GM Movements at Dusit Hotels in Asia

Dusit International has announced the following GM re-assignments, effective January 2013:

James Wilson, currently General Manager of Dusit Thani Dubai, will relocate to Bangkok as General Manager of the Dusit Thani Bangkok.

James joined Dusit International in 2000. Graduating in Hotel Catering and Institutional Management from the University of Ulster, UK, followed by a postgraduate diploma in Administrative and Legal Studies, he subsequently graduated as an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ACIS) before joining InterContinental Hotels Group in the UK.

James is the recipient of numerous awards including Thailand’s “General Manager of the Year” awarded by Jacobs Creek and Thai Hospitality Magazine. In addition, he pioneered the IIP Standard Certification for Dusit Thani Dubai, the only hotel within Dusit International certified by IIP. The hotel also earned the 1st earth check certification and was the first Dusit hotel to achieve the Silver Earth Check designation under James’ leadership.

Alex Willats, currently General Manager of the Dusit Thani Bangkok, will move to the position of General Manager of the Dusit Thani Manila, Dusit International’s flagship property in the Philippines.

Alex joined Dusit Thani Bangkok as Resident Manager before being promoted to General Manager of the property.

Alex graduated with an honour’s degree in Hotel Management before joining InterContinental Hotels Group on their fast track Management Programme. He went on to be awarded a scholarship to attend Cranfield School of Management before being inducted to the St Julians Scholars and now a member of the prestigious Master Innholders Association.

Alex’s career prior to joining Dusit International has included senior positions most notably at Rocco Forte’s The Lowry Hotel; The Ritz and Claridges in London before moving overseas to leading hotel properties in the Middle East.

During his time as General Manager he has spearheaded the repositioning of The Dusit Thani Bangkok as well as overseeing significant improvement works to the facilities and infrastructure of this iconic Bangkok property. As a result, the hotel has won numerous honors and awards in the industry for both its accommodation and excellence in restaurant services.

Prateek Kumar, currently General Manager of Dusit Thani Manila, will move to the position of General Manager Dusit Thani Dubai.

Prateek has extensive experience in luxury hotel brands in Singapore and took on the role of General Manager of the Manila property following its extensive refurbishment, heading up the successful re- launch of the property.

Prateek graduated with a Diploma in Catering and a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management from the Griffith University in Australia. Prior to joining Dusit International, he was responsible for the successful pre-opening of Ascott Raffles Place in Singapore’s financial centre. He also worked for Raffles, Starwood and Renaissance.

Said Chanin Donavanik, MD and CEO of Dusit International, said, “I am delighted to recognize the strong leadership and proven track records of success of the General Managers concerned. They bring with them a wealth of experience and a strong track record. These moves reflect our long term strategy to develop key Executives and expose them to a wide range of cultures and working environments. This will become increasingly important as Dusit International expands its global footprint. It is essential that we have a ready pool of Dusit International General Managers ready to take on assignments at any of our properties globally. This move is part of our overall succession planning and an essential process in building internal excellence. I congratulate all the concerned Executives and look forward to working with them in their new roles.”

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