PERSONNEL
People on the Move
A SLEW OF MOVEMENT IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR HAS PEOPLE MOVING UP AND AROUND.
FORMER JUMEIRAH CEO JOINS MAY- BOURNE AS CHAIRMAN
Hospitality veteran and former Jumeirah Group CEO José Silva has been appointed as chairman of Maybourne. With more than four decades of industry experience spanning Europe, North America and the Middle East, Silva spent almost 25 years with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, holding a series of senior leadership positions across the organization. He served as general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris and later as regional vice president for Europe, where he oversaw a portfolio that included France, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal, leading strategic planning, operational performance, executive development and ownership relations.
VICTOR CLAVELL NAMED AMAN COO
Aman Group has appointed Victor Clavell as chief operating officer. Clavell brings more than three decades of senior operational, brand and development experience across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. His career includes leadership roles with global luxury hospitality brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, EDITION, W Hotels and Rosewood Hotel Group. Most recently, Clavell served as CEO of Urban Resort Concepts in Hong Kong, where he led the repositioning and global expansion of The PuLi Group across hospitality, residences and retail.
HVMG HAS A NEW PRESIDENT
Hospitality Ventures Management Group( HVMG) has announced the appointment of Pete Sams as its new president. Sams joins HVMG from Highgate Hotels, where he most recently served as president. Previously, he held multiple leadership roles within the KSL portfolio, including serving for more than six years as chief operating officer of Peregrine Hospitality and Davidson Hospitality Group. Earlier in his career, Sams held corporate leadership positions with Interstate Hotels & Resorts and White Lodging Services and spent more than a decade as a general manager with Omni Hotels & Resorts, including at its 836-room flagship hotel in Washington, D. C.
HIGHGATE APPOINTS CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER TO LEAD EUROPEAN STRATEGY
Highgate has announced the appointment of Siim Karu as its new chief commercial officer to lead its European commercial strategy across revenue management, sales, distribution, marketing, technology and performance optimization. Karu brings more than 15 years of hospitality and leadership experience, joining Highgate after four years with Generator and Freehand Hotels, where he also served as chief commercial officer. Prior to this, he held executive leadership positions with a & o Hostels and senior commercial roles with Penta Hotels and Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts.
76 hotelsmag. com September 2026