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Marriott International appoints new member to Board of Directors

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The Board of Directors of Marriott International, Inc. said today it has appointed Margaret M. McCarthy, Executive Vice President at CVS Health Corporation, as an independent director of the company, effective March 19, 2019. Ms. McCarthy will also be included in the company’s slate of nominees for election at Marriott’s upcoming 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.


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Ms. McCarthy’s appointment expands the membership of the Board to 14, 11 of whom are independent. She will also serve on the company’s Audit Committee.

“Meg brings a wealth of leadership experience to our Board from her over 30-year career in business and her military service,” said Larry Kellner, Marriott International’s Lead Director. “We were drawn to Meg’s experience with consumer-facing companies undergoing transformational change as well as her knowledge of privacy and cybersecurity. Marriott has a strong and independent Board of Directors that provides critical guidance and advice to management. We are also committed to building a Board that has diverse perspectives and backgrounds reflecting the diversity of our guests, associates and owners. We are confident that Meg will be a valuable addition to the Marriott Board.”

As Executive Vice President at CVS Health, Ms. McCarthy is a leader in the company’s technology transition following its acquisition of Aetna. As previously announced, Ms. McCarthy is slated to depart CVS Health in May. She brings substantial experience in data management and security.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Meg to our Board,” said Arne Sorenson, Marriott International President and Chief Executive Officer. “Her experience and expertise promise to make Meg a terrific addition to the Marriott Board. I look forward to her insights and leadership as we work to build Marriott’s global hospitality brand.”

Ms. McCarthy joined CVS Health through its acquisition of Aetna Inc. in 2018, where she had been Executive Vice President of Operations and Technology since 2010. At Aetna, she also served as the company’s Chief Information Officer and Head of Business Solutions Delivery. Prior to joining Aetna in 2003, she was a senior Information and Technology executive at Cigna Corp., Catholic Health Initiatives and Franciscan Health System, and a Partner at Ernst & Young.

Ms. McCarthy currently serves on the Board of Directors of Brighthouse Financial, Inc. and First American Financial Corporation. She also serves on various advisory boards and councils, including the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, MIT Center for Information Systems Research and the Board of Trustees of Providence College.

Ms. McCarthy holds a bachelor’s degree from Providence College and a master’s degree in public health, hospital administration from Yale University. She served in the U.S. Navy Medical Services Corps as a Lieutenant at Bethesda Naval Hospital and in the U.S. Navy Reserves as a Lieutenant Commander.

Marriott’s Board of Directors engaged Russell Reynolds Associates to assist in identifying and evaluating potential nominees.

With the addition of Ms. McCarthy, the 14 members of Marriott’s Board of Directors are as follows:
•J.W. Marriott, Jr., Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Marriott International, Inc.
•Mary K. Bush, President, Bush International, LLC and Former Presidential Appointee as the U.S. Government’s representative on the IMF Board
•Bruce W. Duncan, Chairman of the Board and Former President and Chief Executive Officer, First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. and Former Interim Chief Executive Officer and Director, Starwood Hotels & Resorts
•Deborah Marriott Harrison, Global Officer, Marriott Culture and Business Councils, Marriott International, Inc.
•Frederick A. Henderson, Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, SunCoke Energy, Inc.
•Eric Hippeau, Managing Partner, Lerer Hippeau
•Lawrence W. Kellner, President, Emerald Creek, Group, LLC, Marriott International’s Lead Director
•Debra L. Lee, Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BET Networks
•Aylwin B. Lewis, Former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Potbelly Corporation
•Margaret M. McCarthy, Executive Vice President, CVS Health Corporation
•George Muñoz, Principal, Muñoz Investment Banking Group, LLC
•Steven S. Reinemund, Former Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo, Inc. and Former Dean of Business, Wake Forest University
•Susan C. Schwab, Professor, University of Maryland and Former U.S. Trade Representative
•Arne M. Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International, Inc.

Marriott’s Board will nominate these 14 directors as its recommended slate at the company’s upcoming Annual Meeting.

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Melbourne to welcome news hotels from Ormond Group in 2022

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In 2022, Southeast Asian hospitality brand Ormond Group will introduce two new hotel concepts to Melbourne’s Central Business District in Victoria, Australia. Each taking residence in their own distinct tower within the buzzing CBD development, the Ormond Melbourne and MoMo’s Melbourne on Flinders Lane, will rise from a 40,000 sqft events and F&B podium. The brand-new development and social gathering space, designed for visitors and locals alike, will boast a purpose-built pedestrian laneway, multi-use spaces, sky bar & restaurant and provide the cultural capital with 537 new guest rooms between the two properties.

