Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has announced a new leader for its restructured Asia Pacific operation, with Joon Aun Ooi taking over as President from next month.

The appointment comes after the hospitality company merged its South East Asia and Pacific Rim (SEAPR) business with its presence in Greater China to form a new region which will be collectively known as Asia Pacific (APAC).

Under the new regional structure, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts APAC will consist of more than 1,700 hotels in approximately 16 countries and territories across 13 of its industry-leading brands including Wyndham Grand®, Dolce® by Wyndham, Wyndham®, Wyndham Garden®, La Quinta® by Wyndham, Ramada® by Wyndham, Ramada Encore by Wyndham, TRYP by Wyndham®, Howard Johnson® by Wyndham, Wingate® by Wyndham, Microtel by Wyndham, Days Inn® by Wyndham, Super 8® by Wyndham.

At a glance: 

• Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has announced Joon Aun Ooi as the President of its newly formed Asia Pacific region, effective June 1.
• The company has brought together its South East Asia and Pacific Rim business with its Greater China operation to establish the Asia Pacific region.
• Leo Liu, President of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Greater China, will be stepping down from the Company.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts APAC will continue to operate with regional offices in Singapore and Shanghai, as well as satellite offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Xi’an, Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Bangkok, Seoul, Jakarta, Manila and Kuala Lumpur.

Mr Ooi said the current climate meant it was important for the brand to be "agile".

"Across APAC, the consolidation will enable the company to leverage on a broader pool of resources, allowing it to strengthen its strategic positioning to support existing operations, drive further expansion and create additional opportunities for cross-border collaborations," he said.

"Our focus in the region and continued commitment to making hotel travel possible for all remains unchanged."

Prior to Wyndham, Mr Ooi held leadership roles across Asia and Greater China, including Vice President Strategy at InterContinental Hotels Group in 2002.

He moved to China in 2005 to take on the role of Vice President, Hotel Openings (Greater China) where he played a key role in establishing and implementing the China growth strategy for the group.

In 2009, he was appointed Vice President Strategy and Hotel Openings (Asia Pacific) at Hilton Worldwide where he oversaw the successful growth of the Hilton portfolio in China.

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Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific President Joon Aun Ooi. Source: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts 

Mr Ooi joined Wyndham in 2013 as Vice President, Openings and Operations, Greater China.

During this time, he successfully introduced four new brands to the market and played a pivotal role in doubling the combined franchise and management portfolio to over 1,400 hotels.

In 2018, he was appointed President and Managing Director for SEAPR and led the Wyndham Hotels & Resort’s regional growth and development after its spin-off from Wyndham Worldwide.

In his new role, Mr Ooi will continue to chart the growth of the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts portfolio of brands across the APAC region and drive its strategic objectives, especially as the tourism industry recovers from COVID-19. 

Leo Liu, President of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Greater China, will be stepping down from the Company.

Mr Ooi said his new role would allow him to build on the strong foundation laid by Mr Liu.

"I am privileged to have had the opportunity to work alongside (Mr Liu) and have the utmost respect and appreciation for his contribution to the company," he said

"I look forward to working closely with the talented teams across Greater China and South East Asia and the Pacific Rim, as we continue our focus and in preparing them for recovery and long term success."

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