Yotel promotes senior leaders | Hotel Management

Yotel has announced a series of senior leadership promotions as the company commits to reaching 100 hotels open and signed worldwide by 2031. The company has upcoming openings slated for Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Lisbon, Athens and Belfast, alongside new ventures. In total, Yotel has 23 open hotels across 16 cities and airports today, 11 additional properties set to open in the next 24 months and a long-term strategy to more than triple the portfolio to 100 hotels globally by 2031.

“Since joining Yotel three months ago, one of the first things that struck me was the exceptional talent already within the organization. I wanted to build a culture that recognizes and elevates the expertise of our own teams. With our strengthened senior leadership team now in place, we are well positioned to deliver on our long-term ambitions,” Yotel CEO Phil Andreopoulos said in a statement. “These promotions ensure our leadership team is empowered to drive growth and accelerate the expansion needed to achieve this goal.”

Among the new leadership positions are:

• Rohan Thakkar, chief development & strategy officer 

In his expanded role as chief development & strategy officer, Thakkar will continue to lead Yotel’s global growth strategy and oversee the development pipeline, feasibility and commercial evaluation, and design and construction efforts as the brand progresses toward 100 hotels. His remit now broadens to include enterprise-wide strategic leadership, acting as a key strategic partner to the CEO and Board.

In addition, Thakkar will shape Yotel’s long-term commercial and development strategy, align initiatives across PR, marketing, and new ventures, and drive coordination across teams to support a scalable, globally consistent growth platform.

Since joining Yotel in 2014, Rohan has held several senior leadership roles. His expanded remit formalizes his oversight of core strategic initiatives alongside the continued growth and evolution of the portfolio and its design and construction.

• Mark Henderson, senior vice president, design & construction 

As Yotel’s global portfolio expands, Henderson will now assume responsibility for capital expenditure and renovations, signaling increased investment in existing assets alongside new development. He will lead the continued evolution of Yotel’s room product to ensure it aligns with guest expectations, owner feedback, and future brand extensions, while also supporting the company’s new-venture ambitions and emerging product lines for long-term growth.

Since joining in 2018 as feasibility architect, Henderson has progressed through leadership roles, taking charge of design & construction in 2022 when it was consolidated under global development. He has built an integrated team across design feasibility, interior design and project management, supporting both business development and owners.

• Olivia Donnan, senior vice president, brand, culture & growth

Donnan’s new role reflects Yotel’s strategy to align brand performance, guest loyalty, partner engagement and company culture as the business scales globally. Donnan’s new role brings together Brand, Communications, People Experience, and Development Marketing under one brand-led vision that supports Yotel’s long-term growth.

Donnan joined Yotel in 2022.

Further announcements related to Yotel’s growth pipeline, new ventures and strategic partnerships are expected for later this year.