InterContinental Hotels Group’s CEO Richard Solomons has announced his retirement; his last day will be June 30 and all his duties at the UK-based mega-brand will end on August 30. Keith Barr, who has been serving as the company’s chief commercial officer, will succeed Solomons beginning July 1. InterContinental operates InterContinental Hotels, Holiday Inns and other brands. Solomons has been at IHG for 25 years, serving as CEO since 2011; and has been on IHG’s board of directors since 2003 when the company separated from Six Continents PLC.


Carlson Hotels and its sister Rezidor Hotel Group announced several executive changes at the top of the companies, seen as continuing changes since the acquisition of Carlson by Chinese conglomerate HNA, a deal that was completed last year. Federico González Tejera, who became CEO of Minnetonka, Minnesota-based Carlson, is leaving to become CEO of Rezidor, while John Kidd, former president and COO of HNA Hospitality Group, will become chief executive of Carlson. Rezidor’s former Chief Executive, Wolfgang M. Neumann, will serve on the Rezidor board of directors.

González will also lead a newly established global steering committee that will be made up of representatives from Carlson and Rezidor to “provide overall strategic direction to both companies,” the companies said in a statement.

Etihad Aviation Group appointed Ray Gammell as interim Group CEO, and confirmed that James Hogan, current president and Group CEO, will leave the company on July 1, 2017. Gammell is Etihad Aviation Group’s current chief people & performance officer and has been a member of the executive leadership since joining the business in 2009. A parallel handover will occur as Ricky Thirion assumes full responsibilities of the Group CFO, James Rigney, who will also leave the company on July 1, 2017. Thirion joined Etihad Airways in 2007 and is the current SVP, group treasurer.

THOR Inc., a travel services company, announced the promotion of Trisha Hall to managing director. In her new role, Hall is responsible for THOR’s overall strategy and operations, including creating new opportunities for THOR’s member travel agencies and suppliers. She will report to Peggy Bianco, vice president, global head of hotel sourcing for Travelport, a travel commerce platform. THOR, a wholly owned subsidiary of Travelport, forms part of Travelport’s hospitality sourcing team headed up by Bianco. Hall joined THOR in 2004, most recently serving as THOR’s marketing and operations manager. She also served as marketing communications manager and publications manager. Before joining THOR, Hall served in various marketing positions within a variety of industries, including business software, human resource consulting, CAD/CAM services and medical devices.

Furnished Quarters, a provider of temporary furnished apartments in the northeast and elsewhere, named Amy Scherer-Ramskill as regional director of business development.  Based out of southern California, she will represent Furnished Quarters’ East Coast corporate housing solutions to customers located in the western U.S. Scherer-Ramskill has over 25 years of hospitality sales experience with expertise in convention and tourism, hotels, corporate housing, relocation, real estate, and property management. She was previously at Synergy Global Housing.

Proper Hospitality, a California-based hospitality company, has appointed Arash Azarbarzin as president and COO. Azarbarzin was a founding member of sbe Hotel Group, where he served as president for the last 12 years. In that role he was connected with the growth of SLS Hotels and Redbury Hotels.

Over the last two years, Proper has taken over management of the Avalon Hotels in Beverly Hills and Palm Springs, and opened the first property under its own name – Hollywood Proper Residences. The company has four more properties in the pipeline to open in the next 18 months.