Krister Svensson has been appointed as General Manager for Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park; Gaurav Wattal as General Manager of Melbourne Marriott Hotel; Kelvin Ramm as General Manager of Brisbane Marriott Hotel; Romain Chanet as Cluster General Manager of Le Méridien Noumea Resort & Spa and Le Méridien Ile des Pins; and Brian Nathan as Cluster General Manager at Sheraton Samoa Aggie Greys Hotel & Bungalows and Sheraton Samoa Beach Resort.

“It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of five new General Managers across a range of our hotels in Australia, New Caledonia and Samoa,” said Sean Hunt, Area Vice President, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific, Marriott International.

“Each new appointee brings with them extensive experience and passion for the hotel and hospitality industry, as they step into roles at some of our top-performing properties in the region. They will each play an integral role in supporting the ongoing success of these hotels and of Marriott International, as we continue to grow our presence in Australia and the Pacific.”

Krister Svensson, General Manager at Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park

Krister will step into the General Manager role at Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park on 2 September, bringing with him over thirty years of experience in the hospitality industry across the Middle East, the Pacific and Asia. He joins the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park team from W Singapore – Sentosa Cove, where he also held the position of General Manager.

Krister began his journey with Marriott International in 2002 as General Manager at Le Méridien Commodore Beirut; he has also held General Manager roles at The Westin Resort Guam, W Hong Kong and The St. Regis Bangkok. A seasoned hotelier, Krister’s extensive experience will be an asset to the iconic Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park.

Gaurav Wattal, General Manager at Melbourne Marriott Hotel

Gaurav comes to Melbourne Marriott Hotel from Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay, where he has held the position of Director of Operations since 2016. During his time at the property, he led the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel team through an extensive renovation of its restaurants, bars and public spaces; experience that will be valuable as he takes the helm at Melbourne Marriott Hotel.

Gaurav commenced his journey with Marriott International in 2011 as Director of Food & Beverage at Goa Marriott Resort and Spa; he then joined the pre-opening team at JW Marriott Bengaluru. In 2014 he transferred to Marriott India’s flagship hotel, JW Marriott, Munbai as Director of Operations. Complementing his experience, Gaurav holds a Bachelor in Hospitality Management.

Kelvin Ramm, General Manager at Brisbane Marriott Hotel

Kelvin’s appointment as General Manager at Brisbane Marriott Hotel will see him return to his home state of Queensland, following more than two years as General Manager at Melbourne Marriott Hotel. Kelvin commenced his journey with Marriott International in 2001 as Assistant Director of Finance at Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa.

Following this, he took on the Director of Finance position at Melbourne Marriott Hotel, the role of Cluster Director of Finance at Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa and Courtyard by Marriott Surfers Paradise, before shifting focus from finance to operations, and securing an appointment as Resident Manager.

In addition to over 18 years of experience with Marriott International, Kelvin holds a Masters in Business Administration, a Graduate Diploma in Management and a Bachelor of Business. His experience will be invaluable as Brisbane Marriott Hotel continues to celebrate its recent renovations and 20th anniversary.

Romain Chanet, Cluster General Manager at Le Méridien Noumea Resort & Spa and Le Méridien Ile des Pins

Romain steps into the role of Cluster General Manager at Le Méridien Noumea Resort & Spa and Le Méridien Ile des Pins with more than 17 years of experience with Marriott International and Starwood. He began his career with the company at Renaissance Paris La Défense, going on to work at various Le Méridien hotels throughout France, New Caledonia and Seychelles.

In 2013, he was appointed Hotel Manager at Le Méridien Ile des Pins, before transferring to Le Méridien Fisherman’s Cove, Seychelles as General Manager. Prior to his new role with Le Méridien Noumea Resort & Spa and Le Méridien Ile des Pins, Romain held the position of General Manager at Soori, Bali. In addition to his professional experience, Romain holds a Diploma in Food Service & Culinary Arts, a Bachelor of Hospitality Business and a Bachelor of Hotel & Catering.

Brian Nathan, Cluster General Manager at Sheraton Samoa Aggie Greys Hotel & Bungalows and Sheraton Samoa Beach Resort

Brian joins Marriott International with over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry spanning a range of Director of Food & Beverage and Management roles throughout Australia and New Zealand. He comes to Marriott International from The Langham Hospitality Group, where has held the position of Director of Finance at The Langham, Auckland (recently rebranded to Cordis, Auckland).

Early in his career, Brian received the inaugural Wilson Distillers Tourism Award, established to “acknowledge excellence in ability and a unique contribution to Tourism & Hospitality in New Zealand”. As part of this award, Brian studied at the renowned School of Hospitality at Cornell University, in New York. His talent and experience will be well received at Marriott International’s Samoan properties.

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