TORONTO, March 8, 2013 – Fairmont is pleased to announce several recent management and supervisory-level appointments at its properties worldwide. These include:

The Fairmont Banff Springs, celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2013, is proud to welcome back David Roberts as regional vice president and general manager.  A familiar face in Western Canada, Roberts returns to his home and native land after dedicating the past five years of his career to driving hotel performance and international brand growth as the company’s executive vice president, operations.

In support of Fairmont’s growing presence in the Middle East, Nihad Kattan has been named regional vice president, Jordan and general manager at Fairmont Riyadh Business Gate. Kattan, who was named to the 2009 list of 50 Most Powerful Hoteliers in the Middle East, has a resume that includes several progressive roles with industry giant Marriott International.  He joins Fairmont from his most recent position as country general manager – Jordan for Marriott Hotels based in Amman.

Garrett Turta takes the helm as general manager, The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Edmonton. With more than 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Turta joins the hotel from his most recent position as general manager Fairmont St Andrews, Scotland. Over the course of his career Turta has worked at several different Fairmont locations including postings at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, The Fairmont Vancouver Airport, and The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge has tapped Ivan Osorio to oversee operations as general manager at this leading private residence club nestled in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains.  A hospitality veteran, Osorio, has held several management positions since starting his career back in 1983.  He arrives in Telluride from his most recent position as director of rooms at The Fairmont Acapulco Princess and The Fairmont Pierre Marques.

Chad Blunston arrives at The Fairmont San Francisco as executive chef. Since beginning his career over 20 years ago as an apprentice chef de partie, Blunston has cooked in kitchens around the globe, including destinations such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cairo, Grand Cayman, and Canada. Prior to his arrival in the City by the Bay, he was executive chef at nearby Fairmont Newport Beach.

Shanghai’s most famous hotel, Fairmont Peace Hotel, hails the arrival of George Wee as general manager.  A well-traveled hotelier, Wee has traversed the globe during a storied hotel career which has seen him rounding out his curriculum vitae in top cities including Sydney, Beijing, and Shanghai to name a few. He joins the hotel after serving as the general manager at the Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina, Cairns, Australia.

The newest addition to Ottawa’s culinary scene is Louis Simard, who takes on the role of executive chef at Fairmont Chateau Laurier. With over 15 years of culinary experience, this 34 year old French Canadian Chef is eager to bring a young and vibrant approach to this historic castle. Simard is no stranger to the luxury hotel brand, having worked in five different Fairmont properties across Canada and the United States over the course of his career. His most recent position was executive sous chef at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Adding a new cook to its kitchen is Fairmont Newport Beach, which has named Brian Doherty as executive chef.  With more than 18 years of hospitality experience, Doherty, who started out in 1994 at The Omni Hotel, Orlando, has had several notable stops in his career including food and beverage roles at The Four Seasons Hotel, Seattle and Four Seasons Hualalai. Doherty arrives in Newport from his most recent position as executive sous chef at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle.

New to Fairmont is Mark D. Timms, who joins the company as executive chef at The Fairmont Washington, D.C.  Timms brings with him a reputation of culinary leadership and an extensive food and beverage resume that includes a wide variety of roles including proprietor, trainer and chef.   Prior to his arrival in D.C., Timms served as executive chef at The Inn at Perry Cabin, an Orient Express Hotel.

As it embarks on an extensive restoration in 2013, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is pleased to announce the appointment of Stéphane Modat as restaurant chef. This newly created position within the kitchen brigade at the legendary Château was created as part of the major renovation project, which includes the reinvention and refurbishment of all restaurant outlets. Modat will act as restaurant chef of the existing Le Champlain restaurant, until its temporary closure for renovations in June 2013. He will then work on the development of the new restaurant concept.

Fairmont’s residential and private residence club division, which includes the prestigious Fairmont Heritage Place brand, has named Jaidev “JD” Menezes, as director, residential development, EMEA.  With a number of residential and mixed-use projects ongoing in the region and many more on the horizon, Menezes moves into this newly created position. Most recently he was the company’s senior manager of residential development. With his focus being Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Menezes will be based out of the company’s Dubai Regional Office.

About Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts  is a celebrated collection of more than 65 luxury properties around the globe, including Shanghai's Fairmont Peace Hotel, The Plaza in New York, and Makkah Clock Royal Tower in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The luxury brand's distinctive hotels offer a sense of heritage and sophistication, warm, engaging service and culturally rich experiences. A community and environmental leader, Fairmont is also recognized internationally for its responsible tourism practices and award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont is owned by FRHI Holdings Limited, a leading global hotel company with over 100 hotels under the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel branded luxury private residences club, whole-ownership residences and serviced residences properties.  For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit fairmont.com.

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