“We are delighted to have been given the green light for Ormond Group to push forward with this exciting and ambitious project. Through our new brands, we hope to be able to elevate the hotel scene in Melbourne through our inclusive approach to programming and design. We’ll be looking to work with exciting F&B operators as well as developing inspiring partnerships to bring these properties to life. Our spaces are designed to welcome guests and locals alike. Ormond and MoMo’s will offer culturally relevant experiences for guests and locals at great value for money price points in one central location. We are thrilled to be introducing our hotels to this area of the city’s CBD – we embrace its past, present and future and look forward to meaningfully contributing to the district’s landscape. We feel confident that Melbourne’s already discerning lifestyle audience will enjoy what we bring to Australia’s cultural capital.” says Gareth Lim, CEO of Ormond Group.

Through its approach to delivering authentic travel experiences, the Ormond Group is re-shaping Melbourne’s lifestyle scene with each new hotel. Ormond Hotels is a collection of thoughtfully designed hotels, inspired by local stories and cultural context. Ormond Melbourne will embody the spirit of Luxury Simplified through the brand’s values of comfort, purpose and balance by prioritizing great service, high quality guest essentials, beautiful and thoughtful design and dynamic social programming.

Meanwhile, MoMo’s Melbourne will provide guests with minimalist hotel rooms alongside playful spaces that engage with creative communities and urban nomads. MoMo’s is designed to inspire memorable moments – through interactive events that engage both locals and visitors alike at a value for money price point.

Together they will provide a dual-brand experience – an upscale boutique hotel that celebrates luxury simplified and an accessible, playful hotel concept that celebrates creative collaboration – bringing a new dynamism to Australia’s hospitality scene.

Designed by Melbourne-based architectural firm, Elenberg Fraser, in collaboration with Craig Tan Architects, the project will be managed by Point Polaris. Ormond Group is currently in the process of making interior design appointments. Both properties will be developed and operated by Ormond Group, who has announced the appointment of Caroline King as Chief Operating Officer.

This year, Ormond Group will open the first properties for its two new lifestyle hotel brands, with the Q3 launches of The Chow Kit – an Ormond Hotel and MoMo’s in Kuala Lumpur.

In Early 2021 the group will open the flagship hotel under the Ormond Hotels brand in Dublin following the extensive, multimillion-dollar refurbishment of The Ormond Hotel, which will be followed by the brand’s Melbourne opening in 2022. The group will be looking to expand into other Australian cities.

Ormond Group is a new player in global hospitality offering design-led travel experiences for all audiences via its brands – Ormond, MoMo’s and Tune Hotels. Ormond Group embodies the spirit of modern-day exploration whilst focusing on the careful curation of great service, design and programming.

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Point Lookout Resort and Conference Center in Northport under new management

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Olympia Hotel Management announced today that they will assume management of Point Lookout Resort and Conference Center in Northport, Maine. The dramatic 387 acre conference center and resort property is set on mountainside terrain overlooking Penobscot Bay, in Maine’s scenic Mid-Coast region.

The new owner of Point Lookout is Deep Creek Grazing Association. David and Tami Hirschfeld, of Camden are the principals of Deep Creek Grazing Association. They are proud to take the helm of such a majestic property, one that offers guests, wedding couples and corporate clients an authentic Maine experience.

“The Hirschfelds look forward to welcoming new and returning guests to Point Lookout,” says Matthew Arrants, Executive Vice President of Pinnacle Advisory Group, on behalf of Deep Creek Grazing Association. “They are devoted to the region and deeply committed to the resort’s employees. As Maine residents, they intend to be good stewards of this remarkable property. It’s why they reached out to a Maine-based company like Olympia Hotel Management for their hospitality and operational expertise.”

For Portland-based Olympia Hotel Management, which currently manages such Maine hotels as the award-winning Inn by the Sea, Point Lookout is a welcome opportunity to partner with another iconic property in their home state.

“We’re thrilled to take over the management of Point Lookout,” says Sara Masterson, Senior Vice President of Olympia Hotel Management. “We have a deep and lasting commitment to the state of Maine and this remarkable coastal property aligns perfectly with our expertise in managing outstanding properties that play an integral role in the local community.”

