Pigozzo, born in Italy, is a graduate in Hotel & Tourism Administration from the Glion International Centre in Switzerland and Management & Administration from the University of Columbia (New York). He is married with two children and is a fluent speaker of English, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

The new Executive Vice President Operations of Sol Melia began his professional career in Switzerland in the Hotel La Palma au Lac (Locamo), before moving on to the Savoy Group in London. In 1970 he joined Inter-Continental Hotels where he has held positions such as both Regional Manager and Vice President of the company�s Latin America, Mexico and Caribbean Division, as well as President of the Asia-Pacific Division.

He has received many awards for his success in the tourism and hotel industries from such diverse sources as the city of Miami Beach and the governments of Italy or Venezuela.

Marcello Pigozzo believes that the hotel industry is currently �in need of improvements in profitability to attract new investments and thus offer superior quality products to each and every one of our guests�. He adds that �the hotel industry should constantly seek out opportunities for improvements in procedures and creative innovations in its operations, to provide greater benefits for an ever-increasing number of increasingly discerning guests.�

Sol Melia is the leading hotel company in both the Spanish business and leisure hotel sectors and operates a total of 246 hotels in 24 countries world-wide. The company is currently the thirteenth largest hotel chain in the world and its largest resort hotel chain.