Fairmont appoints Mark Willis (top) as Chief Executive Officer and Yigit Sezgin (below) as Chief Brand & Commercial OfficerFairmont Hotels & Resorts has announced the appointment of Mark Willis as Chief Executive Officer and Yigit Sezgin as Chief Brand & Commercial Officer.
As the Chief Executive Officer of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts worldwide, Mark Willis is responsible for the luxury brand’s revered portfolio of more than 100 hotels in operation and under development globally. He brings to the role more than three decades of high-level industry experience with international hospitality brands IHG and Sun International, as well as the Radisson Hotel Group where he spent many years in senior leadership positions, including Senior Vice President Middle East, Africa and Turkey.
As Chief Brand & Commercial Officer of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts worldwide, Yigit is responsible for leading the entire brand and commercial strategy. He brings more than 25 years of experience with international luxury brands across 8 cities including Ritz-Carlton, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and BLG Capital Fund.
The appointments of Mark Willis and Yigit Sezgin follow parent company, Accor’s, move to consolidate its brands into two divisions: a premium, midscale division as well as a luxury and lifestyle division. The latter comprises a further four maisons to manage the brands within it, including the Dubai maison, which manages Fairmont’s worldwide properties.
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts announced the relocation of its global headquarters from Paris to Dubai earlier this month. Fairmont has a pipeline of more than 30 hotels around the world, with upcoming openings extending from the Red Sea to Bangkok, La Paz Mexico to Prague. Accor says that the relocation to Dubai allows Fairmont to take advantage of opportunities within the region, chosen for its strategic proximity to Europe, Asia and Africa.
