Experienced Hotelier Peter French has been as President of Raffles Hotels and Resorts, effective January 1, 2013.
French succeeds John Johnston, who has held this role since 2009. Johnston who has been with parent company Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI) since 1998 will be retiring at the end of the year.
French was most recently Regional Vice President – Europe, Middle East and Africa for Raffles Hotels and Resorts and General Manager of Raffles Dubai, the group’s first hotel in the Middle East.
He takes on the role as Raffles prepares to open four new hotels and resorts over the course of the next two years, in Makati City in the Philippines, Hainan in China, Istanbul in Turkey and Jakarta in Indonesia.
“Peter is a seasoned professional with proven expertise in managing luxury brands and I am confident that his wealth of experience will ensure the continued success of Raffles as it enters a new phase of expansion,” said FRHI Chief Operating Officer, Michael Glennie.
Over the course of his career, French has been involved with luxury hotel operations around the globe. He was General Manager and Vice President of Operations and Development for Mandarin Oriental Hotels Group from 1975-1986. He returned to Hong Kong as General Manager to lead the complete renovation and repositioning of its flagship hotel, the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, from 2004-2009.
French has also worked as General Manager in prestigious hotels including The Sukothai in Bangkok, The Carlyle in New York and Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
As President of Raffles Hotels and Resorts, French will be located at the group’s brand office in Singapore.