Jumeirah announces new general managers for Dubai, Kuwait, New York and Frankfurt

Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hospitality company and member of Dubai Holding, has announced the appointment of four new General Managers for hotels in Frankfurt, Kuwait, New York and Dubai.

Dagmar Woodward will be returning to her home country of Germany to lead the pre-opening team of Jumeirah Frankfurt, scheduled to open in mid-2010. Ms. Woodward will be joining the German team, from Madinat Jumeirah’s Mina A Salam hotel where she held the position of General Manager. Ms. Woodward brings a wealth of international operational experience in the luxury hospitality industry. Prior to joining Jumeirah Group, she was General Manager of the Hotel Royal Monceau in Paris.

Mina A’ Salam, part of the award-winning Madinat Jumeirah resort in Dubai, is also welcoming a new General Manager. Mahmoud Sakr has been with the Jumeirah Group for ten years, working as Hotel Manager in the Group’s flagship hotel, Burj Al Arab. Mr. Sakr, an Egyptian national, brings more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, having worked for several prestigious hotels throughout Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

As the Group continues to grow and develop in line with its ambitious expansion plans, Jumeirah has appointed Khaled Helmy as General Manager for Jumeirah Messilah Beach in Kuwait, which is scheduled to open in 2010. Mr. Helmy, also an Egyptian national, has over 20 years of experience working for international hotel brands including Hyatt International, The Ritz-Carlton and Kempinski.

In New York, Gary Schweikert is the new General Manager of Jumeirah Essex House and Regional Vice President of Operations for the Americas. Mr. Schweikert joins Jumeirah from the Flagship Hospitality Group LLC, providing development, operational and asset management services to hotel owners. Mr. Schweikert’s experience includes the world-famous Plaza Hotel in New York, where he worked as Managing Director, Regional Vice President for Fairmont Hotels, and several senior management positions within Hilton Hotels Corporation.

“We are pleased to announce these latest management appointments within the Jumeirah team. These accomplished hoteliers bring a wealth of experience and knowledge which will help us manage the landmark hotels and deliver the exceptional service the Jumeirah brand is known for worldwide,” declared Frank van der Post, Chief Operating Officer of Jumeirah Group. “These appointments are a strategic step for the next phase of our ambitious expansion plans, and we remain committed to our goal of having 60 hotels either under development or in operation by 2012.”

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About Jumeirah
Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts are regarded as among the most luxurious and innovative in the world and have won numerous international travel and tourism awards. The Dubai-based luxury international hotel management group encompasses the world renowned Burj Al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel and recognised as the symbol of Dubai, the multi-award winning Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Madinat Jumeirah and Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai, the Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London and the Jumeirah Essex House in New York.

Building on this success, Jumeirah Group became a member of Dubai Holding in 2004, a collection of leading Dubai based businesses and projects, initiating a new phase of growth and development for the group.

Jumeirah has extensive expansion plans to grow its portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts into key gateway or letterhead cities and inspirational resort destinations worldwide. Currently, the Group has several luxury five-star properties under development in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Bali, Thailand, China, Argentina, Spain, England, Scotland and the US Virgin Islands.

For further information please contact:
Mia Hedman
Director Corporate Communications
PO Box 214159
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
+971 4 364 7947
Fax: +971 4 301 6655
www.jumeirah.com

Contact Information

Mia Hedman

Director Corporate Communications

Jumeirah Group

Contact via E-mail