This is in addition to his current role as IHG�s Regional Vice President for Operations, South East Asia. In this regional role, Mr Hicks is in charge of providing strategic focus and direction to IHG�s South East Asia team.

The strategic move for Mr Hicks to be hotel-based is in line with IHG�s agenda of aligning esources and optimising strengths by bringing expertise closer to its markets and driving value for its hotels.

Industry veteran Mr Hicks takes on the added responsibility from Mr Rolf Hubner, who has been the General Manager of InterContinental Singapore. Mr Hubner is currently transitioning his responsibilities to Mr Hicks and will be moving to join IHG�s Central and Eastern Europe Team end of September.

With 36 years of industry experience under his belt, Mr Hicks will take on an expanded portfolio, having an overall responsibility for the operations of the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts brands in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore as well as overseeing in-hotel operations at the InterContinental Singapore. 

Mr Hicks has previously held senior positions with international hotel brands in the United States, Asia and Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), where he demonstrated his expertise in developing operations systems and effecting service refinements that focused on people and the culture of the operating environment. 

Mr Hicks began his career in the hospitality industry with Marriott Hotels and Resorts as its Director of Operations EMEA. He later became Vice President of Operations with Ian Schrager Hotels and also Vice President of Operations of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts. He then joined Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts as Vice President of South East Asia before joining IHG in 2001 as Vice President of Operations Planning and was recently promoted to Regional Vice President of Operations for Southeast Asia.

Mr Hicks is married with five children and lives with his family in Singapore.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)], owns, manages, leases or franchises more than 3,300 hotels and 515,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world (www.ichotelsgroup.com). The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn, Express by Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites, and also has a controlling interest in Britvic, the second largest soft drinks manufacturer in the UK.