BWH Hotels GB has strengthened its leadership team with two senior appointments as it enters its next phase of growth.
Gary Wallace joins the business as chief financial officer, alongside Akshada Kodag as national sales manager, Premium & Extended Stay.
The appointments come as BWH Hotels GB continues to deliver positive results across the business, with its venues desk performing ahead of last year, meetings & events revenue up 10 per cent and business on the books increasing by 16 per cent year-on-year.
The group has also added a further 100 bedrooms to its portfolio, taking the total number of new bedroom signings to 291 over the past 12 months and bringing its portfolio to more than 230 independent hotels across Great Britain, including Best Western and WorldHotels.
Wallace succeeds Adrian Burrows, who is retiring after more than 14 years as finance director and company secretary.
His appointment will support BWH Hotels GB’s focus on improving performance and positioning the business for future growth.
Kodag’s appointment forms part of the group’s long-term growth strategy to expand its premium and extended stay offering, strengthen member value and support independent hoteliers in an increasingly competitive market.
Tim Rumney, CEO of BWH Hotels GB, said: “These appointments come at an important time for BWH Hotels GB. Corporate travel and meetings & events continue to be key growth opportunities for our hotel partners and we’re seeing positive brand contribution across both.
“Gary and Akshada bring valuable experience in their respective areas and will play an important role as we build on this momentum, strengthen our Premium and Extended Stay offering and continue delivering value for our members.”
Wallace brings experience across PLCs, private equity-backed and privately owned businesses.
Most recently CFO of Time To ACT plc, he played a key role in its business transformation, stock market listing and fundraising, as well as a successful acquisition.
Wallace said: “Good finance isn’t about saying no, it’s about helping a business invest confidently where value can be created, while making sure risks are understood. My focus will be on using data and commercial insight to support better decision-making, strengthen performance and create greater value for our portfolio of hotels.”
Kodag joins BWH Hotels GB with more than 20 years’ experience across the hospitality industry, having worked with leading hotel brands including Kempinski, InterContinental, Hilton, Macdonald and Accor.
In her new role, she will lead sales strategy across BWH’s Premium and Extended Stay portfolio, with a focus on premium and corporate travel as well as extended stay.
Kodag said: “Business travel is becoming much broader than the traditional overnight stay, with growing demand for longer, more flexible and experience-led trips. Having worked in hospitality for more than 20 years across both operations and sales, I understand the industry from both sides.
“I see a real opportunity to connect BWH’s Premium and Extended Stay hotels with corporate buyers and specialist agencies looking for something beyond the standard business hotel.”
For more information on BWH Hotels, visit joinbwhhotels.co.uk.
