the cluster of hotel’s she looks after. With digital and social media-driven campaigns, Paraskevopoulou has increased the number of room reservations coming from each hotel’s website resulting to direct revenue to all properties that she manages. She also successfully launched Th8 Palm, Managed by Accor in the GCC market back in November 2021 and the hotel is enjoying healthy occupancy and busy F&B operations. In a similar manner, she has successfully launched the popular Fluid Beach Club and Envy restaurant’s Jealous Brunch for Th8 Palm, as well as Ba - Boldly Asian’s night brunch on her other property at Fairmont the Palm.Marketing Power List 23 May 2022 hoteliermiddleeast.com Guntra Lipska Director of marketing & communications, Shangri-La Abu Dhabi and Traders Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi Guntra Lipska in the past year has outperformed time after time helping to reposition the property within the Abu Dhabi market and greatly supporting the hotel in generating its budgeted fi gures in F&B for 2021. She has created new brand messaging for various F&B concepts and launched several high ROI marketing campaigns. This includes the repositioning of Sofra’s brunch, increasing covers 15 percent YOY. Fatma Kurt Senior marketing manager, Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel With her main responsibility in marketing, Sheraton Grand Doha’s social media channels show a 25 percent increase YTD in activity with various creative contents and activations. Fatma Kurt has launched a successful ‘Qatar National Day’ campaign with various F&B offers, staycation packages and an Giulia Mundula Director of marketing, Al Messila, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Doha When she was 18, Giulia Mundula began her rise through hospitality. Mundula started as a phone operator initially, eventually becoming an online marketing executive for Starwood Hotels in Italy. Over the years she has entered increasingly senior posts, including PR & comms manager for One&Only, director of marketing for Marriott hotels in Italy, and now Luxury Collection in Doha. Today, in the Qatar capital, she leads the entire marketing department, pushing the hotel’s image across continents and to a wide range of clientele.“Marketing is now a highly strategic discipline and Giulia embodies the perfect marketer in dynamic market conditions,” added a colleague. “Her eagerness to try different and new things, greatly helped the hotel’s F&B teams to engage with the domestic market throughout the pandemic,” shared Elena Mendez, VP of F&B marketing. exclusive exhibition, partnering with a Qatari artist to focus on Qatar’s heritage. Her relationship with local media has resulted in a signifi cant increase also. Kazem Shamas, director of sales and marketing, spoke highly of Kurt. She said: “Fatma is a great addition to our award- winning hotel`s leadership team with her wealth of experience and her dynamism, which will help the hotel strengthen its position, driving growth in regional and international markets.”Marketing Power List hoteliermiddleeast.com May 2022 24 Ionela Savescu Assistant director of PR and communications, Palazzo Versace Dubai Ionela Savescu has developed a strong network of journalists, infl uencers and celebrities that have substantially helped increase the value of earned media and social media exposure for the property year-on-year, crossing a AED36 million. She has also coordinated press events, photo sessions and campaigns that reached millions of end consumers in the past 12 months, and worked closely with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing to support the tourism board’s local and international campaigns for Expo 2020. Mansour Memarian, hotel manager said: “The hotel has witnessed an impressive hike in brand awareness.” Inna Gernega Executive producer of marketing and communications, Paramount Hotel Dubai, Paramount Midtown Dubai The reference from Paramount is glowing: Inna Gernega is always willing to help, support and grow her team. Under her guidance and support, she has developed an extremely strong bond with all the other departments. Team members from the entire hotel are always requesting to transfer to the marketing team just to work under Gernega, Paramount urges. Beyond her personal skills, Gernega recently created an infl uencer-driven programme that offers a bespoke experience media stay to infl uencers and media reps. This has generated over $100,000 in the last 12 months with PR coverage worth millions of dollars. Pascal Eggerstedt, the hotel director added: “Her cinematic approach since the launch of the brand in Dubai and ‘Mission Possible’ attitude positions our brand as one of the unique go-to lifestyle destinations in the region.” by leading her marketing team and the strategies. Her contribution was key for the hotel’s success and for beating an ambitious budget, despite the challenging market situation due to Covid-19”, shared Gerrit Haertprich, DOSM. has worked on several projects to give the property and the outlets a new look. Amaar Helal, director of sales and marketing, said: “We are happy to have Jay leading the public relations and marketing efforts at Marriott Hotel Al Forsan. He brought not only his experience, but also positivity in the workplace, creativity, and a slew of new ideas that aided the hotel’s public relations, marketing strategy, and revenue generation.” Jayadev Nakka Assistant director of PR & marketing, Marriott Hotel Al Forsan, Abu Dhabi While with Marriott, Jayadev Nakka has created an array of campaigns which have impacted revenues favourably, such as room packages with activities at the sports resort next door. His efforts have proven to be very successful in driving social media campaigns and restaurant covers, and he Marketing Power List 25 May 2022 hoteliermiddleeast.com Karima Danao Marketing manager, Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah Karima Danao proved herself with spearheading the resort’s 10-year anniversary campaign in September 2021 and has launched several public and internal activations since. The hotel’s public bookings have increased month on month since her joining, reaching record-breaking numbers in the hotel’s history for direct bookings