Centara Hotels & Resorts has announced the appointment of Allen Thomas as vice president business development.

Thomas has 28 years of experience developing hotel and resort businesses, a career that includes positions with HPL and Como Hotels and most recently Resorts Holdings International.

His appointment marks another significant Centara move in their five-year plan to double the company’s size and become a major regional hospitality brand.

Thomas will report to Centara deputy chief executive Markland Blaiklock.

He will be responsible for executing the company’s plan to grow from 58 to 134 hotels over the next five years.

Blaiklock himself was brought on board in October to lead the expansion strategy.

In the weeks since, Centara has launched its new affordable lifestyle hotel brand COSI; signed a joint venture to take ownership of Centra by Centara Government Complex Hotel & Convention Centre Cheang Watthana; announced a significant upgrade of its technology infrastructure in partnership with Oracle and IDeaS; and finalised an agreement with Nakheel to develop a family lifestyle resort in Dubai.

Centara chief executive, Thirayuth Chirativat, commented: “Allen is a tenured industry expert with an impressive track record of growing the brand footprint of hotel and resort businesses in Asia and beyond.

“We are confident of meeting our expansion targets with a professional of Allen’s calibre leading our Business Development division.”

With this latest appointment, the management team at Thailand-based Centara is almost complete following its recent reorganisation.

The company is building a diverse and experienced leadership structure to set it up for continued future success.