Movenpick makes key appointments for Asia, MEA regions

A long-term executive, Hotelier joined the company in 2003 as general manager of the Movenpick Hotel & Casino Geneva and in 2010 was promoted to his present position as vice president for operations, Middle East, based in Dubai.
Hotelier boasts more than three decades of industry experience, having worked in key roles for some of the world’s leading hospitality firms across four continents, including Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts and InterContinental Hotels Group.
Raised in France, where he learned about the hospitality business from an early age, Hotelier went on to study at the prestigious Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland, where he obtained a degree in hotel management before launching his international career in Canada in 1978.
“Gerard is a passionate hotelier whose unrivalled experience and enthusiasm for the industry have been instrumental in driving our success in the Middle East,” said Olivier Chavy, president and chief executive of Movenpick Hotels & Resorts. “I have every confidence he will help us realise our ambitions in Asia, which is shaping as one of our most important global markets.”
Descrozaille joins Movenpick Hotels & Resorts from Carlson Rezidor, where he was area vice president for the company’s Africa and Indian Ocean operations.
He has significant experience working in the Middle East, having also been employed as the hotel group’s regional director for the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan and Oman. He has also held key executive positions at several major hospitality companies including Hilton, Compass Group and London’s Claridge’s Hotel.
Originally from France, Descrozaille is a graduate of Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, where he received a degree in hotel and restaurant management. He also has a Master of Business Administration degree from IMHI (Cornell-Essec) in Paris.
“I would like to welcome Marc, who is a highly experienced hospitality professional, to our team,” Chavy said. “Marc has significant regional and international expertise – a valued combination that will help take our operations in the MEA region to the next level.”
In their new roles, Descrozaille and Hotelier will oversee Movenpick’s hotel operations in their respective regions, supporting new openings and rebrands, while guiding their teams in meeting commercial, financial and service-quality targets. 
They will also provide leadership and support to the company’s team of general managers working at current and upcoming properties in MEA and Asia.
Movenpick Hotels & Resorts is pursuing rapid expansion across the globe. It currently operates 83 hotels and resorts, with plans to increase its portfolio to 125 properties by 2020.