through digital and social media marketing campaigns. Social media marketing campaigns for the hotel’s various food and beverage outlets have been introduced and led by Danao. Hani Selim, GM, explained: “The hotel has enjoyed a public presence like never before since Karima joined, her expertise in social media has reawakened the property.” Jeramaine Hermosa Marketing and communications manager, Grand Plaza Mövenpick Media City Jeramaine Hermosa heads up campaign creation, analysis, and optimisation of direct marketing campaigns on multiple channels, achieving 12 million impressions, 210 percent increase in engagement growth, 307 percent in audience growth, and 15 percent in website traffi c, in her role. In the past 12 months across the hotel, Hermosa has reduced agency costs while driving revenue and generating leads for MICE, rooms, and F&B. Alfi o Bernardini added: “Jeramaine has exerted a lot of focus on digital marketing he’s amassed around the globe over the course of a decade. From consultants and journalists, to owners and infl uencers, Craddock is well-versed in maintaining relationships. Joining 25hours, Craddock has been immensely important in cementing the hotel’s reputation, notably ensuring the hotel’s opening party was a success. GM Jean-Francois Brun said: “With such a playful, unique and boundary- pushing brand such as 25hours Hotels, only a few marketing gurus can capture this and make it shine as it deserves. Josh has been instrumental in bringing 25hours Hotels to this region and always fi nding innovative ways to make us shine.” Joshua Craddock Director of marketing & communications, 25hours Hotel One Central Dubai It’s said that Joshua Craddock has with him a ‘little black book’ of all the contacts by operating solitary with multichannel strategy, executing social media campaigns, digital ads, PR management and in house content production. She is always up for a challenge.”Marketing Power List hoteliermiddleeast.com May 2022 26 Karishma Chopra Director of marketing & PR, Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai Karishma Chopra by been the driving force behind the brand awareness and publicity for the Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai, at the same time, introducing the brand Centara Hotels & Resorts to the UAE. She single-handedly created the pre-opening marketing and PR strategy for the resort. Thanks to this, the hotel has achieved a high level of occupancy since opening. GM Sebastien Schaeg said: “Karishma brings in an entrepreneurship style of work combined with a vast marketing and PR experience in the region. She has a strong sense of synergy between revenue and sales that has allowed us to successfully position the resort and drive demand.” Katrina Angeles Marketing, PR and communications manager, Sofi tel Dubai The Palm Between September and December 2021, PR campaigns led by Katrina Angeles amassed to a value of more than AED12 million. Moreover, social media followers have rocketed 75 percent compared to last year and the hotel has continued to break a number of its own fi nancial records. Since starting, Angeles has dived into her role, leading three new brunch launch programmes; a spa rebranding and partnership and a number of seasonal campaigns, all giving the resort a shot in the arm. “Katrina’s dedication shows as she is very detailed oriented in her requirements and maintains a professional and positive attitude to fi nd solutions in situations with very tight deadlines. Any company would be proud to have her on the team,” said Yeliz Hisman, DOSM. Kiran Kumar Cluster director of marketing, JW Marriott Marquis City Center Doha, Marriott Marquis City Center Doha, Marriott Executive Apartment City Center Doha, Le Meridien City Center Doha Kiran Kumar has been in Marriott for quite some time and was promoted into Qatar after a fi ve-year stint as complex director of marketing for the busy Le Meridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre and Le Meridien Fairway. Coming into Doha in 2021, he tapped into his vast experience in the emirates, which has been one of the keys to his hotels’ success. “Kiran is a great addition to the team and brings in a lot of energy and experience to support all properties in the cluster.” said Rick Enders, cluster general manager. “With three busy hotels in operation and one property in the pre-opening stage, I am sure we are in safe hands,” Marketing Power List 27 May 2022 hoteliermiddleeast.com Leslie Weddle Director of marketing and communications, Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers If it seems like you’ve been seeing Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers a lot in the media, you’d be right. It is thanks to the efforts of Leslie Weddle that the fl agship Hilton footprint has reminded in peoples’ minds. Thanks to her, the hotel hosted the fi rst- ever Middle East and North Africa 50 Best Restaurants Awards – a deal which further cemented the hotel itself as a leading culinary destination. First stepping into the role in January 2021, Weddle joined the property and immediately secured a number of sponsorships and strong relationships with partners, including the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Harry Anthony Lonergan, senior manager destination marketing MEA, Hilton, said: “Leslie has continued to be one of Hilton’s standout marketers and has gone from strength to strength over the years to become Hilton’s marketing champion in the UAE capital.” Lonergan continued: “Her positive energy refl ects across her team that covers an extremely diverse property with 12 amazing restaurants, unrivalled meetings and event space as well as fantastic rooms for both guests and long term residents. “Leslie’s work with the local tourism board to promote Conrad Etihad Towers throughout the country has been phenomenal and is now Hilton’s benchmark across the entire EMEA region. Taking over as marketing and communications director during the height of the pandemic, Leslie’s efforts to rebrand, drive awareness of the Conrad and make it the capital’s hottest destination over an extremely challenging period has been absolutely outstanding.” Previously speaking with Hotelier Middle East, Weddle has shared the many different ways