IHG appoints Leanne Harwood as senior vice president and general manager of luxury and lifestyle
IHG appoints Leanne Harwood as senior vice president and general manager of luxury and lifestyle
Dark/light mode (01/18/24) IHG has named Leanne Harwood senior vice president/general manager of Luxury & Lifestyle Americas (LLA), effective March 1, 2024.
An industry veteran with almost three decades of experience in the hospitality industry, Leanne currently works as Senior Vice President and General Manager for IHG's Japan, Australasia and Pacific (JAPAC) region.
Leanne Harwood
Leanne has led impressive regional growth since taking on the role in January 2018, expanding IHG's reach to include almost 160 hotels open or in the pipeline, highlighted by InterContinental signatures Sorrento Mornington Peninsula, Kimpton Margot Sydney, RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka and Regent Kyoto.
Leanne also played a key role in the global and regional launches of the company's fast-growing voco hotels and Vignette Collection brands in recent years.
“Leanne has earned a proven reputation among IHG and the wider industry as a strategic and trusted leader, and I have no doubt that she is the right person to lead the next era of growth for our luxury and lifestyle portfolio, which It is already one of the largest in the world. around the world, in the Americas region,” said Jolyon Bulley, CEO of the Americas at IHG Hotels & Resorts. “From operations, commercial and sales to food and beverage, his depth and breadth of experience are well suited for this role. “I look forward to working with Leanne and her leadership team to introduce our leading luxury and lifestyle brands to even more owners, guests and markets in the years to come.”
Prior to joining IHG, Leanne assumed roles of increasing leadership and responsibility across various commercial, operations and sales teams. She began her hospitality journey in a hotel bar in New Zealand and eventually became food and beverage director and later New Zealand's first hotel concierge.
Leanne is also a respected leadership voice in professional organizations across the industry. In 2021, she was elected the first female president of Accommodation Australia, one of the country's leading hospitality assemblies.
Additionally, Leanne serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of IHG's ANA Hotels Group Japan and was an early sponsor of IHG's RISE program, which supports the development of female general managers through training, mentoring and access to resources.
In her new role, Leanne will oversee the day-to-day operations of the LLA organization, driving the performance and operations of IHG's six luxury and lifestyle brands and supporting their growth in the Americas.
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