As the Chief Executive Officer of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts worldwide, Mark Willis is responsible for the luxury brand’s revered portfolio. As Chief Brand & Commercial Officer of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts worldwide, Yigit is responsible for leading the entire brand and commercial strategy.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announce 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.
A master of his craft, Mark holds an MBA in International Business from Oxford University in the United Kingdom and has completed several senior management programmes at Cornell University, New York. Prior to taking the helm at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts he was the Chief Executive Officer for India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey at Accor, overseeing a portfolio of more than 520 hotels in operation and development across 20-plus diverse brands.
As Chief Brand & Commercial Officer of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts worldwide, Yigit is responsible for leading the entire brand and commercial strategy with a current portfolio of more than 100 hotels in operation and under development globally.
He has lived around the globe in 8 cities during the last 25 years and held senior executive roles across international luxury brands, including Ritz-Carlton, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and BLG Capital Fund.
He joins the team after four successful years as Chief Commercial Officer for Accor IMEAT, where he oversaw a portfolio of more than 425 hotels across 42 brands in 41 countries, in charge of all commercial functions, mergers & acquisitions, lifestyle platform and integrations.
Yigit holds a wide range of successful achievements and a proven track record especially in emerging markets with strong experience in M&A, integrations, leadership, strategic marketing, brand management, commercial performance and business development. Yigit holds a Master’s Degree from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, from Bosphorus University in Istanbul.
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.
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