Posted: Thu, 21 May 2009 08:33 PM - 8,311 Readers
By: Market Wire
Dolce Hotels and Resorts, a privately held operator of 24 upscale hotels, resorts and conference centers in North America and Europe, today announced the appointment of three senior executives.
Peter Strebel was appointed chief revenue officer, responsible for sales, marketing and North American development. Richard Maxfield was named chief operating officer to oversee the operations of Dolce's managed hotels, resorts and conference centers in North America and Europe. Sarah Woodfin Wynn was appointed general counsel.
They will report to Steven A. Rudnitsky, Dolce president & chief executive officer. "I am delighted that we are gaining the caliber of talent and extensive industry experience that Peter, Richard and Sarah represent," he said. "Now that my senior team and strategic business plan are in place, we have set the table for Dolce's aggressive growth as the economy recovers."
Strebel, a resident of Mendham, will oversee a new area of responsibility that combines Dolce's Global Sales, Marketing and North American Development teams. He will work with the company's sales team to attract group and individual business and leisure customers, develop marketing programs to promote the Dolce brand and pursue new management contracts.
Strebel formerly was president of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts LLC, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation in Parsippany, N.J. He managed the upscale brand of 82 hotels and 4,000 employees from 2005 until earlier this year. He also gained oversight of the company's 164-property midscale Wingate® by Wyndham brand in 2008.
Among his accomplishments, he added more than 30 hotels representing 13,000 rooms to the Wyndham® system, established a partnership with architect Michael Graves to create a new look, feel and personality for the brand and increased its ranking in the J.D. Power and Associates North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study(SM).
From 2001 to 2005, Strebel served Wyndham Hotel Group LLC, also a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide, as executive vice president and chief marketing officer, directing the Worldwide Sales, Marketing, Research, Communications, Loyalty, Strategy, E-Commerce and Distribution departments. His accomplishments during that time included the development and introduction of the TripRewards® frequent-traveler program.
Previously, he enjoyed a 10-year career with Omni Hotels, which he left as vice president, sales and marketing. From 1989 to 1991, he was vice president, sales and marketing, for Florida Hospitality Group in Tampa, Fla. He held various sales positions for Prime Management, Fairfield, N.J., from 1983 to 1988.
Strebel was awarded a bachelor of business administration degree in 1982 from Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y. He currently is enrolled in the master's program in hospitality management at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, where he also serves as an adjunct professor.
Maxfield, a resident of Dallas, was senior vice president of operations for Omni Hotels from 2007 until earlier this year, responsible for the strategic direction and execution of all field operations including oversight of the company's 43 first-class and luxury hotels and 10,000 employees in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
From 2005 to 2006, he served Omni Hotels as regional vice president, operations, and general manager of the Omni Interlocken Resort, Broomfield, Colo. From 1978 to 2005, he served the company in operational roles of increasing responsibility at Omni® properties throughout North America.
During his tenure, Omni Hotels was among the three highest-ranked hotel companies in the J.D. Power and Associates North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study, including 2005 and 2006, when it was ranked number one. Maxfield has enjoyed a reputation throughout his career for developing people and mentoring and promoting colleagues to leadership positions.
He received a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, in 1978. He has served the lodging industry and his community in a number of roles including president of the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association, president of the Broomfield Chamber of Commerce and a board member of the Denver March of Dimes.
In her new role, Wynn, a resident of Madison, will be responsible for all corporate legal functions.
From 1987 to 2006, she served New York-based American Express Travel Related Services Company Inc. in a number of legal roles. She was vice president and group counsel, travel divisions, from 1995 to 2006, responsible for managing legal issues related to the company's owned and franchised locations globally.
During that time, Wynn oversaw the acquisition and integration of several major travel agencies and tour operators. Concurrent with that role, she was vice president and group counsel for the company's Global Advertising Division from 2001 to 2006, responsible for overseeing all advertising, sponsorship and marketing initiatives.
Wynn joined American Express in 1987 as counsel to the Corporate Card, Merchandise Services, Publishing and Insurance Products divisions.
She was executive vice president and general counsel for Wyndham Hotel Group from 2006 until earlier this year, responsible for managing an 18-member legal team in Parsippany, London and Hong Kong that oversaw the legal needs of 12 hospitality brands and 7,000 franchised and managed hotels worldwide.
Wynn began her career in 1983 as an associate attorney in the Corporate department of Mudge, Rose, Gutherie, Alexander & Ferdon, a former New York law firm.
She received her doctor of laws degree in 1983 from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va., and her bachelor of science degree in 1978 from Denison University, Granville, Ohio, where she graduated summa cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
Wynn serves on the Madison Area YMCA board of directors in Madison and cofounded the American Express Pro Bono Program, which was honored with the New York Bar Association's Pro Bono Award in 2006. She formerly performed pro bono work for the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, handling asylum cases, and was a Court Appointed Special Advocates Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem for five years.
Dolce® hotels, resorts and conference centers comply with standards set by the International Association of Conference Centers and are rated by AAA, Mobil, Michelin and Meeting Professionals International. Many Dolce hotels and resorts offer spas, championship golf courses and workout facilities.
Founded in 1981 by Andy Dolce, the company is headquartered in Montvale, N.J., and Paris, Dolce Hotels and Resorts is majority owned by Broadreach Capital Partners and employs approximately 4,000 worldwide. Additional information is available at
www.dolce.com.
