Accor has unveiled key appointments within its luxury and lifestyle divisions, Orient Express, Raffles & Fairmont, set to take effect on January 1, 2024. Mr. Omer Acar is appointed Chief Executive Officer of Fairmont, replacing Mark Willis who becomes Advisor to Mr. Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Accor. Mr. Omer Acar will remain the Chief Executive Officer of Raffles, based in New York. Notably, Ms. Gilda Perez-Alvarado and Mr. Maxime d’Angeac are assuming pivotal roles as Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director of Orient Express, respectively. The management of Orient Express will be headquartered in Paris. Ms. Gilda Perez-Alvarado will continue as Chief Strategy Officer for the Accor Group.
Ms. Gilda Perez-Alvarado brings a robust academic background cultivated across Europe and North America, having studied at Cornell University and IE Business School. Her career commenced at PwC before joining JLL in 2004. Over nearly two decades in JLL’s Hotel & Hospitality division, Gilda provided top-tier strategic counsel to major industry stakeholders. In her most recent position as Global CEO of JLL Hotels & Hospitality, she oversaw global investment sales, debt and equity placement, strategic advisory, and asset management services. Recognized for her real estate and hospitality expertise, Gilda holds board and membership positions at esteemed organizations. Joining Accor in October 2023 as Chief Strategy Officer, Gilda Perez-Alvarado now takes on the additional role of CEO Orient Express, effective January 2024.
Mr. Maxime d’Angeac, an architect and graduate of Ecole des Beaux-Arts, has been appointed Artistic Director of Orient Express. Maxime’s diverse professional journey includes roles as a roadie and stage manager on French gigs before collaborating with Hilton McConnico on various scenography projects. His architectural career began in 1992, marked by founding his agency and working on projects for luxury brands like Guerlain, Sonya Rykiel, and Junko Shimada. Maxime’s meticulous approach to design demonstrated in his works at the American Hospital of Paris, is now directed towards the Orient Express, where he has been crafting the vision for the new train and the future boat Orient Express Silenseas since 2021.
Mr. Omer Acar, with degrees from Hotel Institute Montreux and Hawaii Pacific University, and a certificate from Cornell’s Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management program, is appointed CEO of Fairmont, succeeding Mark Willis, who becomes Advisor to Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor. Omer Acar, also the CEO of Raffles, will continue in this role, based in New York City. A seasoned professional in luxury hospitality, Omer started his career at Four Seasons, held key positions at Harrods, and served as General Manager of the Ritz in Paris and the Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris. Before joining Accor in March 2023 as CEO of Raffles & Orient Express, he oversaw 18 hotels as Managing Director for Europe and the Americas at Katara Hospitality. Effective January 2024, Omer Acar takes on the leadership of Raffles & Fairmont, and he will represent Accor in the North American market.
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