NEW YORK, NY— (October 6 2020) -The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd (LHW) has appointed Dean Bannon to the position of Managing Director, Europe. Mr. Bannon assumed the position on August 17, 2020 and will be based in London, England.
Europe is a critically important market for LHW and its members. Nearly two thirds of LHW’s portfolio of more than 400 hotels are located in Europe, and the European market represents nearly 30 percent of LHW’s business.
Mr. Bannon will be responsible for mapping the strategic direction for the organization in Europe and navigating the team through a successful COVID-19 recovery. Additionally he will oversee the corporate, leisure and MICE segments across the region.
Mr. Bannon is a seasoned hospitality professional. He most recently served as the Commercial Director of the Grand Hôtel Stockholm, a member of LHW. At the property he led commercial strategy and revenue generation. He also managed a cross functional team including, revenue management, sales, PR, marketing, and reservations to ensure alignment across all functions. His deep understanding of the industry and specifically the independent, luxury hospitality market makes Mr. Bannon well positioned for success at LHW.
Prior to Grand Hôtel Stockholm, Mr. Bannon served as the Director of Sales Sweden for First Hotels in Sweden. There he was responsible for 30 hotels in the country and a team of 20 sales representatives. This position was proceeded by various roles with Starwood in Europe for a span of ten years. Before that, Mr. Bannon co-founded a successful South African DMC.
“Dean brings a wealth of industry experience and LHW knowledge to the role,” said Chris Walker, Senior Vice President, Global Sales, The Leading Hotels of the World. “Dean has worked with LHW at the hotel level for almost eight years and served as a member of the LHW Marketing Advisory Committee and the Sales Advisory Board. As COVID-19 cases begin to stabilize in Europe and travel restrictions across the EU ease, we are pleased to have a strategic leader in Dean to drive LHW’s recovery in the region and work with our executive team to build a successful future for our 92-year-old Company.”
Mr. Bannon holds an M.B.A. degree from Stockholm University and a B.A. (HONS) degree in Business and Tourism Management from the University of North London.
