(SAN FRANCISCO; October 11, 2018) – Kokua Hospitality, LLC, an independent hotel management company based in San Francisco, announces the appointment of Joey Oliva as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. As Kokua’s dedicated expansion throughout the West Coast and Hawaii continues, the company is proud to add more expert talent to its corporate team.
Over the last 30 years, Oliva has developed experience with larger hotel groups – such as InterContinental Hotels Group, where she specialized in working with Kimpton Hotels, and Starwood – and boutique, independent hotel teams such as Larkspur Hotels and, most recently, Highgate Hotels. Oliva’s familiarity with the San Francisco market, as well as her work in Hawaii, San Diego, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, Laguna Beach, and Las Vegas, prepares her uniquely to make meaningful contributions to Kokua’s mission and growth.
“Joey’s ability to recognize strengths in others is a combination of her dedicated experience and sheer talent,” said Kirk Pederson, president of Kokua Hospitality. “We see a bright future for her at Kokua when it comes to building strong teams, recognizing intrepid work, and leveraging her team’s skills to make waves in the industry.”
Born and raised in San Francisco, Oliva grew up in the restaurant business. She was a first generation Sicilian-American on her father’s side; he immigrated when he was 20 years old, working to purchase a restaurant in North Beach just before he turned 30. Oliva worked alongside her father for several years until she was recruited by the Director of Catering at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. She started as a receptionist in the sales office and only grew from there.
“I have always enjoyed working in an environment focused on creating memorable experiences,” says Oliva. “Whether I am working with a meeting planner, leisure guest, or bride – every day is an opportunity to meet with new people and help them create memories.”
When she’s not on-site at the hotels or creating game-changing results from San Francisco, Oliva enjoys cooking and entertaining, wine tasting, and mentoring young adults in her field.
