Sergio Albergo has joined the Abu Dhabi Grand, in the United Arab Emirates, as restaurant manager. He joined from the Great Pacific Palace, Hong Kong, where he oversaw 14 food and beverage outlets. His first task will be to refresh the hotel's fine-dining restaurant, Amalfi, with new menus and a more personalised service, in a bid to achieve his personal target of making it the best Italian-style restaurant in the country.
Contact caterer Avenance has appointed two regional managing directors to oversee operations in London and the South-east. Tom Barrett has taken on the role of regional managing director for the City, West End and Docklands, while regional managing director Frank Bothwell will look after Greater London and the South-east. Barrett has joined from fellow contract caterer Charlton House, where he was operations director with responsibility for 80 contracts and their clients. Bothwell was regional managing director of contract caterer Sodexho UK. Both men are charged with retaining and growing business in their respective regions, and will also seek to further develop Avenance's influence in areas such as education and healthcare.
Thistle hotels has chosen Douglas Waddell for the role of general manager of regional hotels. Waddell joins from Esporta Health and Fitness, where he held the role of operations director. In his new role, he will have responsibility for the company's 36 regional hotels including those in Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol. He has replaced Tony Dangerfield, who left Thistle Hotels earlier this year to join Marriott.
Tony Heddon has joined healthcare services company Medirest as business development director, based at the company's headquarters in Uxbridge, Middlesex. He was business director for hotels and commercial restaurants at contract caterer Sodexho.
Tim Payne has joined Planet Hollywood UK as executive chef, based in London's West End. Having worked with Marco Pierre White (MPW) for 12 years, most recently at the Criterion Grill in Piccadilly, where he was head chef and executive chef for MPW restaurants, he will now work to develop the restaurant's menu.
Oriel Leisure, owner and operator of eight Express by Holiday Inn hotels in the UK, has announced two new appointments. Markus Nasholm has joined as financial controller. He was previously assistant financial controller at the five-star Cliveden hotel in Berkshire. He will be based at the company's headquarters in Uxbridge, Middlesex. Alice Ng has been promoted to general manager designate and will spend the next six months training at the Express by Holiday Inn in Peterborough, Northamptonshire, before becoming general manager there. She was previously sales manager for Oriel Leisure.
The new Notting Hill Gate Caffé Uno, which opens in London this August, now has a general manager in Mario Zadro. He previously worked as general manager for the chain's Highgate, London, site.
Search Hospitality & Catering, a division of recruitment company Search Consultancy, has appointed Mary Atkinson as temporaries consultant on its newly opened Edinburgh temps desk. She was previously a consultant with recruitment company Reed, also in Edinburgh.
Beeches Management Centre, Birmingham, has welcomed Lucie Palmer through its doors as receptionist. She previously worked as a receptionist at St Andrews House hotel in Droitwich, Worcestershire.
London wine merchant Bibendum has made a couple of appointments to its buying team. Neil Bruce, formerly sales manager for wine company Reynolds, has become commercial manager. Iain Muggoch, previously a fine-wine buyer at Bibendum Fine Wine, has been promoted to the position of buying manager.
London and Dublin-based catering equipment company Marco-TSE, which makes water boilers, coffee machines and trolleys, has appointed Marcus Whiteley national sales manager. He held a similar role at water purification and softener company Everpure UK.
The Hilton London Paddington hotel has a new general manager in the shape of Gisela Munchgesang, who has joined from the Hilton Budapest West End hotel, where she held the same position and was in charge of its opening three years ago. Her previous experience includes management positions with Hilton in Cyprus and Weimar, Germany.
In a direct swap, the former general manager of Hilton's Paddington hotel, Neil Mathieson, has taken on Munchgesang's vacated role as general manager of the Hilton Budapest West End hotel. Mathieson has also been general manager of the company's London Heathrow Airport hotel and has worked in Germany and Egypt as part of a 30-year career with the company.
Denis Guillemin has taken on his first head chef's role and joined the Bell restaurant in Skenfrith, Monmouthshire. Born and brought up in France, he studied catering in Bourges and landed his first job at the Michelin-starred H“tel Nikko, outside Paris. He was previously sous chef at Castle House hotel in Hereford.
Conrad London in Chelsea Harbour has announced Robert Watson is its new head concierge. Watson joined from London's Le Méridien Grosvenor House hotel on Park Lane. In January he was elected vice-president of Les Clefs d'Or (Golden Keys), an organisation that represents concierges worldwide.
Conference and training centre Wadenhoe House, Peterborough, has appointed Keith John Smee as chef de cuisine. He was relief head chef for the Marriott hotel group in the UK.
William Jones has become sous chef at Linthwaite House hotel and restaurant in Windermere, Cumbria. He joins the AA rosette-winning restaurant from the Chester Grosvenor hotel, where he was sous chef.
- 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.