BESTWestern and Consort Hotels have confirmed the appointment of Len Louis as marketing and sales director of their newly merged consortium (Travel Weekly March 8).
Louis, who was previously in the position at Best Western, was selected over Consort’s sales and marketing director David Sankey who has been made redundant.
Consort director of purchasing Karen Packham has taken on that role for the new joint group which means that Maurice Dryer, who had the equivalent job at BestWestern, has been put on a redundancy list.
Graham Hustwitt, Consort’s finance director, has become finance director putting Peter Hinge on a redundancy list.
Best Western hotel development manager Kevin Tattum has been named director of membership.
His counterpart at Consort, David Parkin, tragically died of pneumonia earlier this month aged 45.
Two memorials dedicated to him are being erected at Consort House in York. A spokesman for the new group said the senior management team, led by chief executive David Hayes, was now drawing up a list of positions at the consortium’s headquarters.
Staff from both groups will be invited to apply and outside consultants, Pannell Kerr Forster, will be undertaking the recruitment process.
The newly merged group will start operations on January 1, and until then, both consortia will function as normal.