Executive Promotions at Worldhotels

Worldhotels has bolstered management of its fast growing Asia Pacific operations by giving new and larger roles to three senior team members in the region.

The three team members – Christina Spykerman, Virginia Wu and Melissa Gan – have each been instrumental in the success that Worldhotels has achieved in the Asia Pacific over the last 10 years. During this period, the group's property network in the region expanded from a mere handful properties to more than 100 select hotels in 15 countries today.

Christina Spykerman, Regional Vice President, Sales and Marketing

Since joining in January 2005, Christina Spykerman has been a pillar of strength for Worldhotels in the Asia Pacific, spearheading many of the company's key initiatives in the region. As Senior Director of Sales and Marketing, Asia Pacific, Spykerman oversaw Worldhotels’ eight regional sales offices, including the strategic expansion into three key cities – Beijing, New Delhi and Melbourne, reinforcing Worldhotels’ presence and competitive edge in the industry, work that required her to spend about half of her time on the road organising road shows, events and trade fairs, as well as fostering ties with member hotels beyond the Asia Pacific region.

Besides being recognised for providing essential support to the local Performance and Revenue Optimisation (PRO) and Hotel Development (HD) teams, some of Spykerman’s specific contributions include the creation of branding guidelines for the group's Asia Pacific Full Licence hotels, and the training of Worldhotels marketing departments and management partners in Shanghai, Manila and Jakarta. The Worldhotels Cook Book that launched last December was also her brainchild.

Virginia Wu, Regional Vice President, Hotel Development

An hospitality industry veteran with 25 years of experience, Virginia Wu is known for her focused and compelling personality and outstanding relationship-building capabilities. At Worldhotels, she has demonstrated a strong passion for acquiring upper upscale hotels of exemplary character and charm, helping attract more than 100 such properties to the Worldhotels network between 1997 and 2008, including hotels of the Stamford Hotel Group in Australia and Lotte Hotels in Korea.

In her new role, Wu aims to strengthen and expand Worldhotels’ Asia Pacific footprint by identifying and qualifying potential Affiliate and Full Licence hotels in the region, and by inspiring the owners of these properties to envision and ultimately reap the benefits of being a part of Worldhotels – the best choice for independent hotels and hotel chains for global sales, marketing and channel distribution.

Wu is also passionate about sharing her knowledge with others, an attribute that shines in her excellence as a teacher and trainer. She has served as Trainer and Associate Lecturer with Institute for Hospitality Management (IFH) and the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS), among other educational institutions.

Melissa Gan, Regional Vice President, Full Licence Hotels

Melissa Gan began her distinguished hospitality industry career on an auspicious note as the first recipient of the Cornell Hotel Management Scholarship. After graduating in 1985, she joined the Regent / Four Seasons group and later worked twelve years for Hilton in Australia on management of rooms, revenue and business development.

Previously at Worldhotels Gan served eight years as Senior Director Performance and Revenue Optimization, Asia Pacific. In this capacity, she was responsible for assisting both Affiliate and Full Licence hotels increase their revenues.

Having taken up her new post on June 1, 2014 after a six-month sabbatical, Gan is now charged with strengthening the presence and successes of the group's growing portfolio of Full Licence hotels in the region.

Roland Jegge, Worldhotels Executive Vice President Asia Pacific, said, "The fantastic growth that our hotel network has achieved in the Asia Pacific over the past decade is largely a result of the contributions made by Christina, Virginia and Melissa, and no one is more qualified for and deserving of these three new appointments than they are. The expansion and refocusing of their roles will ensure that my team continues its impressive growth while continuing to provide our hotels with the highest quality of service."