SONYA YOUNG has joined the Botleigh Grange hotel in Southampton, Hampshire, as general manager. As well as the day-to-day running of the hotel, she has responsibility for all training and recruitment at the site. She was previously general manager at the Balmer Lawn hotel in Brockenhurst, Hampshire.
Wine and spirit company Moët Hennessy UK has created two new positions within its sales department after restructuring.
JO THORNTON has been promoted from national field sales manager to on-trade director, responsible for both the field sales team and on-trade national account. The new role of key accounts director has been taken by IAN FITCHEW, who is responsible for all off-trade national accounts. He was previously director of customer and marketing services and will continue to look after these areas in his new role.
De Vere Group has made a number of sales appointments across its portfolio of hotels. DONNA WELCH has joined the Belfry, Wishaw, Warwickshire, as director of sales. Before that she was sales and marketing manager at Down Hall Country House Hotel in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. The De Vere Cavendish St James Hotel in London has welcomed LOUISE ANNIS as director of sales. She joins from her previous position as regional director of sales for west London at the Thistle Marble Arch Hotel. ROBERT JOHN RUSSELL has joined De Vere's Daresbury Park head office in Warrington, Cheshire, as golf and leisure manager. He was previously leisure sales manager at Park Plaza Hotels Europe in London.
Hospitality Action, the hospitality industry benevolent organisation, has appointed PETER BARRETT, divisional director of Debenhams Food Services, to its board of trustees. Barrett will be charged with defining the strategic direction and policy of the charity. He is joined on the board of trustees by Caterer's editor FORBES MUTCH, who was previously a member of the organisation's communication and marketing advisory committee.
The Comfort Inn Kensington, London, has a new general manager, MUNAWAR SHAKIR, who has more than 30 years' experience in the hotel industry. He joins from Amstas, where he was director of operations.
Park Plaza Hotels Europe has appointed IVAR VAN DIEPEN general manager of its fourth UK hotel, the Park Plaza Leeds, which is due to open next month. He joins from the Hilton Leeds hotel, Garforth, where he was also general manager.
MARK ANDERSON has been appointed sales and marketing director at the five-star Royal Garden hotel in Kensington, London. He joins from the Emirates Towers hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he was associate director of business development.
DAVID STEVENSON has joined leased and tenanted pub company Jennings as finance director. He previously held a similar position at Springwood, the Midlands-based operator of bars and nightclubs.
The Glasgow Moat House hotel, the largest of the group's properties, has expanded its operations through two new appointments. PAUL SALT, previously revenue manager for Hilton International, has joined as commercial manager. MARGARET DIGBY is the second appointee, and takes on the role of assistant conference and events manager at the hotel. She was previously executive meeting manager with the Marriott group based in Florida.
JOCHEM-JAN SLEIFFER has been appointed general manager of the Hilton London Olympia hotel in Kensington. He was formerly general manager of the Hilton Athens hotel, where he oversaw a £67m refurbishment of the site.
The Barn hotel in Ruislip, Middlesex, has welcomed PATRICE MOSSADEK into its food and beverage department as manager. He will oversee the launch of the hotel's Hawtrey's restaurant, which is due to open on Saturday. Mossadek was restaurant manager at Michelin-starred Tamarind Indian restaurant, London.
PAUL BIDGOOD, the former director of food and beverage at Le Méridien Grosvenor House hotel, has taken up the post of general manager of the Como resort in Melbourne, Australia.
- Please send your On the move stories to chris.druce@rbi.co.uk, giving start date, details of the appointee's previous job and, if possible, a head-and-shoulders photograph.