she approaches her profession. For her, a key to success is to be genuine. She said: “Above all be genuine. Marketers need to remember that the media cannot publish every story we share with them, no matter how exciting we feel it is but then again we have to make sure we send the media something exciting to publish. Personalisation is a very important element when speaking to the press. Be different and stand out from others. If you have not reached out or considered the media for previous projects or you have not taken the time to let them get to know your property, then it is harder to spread your message. Here at Conrad Abi Dhabi Etihad Towers, we strive to always offer guests personalised experiences and the same level of personalisation also applies when planning a PR campaign – something that will ultimately help drive performance at the property.”Marketing Power List hoteliermiddleeast.com May 2022 28 Lana Ghawi Cluster director of marketing, St. Regis Amman, W Ammna, Al Manara, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Saraya Aqaba Working across three properties with three differing approaches to hospitality, Lana Ghawi has made herself into a very well- rounded marketer. On one hand she has led the opening campaigns for new venues such as Zenith at St. Regis, while on the other she headed up art therapy concepts at Al Manara. At the W, she has developed ways to support the local community through recycling and fi tness activations. Erden Kendigelen, multi-property GM said: “Lana has been a great asset, her dedication and drive to success are refl ected in her work and campaigns.” Liliya Vafi na Marketing manager, Sheraton Oman Hotel In the last 12 months, Liliya Vafi na has successfully created a range of successful marketing campaigns, including seasonal hits during Christmas, New Year, Ramadan and the hotel’s recent fi fth anniversary. She also created and sustained a set of widely successful marketing campaigns for outlets’ new launch events at Reehan Lounge and Cliff Deck. A week after she joined her new property, Maha Ahmad Abdo was already planning her fi rst PR event; one using 3D technology. She has also organised hosting the international comedian Russel Peters for his fi rst time in Egypt resulting in both publicity and revenue to the hotel. Abdo has also brought the right partners to the hotel with whom she introduced this 3D dining experience for the fi rst time in Cairo, generating over EGP200,000 in seven weekends. At downtimes, she pursued new revenue generating streams such as fi lm shootings generating over EGP600,000 to the hotel and assisting in elevating ADR for rooms and bringing additional F&B revenue.with #PinkbrigadeDXB. Maha Ahmad Abdo Assistant director of marketing & PR, The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo The hotel’s general manager Samir Messaoudi said: “Liliya has brought her expertise and experience to our company. We required practical hands-on support to grow our business to the next level and Liliya got straight to the heart of our challenge. “She helped us create a plan and swiftly moved us to execution. Liliya is a great asset to our organisation where we are looking to increase revenue the right way; by leading and inspiring people.”Marketing Power List 29 May 2022 hoteliermiddleeast.com than half a billion people. Tapped into the modern world, he helped with the Anantara App launch also, bringing in an additional $150,000 in revenue for all resorts on the app. GM Adrian Stoppe said: “Muja has been instrumental in relaunching and enhancing our campaign channels in line with the new market and travel trends. In the recent year, he has been busy launching and positioning the resorts as sustainable destinations.” Mujahid Mansoor Cluster director of marketing, communications & PR, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara. Desert Island Resort & Spa by Anantara, Anantara Al Yamm Villa Resort, Anantara Al Sahel Villa Resort in Sir Bani Yas Island Thanks to Mujahid Mansoor, his hotels had more than $5 million worth of media coverage last year, while also hosting infl uencers with a combined reach of more Nandana Wirasinha, director of operations at the hotel, explained: “She has single-handedly positioned the hotel and managed all marketing channels very effi ciently. The hotel has had a very good fi rst quarter of 2022 for business and Hemashi has had an impact in driving the rooms and food and beverage footfall. “She is a wonderful marketer and we are delighted to have her with us. “Her cinematic approach since the launch of the brand in Dubai and ‘Mission Possible’ attitude positions our brand as one of the unique go-to lifestyle destinations in the region.” Well done to a bright young talent. Marian Hemashi Fernando Marketing executive, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel One of the youngest marketing minds on this list, Marian Memashi Fernado was an intern at Jumeirah Creekside Hotel right up until February 2022. However, her collagues saty that over the past year she has proven herself to be a vital part of the team. From optimising social media campaigns to reach new audiences; to activated radio campaigns to increase footfall, the young marketeer has proven to be naturally talented in the her chosen fi eld. Positioning and maintaining three of the UAE capital’s most beloved hotels is not easy, even if Maria Tsiomou makes it look as such. The marketing and communications director works across all three hotels, maintaining partnerships with the likes of Etihad Airways to ensure her trio always remains at the forefront. From venue rebranding, to social media, to large-scale events, Tsiomou has mastered marketing in all its forms. Area general manager luxury brand Abu Dhabi Moustafa Sakr said: “She is a valuable female member of our executive committee and leadership team, passionate and determined, hardworking and doesn’t hesitate to be innovative, while leading her team to success. “I would love to see Maria growing in bigger roles.” Maria Tsiomou Multi-property director of marketing & communications, The St. Regis Abu Dhabi The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi Al Wathba, A Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Abu DhabiNext >