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Puerto Vallarta Beach Club has a new director of operation

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Puerto Vallarta Beach Club announces the appointment of John Douponce as Director of Operations of Puerto Vallarta Beach Club.

John Douponce brings a wealth of hospitality management expertise to Puerto Vallarta Beach Club, most recently as general manager of the Chamberlain West Hollywood for the past six years. During his tenure at the OLS Hotel & Resorts property, he was responsible for the execution of a $15 million redesign of the hotel’s accommodations, public spaces, rooftop pool deck and bar. He also worked with two other OLS properties, Le Parc Suite Hotel and Le Montrose Suite as general manager, and as area director of operations for Le Montrose Suite.

John is thrilled to be a part of the luxury Estate in Puerto Vallarta.  “I have been visiting here for many years, and this is a very comfortable home for me. I am delighted to introduce Puerto Vallarta Beach Club to new guests who will appreciate what I’ve come to love, the privacy and special personalization that distinguish it from luxury resorts among the world,” he notes.

John’s extensive background in hospitality covers management, operations, profit and loss, staff training and development as well as marketing and guest relations. His business management approach focuses on identifying the distinguishing aspects of a property, repositioning the property as needed, and creating a hospitality experience that is unparalleled in the industry, one that inspires guests to return year after year. His nearly 30 years in the hospitality industry have taken him from Michigan where he worked in both restaurants and hotels to hotels and resorts in North Carolina, Orlando, Hawaii and Los Angeles, with positions in sales, marketing and management.

John originally hails from Michigan and he has spent most of his career in California. Beyond his hotel positions, John has been active in the hospitality world as a member of California Travel & Tourism Association.  He also served on the boards of the West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau as well as of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.  He is also active in the non-profit sector, serving on the board of directors for the AIDS Project Los Angeles.

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Rosewood Hong Kong opens its harborfront doors

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Rosewood Hong Kong opens as a new ultra-luxury property in the heart of the Victoria Dockside district on the shores of Victoria Harbour. Situated on one of Hong Kong’s most significant waterfront locations in Tsim Sha Tsui – Kowloon’s dynamic, culturally compelling heart – the property is set to become a grand icon for the city, celebrating the area’s role as Hong Kong’s new creative and cultural epicenter.

The opening of Rosewood Hong Kong is a defining milestone for the group, solidifying its stature as one of the world’s most dynamic hotel brands and a leader in global style. This showpiece of the brand’s highest aspirations epitomizes Rosewood’s essence and represents the complete manifestation of a differentiated and modern expression of ultra-luxury hospitality.

From the brand’s inception 40 years ago as a fine private home that opened its doors to guests, each Rosewood hotel continues to be guided by A Sense of Place® philosophy and the concept of the hotel as a living canvas celebrating artistry in all its forms. This spirit reaches its zenith at Rosewood Hong Kong. Guests can experience the first urban outpost of the brand’s pioneering wellness concept; gastronomic innovation showcasing locally grown and artisanal ingredients; masterworks by the world’s most highly acclaimed artists; and supremely stylish, residentially natured gathering and living spaces – all within a masterfully designed and meticulously curated journey in architecturally bold environs commanding the harbor.

Rosewood’s opening in Hong Kong marks the evolution of another meaningful historic legacy. The site is the former Holt’s Wharf, dating back to 1910, which subsequently became New World Centre, a lifestyle magnet for the city in the 1980s, which holds a unique place in the hearts and minds of local residents as a place of discovery and wonderment. New World Centre – a proud expression of Hong Kong’s evolution – was the creation of Dr. Cheng Yu-tung and Dr. Henry Cheng, the grandfather and father (respectively) of Rosewood Hotel Group Chief Executive Officer, Sonia Cheng.

“With Hong Kong evolving from a business and financial center to become a true global cultural capital, I wanted to create an iconic property that not only showcases the city’s rich history but also reflects its bright future,” says Sonia Cheng. “New World Centre was conceived as my grandfather’s ultimate gift to Hong Kong, a celebration of its progress, vibrancy and spirit. I hope that Rosewood Hong Kong enhances this legacy and helps fulfill his and my father’s vision for the city that they loved. Rosewood Hong Kong sets bold new benchmarks for design, guest experience, cuisine, and culture. Our ambition is to create a new world standard for ultra-luxury hospitality and a focal point of the vibrant Hong Kong lifestyle, reflecting its incredible dynamism, style and diversity.”

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