DR . JENNIFER
CRONIN
PRESIDENT , WHARF HOTELS , HONG KONG
An Australian , Dr . Cronin was appointed president of Wharf Hotels ( formerly Marco Polo Hotels ) in February 2016 , after serving as vice president of sales and marketing from 2014 . Previously , she held various senior marketing and operational positions in leading international hotel groups , including Hyatt International , Ritz-Carlton and Dusit International .
Her initial remit at Wharf Hotels was to launch the new luxury hotel brand , Niccolo , and open the first of the luxury portfolio , Niccolo Chengdu , China , in 2015 . The brand has been internationally acclaimed and has set the benchmark for openings in Chongqing and Changsha , China , respectively , with Niccolo Suzhou , China , to follow in 2021 . The opening of the Hong Kong flagship property in 2018 in the conservation project , The Murray , a Niccolo Hotel , has already gained global recognition for this iconic landmark building .
Dedication to spearheading new initiatives and strategic developments through transformational leadership has further strengthened the Niccolo and Marco Polo brands , reinforcing the group as one of the leading regional players in the hospitality industry .
Her commitment to professional development and supporting future hoteliers is evidenced with her appointment to chairperson of Hong Kong Polytechnic University ’ s Industry Advisory Committee for the School of Hotel and Tourism Management , as well as Griffith University ’ s ( Hong Kong ) Industry Committee and the Advisory Board of Bond Business School , Bond University and its HK Alumni Committee .
CORPORATE
In 2019 , Dr . Cronin became chair of the Hong Kong Heritage Tourism Brands alliance and a member of the Tourism Recovery Industry Task Force for the Hong Kong Tourism Board , as well as a member of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau ’ s External Relations Committee .
Dr . Cronin graduated with a Doctorate of Philosophy in 2016 from Bond University based on her PhD research , titled “ Empowering Readiness ; influencing crisis management success outcomes .” She was awarded the 2013 Australian Postgraduate Award , conferred by the Commonwealth ’ s Department of Innovation , Industry , Science & Research .
Dr . Cronin also received Bond ’ s prestigious alumni accolade , the Robert Stable Alumni Medal , for her achievement bridging academia and industry .
The year 2016 culminated with Dr . Cronin receiving the 2016 APAC BMW Corporate Hotelier of the Year Award . She was awarded the ACI Singapore 2017 Mentor of the Year Award , the Australia China Alumni Association ’ s 2018 Award for Corporate Achievement , the APacCHRIE Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 and the 2019 Griffith Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award . Dr . Cronin is also a graduate of Griffith University ’ s School of Modern Asian Studies with a Bachelor of Arts , majoring in Japanese and economics .
March / April 2021 hotelsmag . com 17