Off the back of a busy period of announcements and acquisitions for La Vie Hotels & Resorts, the group is pleased to announce the appointment of Russell Cool as Group Director of Operations - Australia, Shellia Chang as Group Director of Sales and Distribution and Nelsy Zreik as Group Director of Finance - Australia.

All three hires signify an exciting period of growth for the owner centric hotel management company as it continues to bolster its team as it expands its portfolio across Australia and South East Asia.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming Russell, Shellia and Nelsy to the La Vie team, during a year that has and will continue to be one of huge growth for La Vie Hotels & Resorts,” said Craig Bond, Managing Director, La Vie Hotels & Resorts.

“As we continue our rapid expansion across Australia and South East Asia, we have been strategically bolstering our team with talented hospitality and tourism professionals in key roles that will drive success and profitability for our owners. Russel, Shellia and Nelsy are excellent additions to our team and have already hit the ground running,” he said.

With over 25 years of business experience across domestic and international markets, Russell brings a wealth of experience to his new role with a strong focus on driving operational performance across the business.

Most recently, he held the position of Regional General Manager for Victoria and South Australia for Minor Hotels ANZ. He has had experience managing properties across both Australia and South East Asia, as Area General Manager for Onyx Hospitality Group in Sri Lanka as well as Langham Hospitality Group in Hong Kong and Beijing and The Langham Yangtze in Shanghai. He has also held the role of Area General Manager for Stamford Hotels & Resorts in Adelaide.

As an innovative and strategic commercial leader, Shellia’s new role as Group Director of Sales and Distribution sees her responsible for overseeing La Vie Hotels & Resorts’ new hotel openings and commercial teams. As an industry leader, her vast experience and agile approach in planning, developing, and executing commercial strategy will be instrumental in driving performance across La Vie’s diverse global portfolio.

Previously, she served as Cluster Director of Sales and Events with Accor, overseeing properties and venues including Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour, Sebel Quay West Suites Sydney and HYDE Hacienda Sydney Bar + Lounge. She has also held the position of Director of Sales with Frasers Hospitality, Assistant Director of Sales with Marriott International and worked with other major industry names like InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Hilton in new business roles.

Nelsy Zreik is an experienced financial controller with demonstrated long-term success in leading teams within hospitality which she brings to her new position as Group Director of Finance Australia. Most recently, she was Senior Financial Controller with Iris Capital Hotels working across the company’s portfolio of 17 properties. She has also held financial controller roles with Novotel and Ibis Darling Harbour and Novotel Canberra.