IHG Announces Appointment Of Oliver Bonke As Chief Commercial Officer For The Americas

ATLANTA, Sept. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announces the recent appointment of Oliver Bonke to the position of Americas Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective September 3, 2013. He will be responsible for leading Brand Management and Sales and Marketing in the Americas, as well as will serve on the region's senior leadership committee.

Oliver comes to IHG after 24 years with Starwood® Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. He most recently served as senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a position he held since 2008. During his tenure, his innovative and performance-driven approach transformed the business across the brand marketing, communications, operations, and revenue management functions. Prior to this role, Oliver oversaw sales and marketing for the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region, including designing and adapting the organization for the emerging China and India markets. From 1998 to 2004, Oliver held roles of increasing responsibility in the United States and Germany, including serving as the vice president of Sales and Product Development for The Luxury Collection and as Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer for the Arabella Starwood Hotels joint venture, respectively. His career began in 1989 at the hotel level.

Joining IHG brings Oliver back to the U.S. after 13 years and reconnects his shared heritage with the well-established, international InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts brand. It was at an InterContinental hotel in his native Hamburg, Germany that he got his first summer job as a Page Boy, personally delivering messages to guests. He had a long-held penchant for exploring the world and living beyond his hometown; and this experience, along with encouragement from his family, sparked a career in the global hotel industry.

"We are pleased to welcome Oliver Bonke to the IHG family, which is truly global and keeps our guests and our brands at the heart of everything we do. Oliver's experience building integrated, consumer-centric teams and brands, as well as his global experience, make him a winning addition to our business and a strong fit for our culture," said Kirk Kinsell, president, the Americas, IHG.

Kinsell added, "He has been enthusiastic about bringing creativity and innovation to the table in support of our regional strategy. I know his championing spirit will be further motivation to continue our Winning Ways and drive top results for our owners."

Oliver Bonke remarked, "I am energized to join IHG and feel privileged to work alongside such a passionate group of people, as I immerse myself and gain a deeper understanding of the company. The sheer breadth of the brand portfolio – from the world's "original" hotel brand Holiday Inn® to the refreshingly local Hotel Indigo® brand to the new, insight-driven EVEN™ Hotels wellness brand – gives us enormous momentum for further growth and differentiation. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the region's evolution of IHG's nine well-loved brands, and to ensure that they are always at the forefront of meeting our guests' needs." 

Oliver is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard University School of Business and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration & Sociology from Loyola University New Orleans. He is fluent in German, an avid car racing fan, a long-distance runner, and enjoys cycling for charitable causes. Oliver and his partner Ingrid relocated from Brussels, Belgium and will live in Atlanta, Georgia, happily closer to daughter Isabelle on the West Coast.

Notes to Editors:

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of nine hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo® Hotels, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express® Hotels, Staybridge Suites® Hotels, Candlewood Suites® Hotels, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts.

IHG manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 74 million members worldwide. The programme was relaunched in July 2013, offering enhanced benefits for members including free internet across all hotels, globally.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,600 hotels and 678,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than 1,000 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 people into additional roles across its estate over the next few years.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

SOURCE InterContinental Hotels Group