(01/07/24)
Ascott, the lodging business unit wholly owned
by CapitaLand Investment (CLI), has made the following six key
appointments: Venessa Koo as Vice President of Business
Development for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines and Vietnam; Teo
Junrong as Vice President, Business Development for Singapore,
Malaysia and Indonesia; Thomas Lamson as Vice President, Business
Development and Product & Technical Services for Europe, Middle
East and Africa (EMEA); Joseph Wong as Managing Director for
China; Steven Chan as Vice President, Global Franchise Services
and Regional General Manager for Indochina; and Sophie Mougel as
Vice President, Strategy and Regional General Manager for
Philippines and Malaysia.
“The appointment of these industry veterans to our business
development team signals our commitment to invest in top talent to
build Ascott’s growth ecosystem and establish Ascott as the
operator of choice for lodging property owners around the world,”
said Serena Lim, Chief Growth Officer, Ascott.
“With each of them focusing on a key region, Ascott is now better
positioned to penetrate deeper into existing markets and make
headway in new markets through targeted growth strategies.
Leveraging Ascott’s diverse portfolio of brands, wide range of
accommodation options and extensive global network, we are
confident of offering customised solutions that deliver sustained
value to owners.”
Venessa Koo
Venessa Koo, Vice President, Business Development
Ms Koo plays a pivotal role in shaping Ascott’s
business development strategies to expand its portfolio across
several key markets. In her role, she is responsible for
driving market-specific growth targets across Hong Kong, Taiwan,
Philippines and Vietnam.
With over two decades of industry experience in
hospitality operations and consultancy, Ms Koo brings a wealth of
expertise to her new role. Most recently, she worked as Chief
Operating Officer at Silks Hotel Group (formerly Regent Hotels &
Resorts) and prior to that was responsible
for Accor Group’s development in 11 Asian markets.
Teo Junrong, Vice President, Business Development
With a focus on pursuing end-to-end business
development opportunities, Mr Teo oversees the markets across
Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, where he will further
grow and broaden Ascott’s brand presence.
In his most recent role
at Colliers Hotels & Leisure Asia as Director of Capital Markets
and Advisory Asia, Mr Teo was the lead broker for cross border
hospitality transactions, covering developed markets including
Singapore, Australia, Japan, South Korea as well as numerous
emerging markets.
Mr Teo also formerly worked as Vice President of
Investment & Asset Management at CapitaLand Ascott Trust (CLAS),
where he managed investments and assets for the trust.
CLAS has a
global portfolio of 102 properties in 16 countries. With strong
expertise in international capital markets and cross-border
transactions, Mr Teo has also held senior positions across Singapore
and London at CBRE APAC Hotels and CBRE EMEA Hotels.
Thomas Lamson
Thomas Lamson, Vice President, Business
Development and Product & Technical Services, EMEA
Mr Lamson is responsible for structuring the
development strategy for Ascott in EMEA, as well as leading the
technical development of projects including asset
enhancement initiatives of the portfolio in the region.
Prior to
joining Ascott, Mr Lamson was the Chief Development, Design & Real
Estate Officer at Adagio (Accor and Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs
Group), where he also led the asset management function.
He also
previously worked with JLL Hotels & Hospitality as Director of Capital
Market covering France, Belgium and Switzerland.
Joseph Wong, Managing Director, China
As Managing Director of China and a member of the
Ascott Leadership Council, Mr Wong leads Ascott’s portfolio in
China, with a focus on strengthening the business in-market, while
driving growth.
An integral growth market, China bears Ascott’s
largest footprint in a single market with over 48,000 units
spanning more than 200 properties.
In his role, Mr Wong oversees
the commercial performance of Ascott’s portfolio in China,
managing cross-functional teams while driving efficiency and
bottom-line results. With growth as a priority, Mr Wong also leads
business strategies to tap on new development opportunities for
continued expansion within the country.
Mr Wong has more than 20 years of
experience in the hospitality industry. Prior to joining Ascott,
he worked at IHG Hotels & Resorts as Vice President, Franchise
Performance at Holiday Inn Express, Greater China.
During his
tenure with IHG, he led two major growth engines for IHG in Greater
China including its franchise business and the Holiday Inn Express
brand, covering more than 300 properties.
Steven Chan
Steven Chan, Vice President, Global Franchise
Services and Regional General Manager, Indochina
Mr Chan is responsible for Ascott’s global
franchise strategy and the development of its franchise operating
platform, with the aim of leading Ascott and its franchisees on a
path of accelerated growth.
Holding a dual role, Mr Chan also
oversees the overall performance of properties in Indochina,
spanning Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar Thailand, and Vietnam,
supporting the in-country leadership teams to drive growth and
operational excellence.
With more than two
decades of experience in the hospitality industry, Mr Chan has
broad expertise in finance, revenue management, sales and
marketing, human resources, and risk management, on top of strong
capabilities in operations management.
Prior to joining Ascott, Mr
Chan was Chief Operating Officer of Travelodge Asia, where he led
and set up the operating platform to support portfolio growth
across countries in Asia.
He has also held various leadership
roles at IHG, Shangri-La and
Pan Pacific.
Sophie Mougel, Vice President, Strategy and
Regional General Manager, the Philippines and Malaysia
Ms Mougel spearheads the implementation of
Ascott’s global strategic plans and oversees the overall
performance of properties in Philippines and Malaysia,
supporting in-country leadership teams to drive growth and
operational excellence, in her dual role.
Leading the development
of long range planning projections to support the overarching
global strategy, Ms Mougel also directs alignment between
operational initiatives and strategic goals, and manages the
Financial Planning and Analysis function, including asset
management for Southeast Asia.
With a strong background in the hospitality
industry, Ms Mougel was most recently Director of Operations for
Southeast Asia and Korea with IHG Hotels & Resorts, managing a
portfolio of 27 properties across Singapore, Malaysia and
Philippines, including full-service hotels and resorts across
different chain scales.
Prior to IHG, Ms Mougel led the Asia
Pacific (excluding China) team at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, where
she was responsible for feasibility, strategic planning and
development marketing.
Ms Mougel has also worked as an hotel consultant at
Cushman & Wakefield and HVS in Australia.
“Ascott has embarked on a transformative journey to become a
global leader in hospitality, and we are actively looking for new
opportunities to stay ahead and elevate our position in the
ever-evolving industry,” said Wong Kar Ling, Chief Strategy
Officer, Ascott. “The appointment of new strategy and
operational leads will help us to drive Ascott’s commercial
performance in key markets while pursuing strategic growth
initiatives such as mergers and acquisitions, transformation and
partnerships. We are committed to strengthening Ascott’s
competitive edge to continue delivering on exceptional stay
experiences for our guests, strong value and returns for our
owners, as well as attractive career opportunities for our
associates.”
Ascott has set itself a target of earning more
than SG$500 million in fee revenue by 2028.
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