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By Hariharan U
Published on January 7, 2026
The First Group Hospitality, a full-service hotel management company headquartered in Dubai, has announced a series of senior leadership appointments to support its accelerating growth and international expansion. These newly created roles are designed to strengthen capabilities across commercial strategy, marketing, F&B, sales, and wellness operations.
Brendan McCormack assumes the role of Vice President – Business Development, Food & Beverage (F&B). McCormack, previously VP of Marketing and a member of the leadership team since 2020, will focus on scaling the company’s proprietary F&B brands, including Risen Café & Artisanal Bakery and The Blacksmith Bar & Eatery, through franchising and new business opportunities.
Robyn James-O’Connor joins as Senior Vice President – Marketing, overseeing brand, advertising, public relations, social and digital strategy, and development marketing. With a 20-year career at Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, including VP of Marketing for the group, she brings extensive expertise in brand-building and integrated marketing within luxury hospitality.
Antonio Bissoni steps in as Vice President – Commercial, leading revenue management, distribution, guest engagement, and commercial strategy. He joins from Marriott International, bringing a wealth of experience in optimising pricing, analytics, and market segmentation to maximise profitability.
Sohail Pedari, appointed Vice President – Sales, will oversee group-wide sales operations, leveraging his experience with Hilton, Marriott International, and Rocco Forte Hotels to drive strategic partnerships and revenue growth across multiple markets.
Maria Kuzeva joins as Corporate Director of Wellness & Spa, charged with driving a unified wellness vision across The First Group Hospitality’s expanding portfolio. With over 20 years of experience at top-tier resorts such as Madinat Jumeirah and Atlantis The Royal, she brings expertise in concept development, operations, and brand creation in wellness.
Commenting on the appointments, Apo Demirtas, Chief Strategy Officer, said, "It is a pleasure to welcome these talented leaders into their new roles. As our portfolio grows regionally and internationally, these positions strengthen our capabilities across key operational areas, ensuring we deliver long-term value for our owners and partners."
The appointments come amid significant growth, including landmark developments like Ciel Dubai Marina, the world’s tallest hotel, the Vignette Collection by IHG, franchise agreements with Marriott International and IHG, and the company’s entry into Europe with Gennadi Seaside Resort.
About The First Group HospitalityThe First Group Hospitality is a Dubai-based full-service hospitality management company specialising in hotel operations, asset management, and F&B strategy. The company partners with global brands to optimise revenue, enhance efficiency, and maximise asset value, while developing and operating upscale hotels, residences, and award-winning restaurants across the Middle East and internationally.
For more information, visit: tfghospitality.com
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Published on November 14, 2026
Fairfield by Marriott Hyderabad has appointed Chef Jogarao Pujari as its new Executive Chef, bringing an experienced culinary professional with over 18 years of industry experience to lead its food and beverage operations.
In his new role, Chef Jogarao will oversee culinary operations across the hotel's food and beverage outlets, with responsibilities spanning menu planning and development, new culinary concepts, food quality and presentation. He will also lead and mentor the kitchen team while focusing on operational efficiency and guest dining experiences.
His career includes associations with several hospitality brands, including Four Points by Sheraton Visakhapatnam, Radisson Blu Plaza Hyderabad, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and HICC, The Raintree Hotels Chennai, and Hotel Marine Plaza Mumbai.
He also brings international experience from a four-year association with Costa Cruise Lines, Italy, where he gained exposure to cruise culinary operations. In the corporate food service segment, he has worked with Sodexo India Services, most recently serving as Executive Chef for its Deloitte account in Hyderabad.
A specialist in banquet operations and large-scale catering, Chef Jogarao has managed events serving up to 100,000 guests, including major corporate engagements and prestigious occasions. His experience across diverse cuisines and high-volume food service environments adds to his operational and culinary expertise.
Beyond professional kitchens, Chef Jogarao is also familiar to Telugu-speaking audiences through his television appearances. He has hosted more than 600 live cooking shows on ETV Abhiruchi, sharing his culinary knowledge and passion for non-vegetarian cuisine with viewers across the Telugu-speaking states.
His appointment brings together experience in hotel kitchens, cruise operations, corporate catering and television, as he takes charge of the culinary function at Fairfield by Marriott Hyderabad.
Fairfield by Marriott Hyderabad offers contemporary accommodation and hospitality services for business travellers, with a focus on comfortable stays, thoughtful amenities and convenient dining options. The property follows the Fairfield brand's approach to simplicity, comfort and welcoming service.
Published on November 13, 2026
Anya Hotel has appointed Pramod Kumar as its new Housekeeping Manager, strengthening the hotel's housekeeping leadership with an experienced hospitality professional. Kumar joined the property on November 11, 2026, bringing 19 years of experience in housekeeping operations across reputed hotel brands.
His professional experience includes associations with Radisson, Marriott, Hilton, ITC Hotels, The Park Hotels and Westin. Most recently, he was associated with Radisson Individuals in Gopalpur, Odisha.
Over the course of his career, Kumar has developed expertise in housekeeping operations management, budgeting, cost control, quality assurance, guest satisfaction, team leadership and departmental coordination. In his new role, he will be responsible for overseeing housekeeping operations and maintaining the hotel's standards of cleanliness, service quality and guest comfort.
Kumar also brings strong communication, problem-solving, teamwork and time-management skills to the position. His approach combines operational efficiency with a focus on maintaining quality and working collaboratively with colleagues across departments.
Outside work, he enjoys listening to music, practising yoga and swimming. His personal philosophy is summed up in a simple belief: “Work is worship.”
With his experience across multiple hospitality brands and a background in managing housekeeping functions, Kumar's appointment adds to Anya Hotel's focus on operational consistency and guest satisfaction.
By Manu Vardhan Kannan
JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar has appointed Priyanka Gandhi as Director of Guest Experiences, strengthening its focus on personalised service, guest satisfaction, and associate development.
With over two decades of experience across hospitality, aviation, food service, and education, Priyanka brings a strong understanding of customer experience, service culture, and people development. Throughout her career, she has focused on improving service standards and helping teams create meaningful interactions with guests.
In her new role, Priyanka will oversee key areas such as personalisation, service excellence, service recovery, relationship building, and associate development. She will also lead learning and performance initiatives to maintain consistency across the guest journey while supporting the hotel's wider business objectives.
Before joining JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, Priyanka held leadership positions across customer experience, learning, quality, and training at several organisations, including Foodlink F&B Holdings, Artium Academy, Air India, Go First, The St. Regis Mumbai, Jet Airways, and Kingfisher Airlines.
She is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, with expertise in instructional design, quality assurance, service audits, and process improvement. Her experience across different service sectors adds to her understanding of guest expectations and team performance.
Commenting on her appointment, Priyanka Gandhi said, "Every guest interaction is an opportunity to create a connection that goes beyond the service itself. I believe exceptional experiences begin with empowered people who have the right skills, mindset, and confidence to make a difference. I look forward to working with the team at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar to build on its strong culture of service and create experiences that guests remember long after their stay."
Priyanka's appointment further strengthens JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar's commitment to delivering thoughtful, personalised, and consistent guest experiences.
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