On taking on his new role this July, Bulley will succeed Elie Maalouf who is to become IHG’s Group Chief Executive Officer the same month.
Leadership changes
IHG has named Jolyon Bulley as the new Americas CEO, commencing this July, following the recent announcement that Elie Maalouf, who currently holds this position, will become IHG’s Group Chief Executive Officer on 1 July as current Group CEO Keith Barr steps down.
Bulley currently holds the position of Chief Executive Officer for IHG in the Greater China region, while also being the group’s Transformation Lead for Luxury & Lifestyle.
Keith Barr, outgoing Group CEO, commented: “Jolyon has made an enormous contribution to the success of IHG over his more than two decades in the business, including holding senior roles in our two biggest markets.”
“His appointment as Americas CEO demonstrates IHG’s commitment to invest in our leaders’ development potential, our robust succession planning and a continuation of our existing growth strategy for the Americas region.”
Elie Maalouf, outgoing Americas CEO and Group CEO Designate, said: “Jolyon is returning to the Americas business where he has a proven track record of supporting the growth of IHG’s largest region. When he was COO he redesigned and strengthened how we work with and deliver for our hotel owners.”
“Over the last five years, Jolyon has guided Greater China through the pandemic and into the recovery, further strengthened our owner relationships and continued to grow the business at pace. I am pleased to be able to move into the Group CEO role knowing that Jolyon will further strengthen the Americas leadership team.”
Moving forward
Bulley will return to his family home in Atlanta where he will be based for this position. He has been CEO for Greater China since 2018 and was previously Chief Operating Officer for the Americas from 2014 to 2017. He is also a member of IHG’s Executive Committee.
The new Americas CEO first joined IHG in 2001. He has held a number of positions in the company since this time, during which time his responsibilities have ranged from leading operations for franchised and managed hotels in the Americas to accelerating the growth and driving the profitability of IHG’s second-largest market, Greater China.
As Bulley moves on from his current role, Daniel Aylmer, Managing Director for Greater China, will continue his responsibilities in China with transition planning underway for his other commitments.
Bulley commented: “I am proud to have the opportunity to lead our Americas business alongside our many talented colleagues and in partnership with our hotel owners.”
“I have worked in the hospitality industry my entire career and I’m looking forward to building on Elie’s legacy in the region, remaining focused on capitalising on strong owner and guest demand for our amazing brands and our attractive enterprise platform.”
