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Accor -
Gilda Perez-Alvarado -
Maxime d'Angeac -
Omer Acar
These organizational changes will be effective as of 1 January 2024.
Gilda Perez-Alvarado and Maxime d’Angeac are appointed Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director of Orient Express respectively. Management of Orient Express will be based in Paris. Gilda Perez-Alvarado will remain Chief Strategy Officer of the Accor Group.
Omer Acar is appointed Chief Executive Officer of Fairmont, replacing Mark Willis who becomes Advisor to Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Accor. Omer Acar will remain Chief Executive Officer of Raffles, based in New York.
Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Chief Strategy Officer Accor & CEO Orient Express
Gilda Perez-Alvarado has a strong academic background developed across both Europe and North America, at Cornell University and IE Business School. She started her career at PwC before joining JLL in 2004. Working in the company’s Hotel & Hospitality division, Gilda has accrued nearly two decades of experience providing top-tier strategic advice to the industry’s largest owners and investors including sovereign wealth funds, private equity, global brands, and family offices/UHNWIs. In her most recent role as Global CEO of JLL Hotels & Hospitality, Gilda was responsible for overseeing the global investment sales, debt and equity placement, strategic advisory and asset management services, offering leading expertise throughout the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. In addition, Gilda led the Global Hotel Desk, the group’s cross-border investment sales team which executed the sale of some of the world’s most iconic hospitality assets worldwide. In recognition of her capabilities spanning both real estate and hospitality, Gilda holds board and membership positions at a number of high-profile organizations, among which: Blackstone Mortgage Trust Inc, Cornell University Board of Trustees, World Travel & Tourism Council and IREFAC. Gilda Perez-Alvarado joined Accor in October 2023 as Chief Strategy Officer and member of Accor’s Management Board. As part of her role, she is in charge of overseeing global strategy, relations with hotel owners, and strategic partnerships. In January 2024, she is also appointed CEO Orient Express.
Maxime d’Angeac, Artistic Director Orient Express
Architect, graduated of Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Maxime is a member of French Architect order. Maxime went through professional education, during which he was a roadie then stage manager on French gigs. He was then joined Hilton McConnico with whom he imagined and collaborated on the scenography of numerous Hermès exhibitions in Paris, the new Lanvin concept, or the “Le Tout Paris” restaurant on the roof of the Samaritaine. In 1992, Maxime got his Architecture degree and founded his own agency. Following these events, the workload started getting heavy – he indeed succeeded in managing both his scenography works (Comité Colbert, Manuel Canovas), architectural projects for luxury companies (Guerlain, Sonya Rykiel, Junko Shimada), technically complex projects such as his works in the American Hospital of Paris. In addition, Maxime constantly works with a more discrete and demanding customer base on sophisticated, modern projects. Since 2021 he designs new Orient Express train and the future boat Orient Express Silenseas. Maxime’s thorough approach consists in a perfect hand-drawn blueprint and precise detail that he perfects with an extremely precise thought process on light. In his works, he deliberately carries the complete weight of creation, from the first sketches to the ornamentation of the finalized work. In January 2024, he is appointed Artistic Director Orient Express.
Omer Acar, CEO Raffles & Fairmont
Omer Acar holds degrees from Hotel Institute Montreux and Hawaii Pacific University, and successfully completed Cornell’s Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management certificate program. Omer is an eminent specialist in luxury hospitality. He started his career at Four Seasons in various operational positions at several hotels in the United States and Egypt. He moved to Harrods in England as Group Director of Food & Beverage in 2005, was appointed General Manager of the Ritz in Paris in 2006, and then moved to the Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris in the same capacity in 2011. He joined Katara Hospitality in 2014 as Managing Director for Europe and the Americas, where he supervised 18 hotels including The Plaza in New York, Peninsula in Paris, Carlton in Cannes, Excelsior in Rome, Grosvenor House and The Savoy in London. In March 2023, Omer Acar joined Accor as CEO Raffles & Orient Express and serves as a member of the Group’s Luxury & Lifestyle Executive Committee. In January 2024, he takes the lead of Raffles & Fairmont. Based in New York City, he also has the responsibility of representing Accor on the North American market.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
