New Property Management Appointments, Marketing And Communications Structures at The Peninsula Hotels

Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels has made changes to its management and communications structures within The Peninsula Hotels with the appointments of Mr Jan Svoboda as Hotel Manager of The Peninsula Hong Kong, Mr Hans Hordijk as The Peninsula Bangkok Resident Manager, Mr Paul Tchen as Vice President, Operations Planning & Support, and on the Marketing and Communications side Ms Dianna Balabon as Vice President, Sales and Marketing (America & Europe), Mr Arthur Kiong as Vice President, Sales and Marketing (Asia), Ms Sian Griffiths as Director of Communications and Ms Patricia Rosentreter as Regional Director of Communications.

Mr Jan Svoboda has been transferred and promoted to The Peninsula Hong Kong as Hotel Manager since July 23, 2004. An Austrian national, Mr Svoboda joined The Peninsula Hotels in 2000 as Resident Manager, The Peninsula Bangkok, and held this position until his transfer to Hong Kong. Jan’s career prior to joining The Peninsula Hotels was with the Mandarin Oriental Group, with postings in Macau, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Mr Hans Hordijk has succeeded Jan Svoboda to take up the Resident Manager position at The Peninsula Bangkok. Hans joined the Company in 1996 and has worked with The Peninsula Hotels in Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Manila, first in food and beverage management and then moving into his present role in Manila as Resident Manager. A Dutch national, prior to joining The Peninsula Hotels, Hans worked in London, firstly with the Hilton Group and then for several years at The Dorchester.

Mr Paul Tchen has been appointed Vice President Operations and Support where he has a wide ranging and varied remit. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, his responsibilities range from developing operating guidelines and providing support to the new Peninsula hotels in Tokyo and Shanghai, developing and maintaining The Peninsula’s position as a market leader internationally by the introduction of enhanced products and services group-wide, including the development and introduction of a new range of branded merchandise and shops throughout Japan and Asia.

Tchen joined The Peninsula Hotels in 1992 as Purchasing Manager at The Peninsula Beverly Hills, and in 1993 relocated to Hong Kong as Peninsula Extension Operations Coordinator responsible for the commissioning of The Peninsula Hong Kong’s new tower extension and renovation project. Over the next few years Paul was promoted successively to Regional Operations Development Manager.

Mr Tchen was born in Paris, France where he spent his formative years before moving to the United States at the age of 12. He graduated in 1990 from The California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant management and entered the hospitality industry. Paul was awarded the prestigious “Young Hotelier of the World Award” in Mexico City in 1996 by the International Hotel Association and Hotels Magazine and, more recently, has been named Distinguished Alumnus by the School of Hotel & Restaurant Management of The California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Ms Dianna Balabon has been appointed Vice President, Sales and Marketing (America & Europe) for The Peninsula Hotels. In her new position, Ms Balabon will also oversee the group’s Sales and Marketing functions across America and Europe and still maintain her position as Director of Marketing for The Peninsula New York.

Ms Balabon joined The Peninsula Hotels in 1998 as Director of Marketing for The Peninsula New York, and was then appointed as Regional Director of Sales (America/Europe) in June 2003. Prior to this, she was the Director of Sales for North America with The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd, where she managed and directed the company’s regional offices in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Her previous experience includes Associate Director of Sales for The Sterling Hotel Group, and Sales Manager of Le Meridien Hotel Boston. A native of Iowa, Ms Balabon earned a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa.

Mr Arthur Kiong has been appointed as Vice President, Sales and Marketing (Asia). In this new capacity, Mr Kiong will take on increased responsibilities overseeing the Sales and Marketing activities across Asia in addition to his existing position as Director of Marketing for The Peninsula Hong Kong.

A Singaporean national, Mr Kiong has a wealth of marketing experience both in Asia and the United States. Before joining The Peninsula Hong Kong in 2002, he was Area Director, Marketing responsible for six Ritz-Carlton hotels in New York, Washington DC and Boston. Prior to that, Mr Kiong was the Director of Sales & Marketing at The Ritz-Carlton, Millennia Singapore.

 As Director of Communications Ms Sian Griffiths has taken over the overall Communications function for The Peninsula Hotels developing and aligning strategies for the group.

Born and raised in England, and after studying modern languages at Oxford Brookes University in the U.K and gaining Membership of the Institute of Linguists, she started her career in the tourism and travel industry with French State Railways and Cunard Line before relocating to Hong Kong and joining The Peninsula, where she has held a number of appointments in the sales, marketing and public relations areas.

Ms Tricia Rosentreter joined The Peninsula Hotels as Regional Director of Communications in January 2004, overseeing the communications functions of The Peninsula Hotels’ three US properties in New York, Chicago and Beverly Hills.

Prior to joining The Peninsula Ms. Rosentreter worked at Weber Shandwick Worldwide in New York, managing accounts including Singapore Airlines and Canada Tourism. Prior to that, she was employed with Murphy O'Brien Public Relations, representing a roster of high-end clients including Pebble Beach Resorts, La Quinta Resort & Club, Bernardus Lodge and Auberge Resorts.

A native of Southern California, Ms. Rosentreter received a degree in communications from Pepperdine University (Malibu, Ca).