Von Essen management shake-up brings in the men from De Vere

Luxury hotel operator Von Essen has made a raft of senior management changes, including its first chief executive and chief operating officer (COO), Caterer can reveal.

Colin Bailey has been poached from De Vere Group, where he has worked for 22 years, latterly as the company's head of the Village Hotels and Leisure Group, to become COO. He will report to Nick Romano, the long-serving operations director, who has been promoted to chief executive.

Another external appointment sees Stephen Littlefair, finance director at Village Hotels, join as hotel operating finance director. He will report to Stephanie Gibbs, who has been promoted from finance director for hotels to group finance director.

Gibbs will continue to oversee the financial affairs of Von Essen hotels and play an increasingly active role with founder Andrew Davis's other businesses, which encompass art, organic farming, property, aviation, automobiles and luxury brands.

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 By Daniel Thomas

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