6 December 2004: One of Accor's pioneers in Asia,
Reggie Shiu, was amongst the casualties of the tsunami that hit the
Khao Lak
beachside in southern Thailand on 26th December, 2004. While his body is yet to be positively
identified,
he is now presumed dead.
Below
is a statement by Accor
Asia Pacific Chairman, David Baffsky:
"Unfortunately,
we must
sadly assume that one of our most senior Accor executives, Reggie Shiu,
his
wife and two of his three children are amongst the victims of the
terrible tsunami
disaster that struck Thailand.
Reggie
Shiu was one of the
great hotel pioneers of the Asia Pacific region. Reggie was Senior Vice
President - Asia for Accor Asia Pacific, based in Shanghai, where he was responsible for Accor's
operations and
development in Greater China.
The
fact that Accor was
amongst the most successful and fastest growing international hotel
groups in China speaks volumes for the drive and flair that
Reggie
brought to the role. From just a handful of hotels when he was
appointed, he
built the network to 25 hotels by the end of 2004, with another 13
hotels
scheduled for opening in the next two years.
Reggie
not only grew the
Accor hotel portfolio, he built relationships with some of China's leading hotel and travel groups. He was a
master at
developing and building relationships, and he was widely respected
throughout China and the whole Asia Pacific region.
A US citizen educated both in Hong Kong and New York, Reggie
graduated from the State University of New York City in 1976. He first joined Group ACCOR in 1980 at the
Roosevelt Hotel in New York and in
1983 became the General Manager of the Doral Park Avenue Hotel in New York City.
In
1986, he re-joined ACCOR
and was appointed to be part of Accor Asia Pacific's (AAPC) management
team
with the first assignment based in Singapore. In 1989, Reggie was the opening General
Manager of
AAPC's flagship hotel in Thailand - The Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square,
before
being promoted in 1991 as the property-based Country Manager to be in
charge of
Accor's then six hotel properties in Thailand.
In 1993, Reggie became one of the five recipients of
ACCOR's most
prestigious award (Bernache D'or) amongst 145,000 employees worldwide.
Subsequently,
he was promoted
to the position of Chief Executive for Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos, a position he held for over 4 years before
being
promoted to the position of Director of Operations - Asia
based in Bangkok, supervising more than 60 properties
throughout the Asia
region. He was appointed to the position
of Senior Vice President - Asia in 2000.
Reggie
reported directly to
the Managing Director of Accor Asia Pacific and to the Chairman of
Accor Asia
Pacific.
Reggie's loss
will be felt by
the wider hospitality industry. A man of great natural charm and
positive
energy, he has inspired many working with him to progress their careers
in the
industry.
He
will be missed by all of
his colleagues, and our deepest felt condolences go to his surviving
daughter,
Zoe, who not only lost a wonderful father, but also her mother and two
brothers
in this terrible disaster.
Reggie
will be very sadly
missed but fondly remembered by everybody who knew him.
Details
of a memorial service
will be communicated as soon as possible."
David Baffsky
Chairman
For further
information (and
photos);
Tom
Racette Tel: (66-2) 659 4536 email:
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
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