Multinational hotel company Accor has named chief financial officer of its North American operations Olivier Poirot CEO of the region and reorganized the segment's management structure as part of a more pointed focus on developing the Motel 6 brand in the region.
Accor North America promoted Poirot to the chief executive officer position this month, following the retirement of CEO Georges Le Mener. Poirot, who is not available for press interviews until next month, had served as Accor North America's CFO since June 2003 and has worked in various capacities at Accor since 1992.
Accor also announced it is shifting its Mexican properties out of its North American segment, to be managed instead by Accor Latin America. In addition, the chain's Sofitel properties in North America now will report to Sofitel worldwide, leaving Accor North America with the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands in the United States and Canada as its primary focus.
The company has announced plans to open more than 200 Motel 6 and Studio 6 properties in the United States and Canada by 2010.
Accor also promoted the chief operating officer of the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands, Jim Amorosia, who added the title of president, expanding his duties to include day-to-day marketing of the brand. Amorosia will be part of a new Accor North America executive committee that reports to Poirot.
Earlier this month, Accor completed the sale of its economy Red Roof Inn brand, which consists of 341 hotels totaling 36,683 rooms, further honing the development focus on the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands in the United States and Canada
(BTNonline, Sept. 10). A consortium comprised of Citi's Global Special Situations Group and Westbridge Hospitality Fund bought Red Roof Inn for about $1.3 billion in a deal first announced in April.
Accor is one of the largest hotel companies worldwide in terms of revenue, hotels and rooms. It currently operates more than 900 properties under the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands in North America.