By BW Hotelier
DUBAI HOLDING has announced the transition of Gerald Lawless, Jumeirah Group President and CEO, to a new position responsible for tourism and hospitality in Dubai Holding’s Corporate Office, having served 18 years at the helm of Jumeirah Group.
Dubai Holding also announced the appointment of Stefan Leser (see photo) as Group Chief Executive of Jumeirah Group, effective from February 1, 2016. Leser joined from Swiss travel business Kuoni, where he spent the last 10 years, most recently as Executive Vice President of its outbound travel and inbound specialist businesses managing a team of 8,000 employees.
His Excellency Mohammad Abdulla Al Gergawi, Chairman, Dubai Holding, thanked Lawless for his leadership of the Jumeirah Group. ’We welcome Stefan Leser as the new Group CEO of Jumeirah Group. He has a deep understanding of the fast changing international travel market, which will play an important role in driving Jumeirah’s successful expansion plans both at home and abroad,’ he said.
Stephen Murphy, Chairman, Jumeirah Group Board, said, "I would like to express immense gratitude on behalf of the Jumeirah Board to Gerald for his role in setting up, growing and leading the Jumeirah Group for the past 18 years. Under his leadership, the Company has emerged as a major player in the luxury hospitality market and stands as one of the most widely recognized Dubai-born brands. As Gerald steps into his new role with Dubai Holding, the Board warmly welcomes Stefan as Group Chief Executive Officer and looks forward to fully supporting him in leading the next exciting phase of growth for Jumeirah."
Stefan Leser, the new Group CEO, Jumeirah Group, said, ’It's a great honor to join Jumeirah; one of the world’s most prestigious hospitality brands and a major contributor to Dubai’s phenomenal success story. I look forward to working closely with Jumeirah's talented team as we continue to grow our international portfolio, build our range of brands and deliver ever better services to our guests and business partners.’
