Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has announced a restructuring with the creation of two divisions to be led by Al Wymann and Symon Bridle.
As group directors of operations, Wymann will be responsible for the group's hotels in the Chinese mainland and Bridle will oversee the remaining hotels in Asia Pacific as well as the two hotels due to open in Dubai in 2003. Wymann and Bridle, who will both report to Giovanni Angelini, the company's chief executive officer and managing director, have worked for Shangri-La for more than 23 years and over 11 years, respectively. Both appointments are effective from this month. Wymann will continue to be based in Beijing, where he is currently vice president - China. Previously, he was Shangri-La's group director of development for eight years after holding general manager positions at five of the company's hotels. Bridle will remain based at the corporate office in Hong Kong, where he is presently corporate director of development projects. The company has also appointed Marc Hediger as group director of development. He will drive the company's expansion efforts as well as continue to direct the renovation programme. Strengthening the group's operations team in China is Richard Riley, who will move to The Kerry Centre Hotel, Beijing in February 2002 from the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Manila to assume his new position as area manager/general manager. Also reporting to Wymann will be area manager/general manager Philippe Caretti, who is based at the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel, Shanghai. Additionally, all China-based corporate functions including human resources, marketing and reservations will be led by Wymann. Reporting to Bridle will be area manager Bruno Brunner, who will move from the Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong to be area manager/general manager based at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Manila in February 2002. Also working with Bridle will be three other area managers/general managers: Cetin Sekercioglu, based at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, who will oversee all operations in Singapore, Indonesia and Fiji; Michael Cottan at the Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur; and Mark Heywood at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok.