Alex Kassatly, a veteran hotelier with more than 30 years’ experience in hotel management in North America, the Middle East and Asia, has been appointed General Manager of Conrad Beijing, which is expected to be open in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Prior to joining Conrad Beijing, Kassatly held various general managerpositions at Fairmont hotels in Montreal, Quebec City and The Plaza Hotel in New York City. In 2007, he was transferred from Canada to Cairo to spearhead Fairmont’s move to the Egyptian capital, overseeing the renovation and opening of the Fairmont Towers Heliopolis. He then moved to Asia as area general manager for Raffles hotels in Cambodia.  Prior to his current appointment, Mr.Kassatly wasgeneral manager of Grand Millennium Dubai.

Through his extensive global experience, Kassatly has gained valuable leadership skills and insight to luxury hospitality. He believes that a focus on ‘guests first’and smart hardware is the key to luxury.

Mr. Kassatly studied hospitality at Montreal’s Concordia University and Cornell in New York, later graduated from the Advanced Management Program for the Hospitality Industry at the University of Guelph in Ontario. He is also a member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and L’Amicale des Sommeliers and throughout the years has been involved with many charity organizations at the fundraising and board level.