Who ranked 11-20 in the Hotelier Middle East Power 50 2017

Hotelier Middle East has revealed its 2017 edition of the Power 50 List, and in conjunction with the special issue of the September 2017 edition, has also launched a dedicated micro-site for the feature.

Here's a snapshot of the hoteliers who made it to ranks 11-20 - to read the full entries, head over to the micro-site.

Until then, watch a video of our round-up of the list... 

11. Ignace Bauwens, regional vice president, Middle East and Africa, Wyndham Hotel Group

With more than 32 years of experience in the hospitality industry, since assuming the role of regional vice president, Middle East and Africa for Wyndham Hotel Group 10 months ago, Ignace Bauwens has dramatically increased Wyndham’s presence in the region. Wyndham has 27 hotels and 6,167 rooms in the MENA pipeline, while already operating 49 hotels and 8,528 rooms in the region. Bauwens, with 15 years of experience in the region, is focused on new brands and new openings.

12. Sami Nasser, COO Luxury Brands, AccorHotels Middle East, Africa and Indian Ocean

When FRHI was acquired by AccorHotels just over a year ago, to support the luxury and upper-upscale segment the operator established an operational framework with dedicated resources and specific brand strategies to ensure differentiation among its brands and the competition. Chris Cahill, who has 19 years of experience with FRHI, was appointed to the role of CEO for the luxury division, based in Paris, and Sami Nasser reports directly to Cahill – effectively making him the leader of the luxury brands in this region.

13. Olivier Harnisch, CEO, Emaar Hospitality Group

As the chief executive officer of UAE-headquartered property developer giant Emaar’s hospitality group, Olivier Harnisch has enjoyed a busy five months since his appointment. Emaar Hospitality Group has big plans. It is expanding its portfolio, with 27 upcoming projects already announced in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and Turkey. The group also plans to introduce its brands in key gateway cities and tourist destinations in Europe, the Middle East, India, and China.

14. Peter Fulton, group president  – Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Southwest Asia, Hyatt International

In the past year, Peter Fulton has been busy introducing the Hyatt House and Hyatt Centric brands to the Middle East and North Africa. Fulton tells Hotelier Middle East that the operator aims not to “be the biggest, but the most preferred brand for our associates, guests, and other stakeholders”.

15. Hussain Sajwani, chairman of Damac Properties / Damac Hotels & Resorts

Six years since Damac Hotels & Resorts was founded, and its chairman, Hussain Sajwani, is sitting on a very profitable business indeed.With five hotels and 2,000 rooms in operation, and 26 pipeline properties, from hotel rooms to serviced apartments and villas, the company has now added the Damac Maison de Ville brand to its regional portfolio.

16. Simon Casson, president – hotel operations, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts

Simon Casson has been with Four Seasons since 1989, and has climbed through the ranks of the hospitality industry to become the president of hotel operations for the EMEA region for Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts over the last year. Having worked in the region since 2005, in the last year Casson has led the opening of the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, and the opening of the 284-room Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya in August this year. Next on his agenda for the region is the 200-key Four Seasons Hotel Tunis.

17. Dr Badr AlBadr, chief executive officer, Dur Hospitality

Having successfully led the transformation of the company's identity and brand from SharaCo to Dur Hospitality, CEO Dr Badr AlBadr enjoyed a good year in 2016, with the firm achieving revenues of around SAR 500m (US $133m) and net profit of approximately SAR 114m (US $30m). One of the largest and the longest-standing hospitality companies in Saudi Arabia, Dur Hospitality boasts a portfolio of more than 20 projects and properties worth SAR 2.4bn (US $640m) in the pipeline, and employs around 1,700 staff members.

18. Antoine El Sayegh, President, Gloria Hotels & Resorts

As founder of Gloria Hotels & Resorts, the group’s president, Antoine Sayegh, remains firmly committed to his vision of a value-for-money philosophy of “offering five-star hotel facilities and services at four-star prices”. Under Sayegh’s steady hand, the group also remains focused on growth in the Middle East, continuing to operate family-oriented, alcohol-free properties. To this end, the past year saw Sayegh and his team secure a number of hotel deals for the Gloria Hotel brand pipeline, including three in Dubai, with properties coming up in Business Bay, Jumeirah Village Circle, and Al Nahda, as well as one in Mafraq, Abu Dhabi and one in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

19.  Imad Elias, CEO, Roda Hotels & Resorts

Dubai hospitality newcomer, Roda Hotels & Resorts, is a Hotelier Middle East Power 50 newcomer as well. Its CEO, Imad Elias, is no stranger to the industry, having previously served as as general manager, regional director, vice president, and chief operating officer for Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Rotana Hotels & Resorts in the Middle East. With a total of six hotels currently operational, Roda has ambitious growth plans. Nine new hotels and approximately 4,500 room keys are in the pipeline at the moment.

20. Vincent Miccolis, country general manager, Middle East and Turkey, The Ascott Limited

The Singaporean serviced residence operator, under Vincent Miccolis’ leadership for the past three years, has been an unstoppable juggernaut.  He spearheaded the company’s entry into new markets such as Turkey, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, the latter having proven to be exponentially welcoming to the company.