Inge van Ooteghem has been appointed as senior vice president for upscale and midscale hotels, at AccorHotels UK & Ireland.

She will have overall responsibility for operations and marketing across Pullman, MGallery, Novotel and Mercure brands in the UK & Ireland.

Inge has worked for Accor hotels since 1988, most recently as senior vice president of operations for economy and budget hotels, Accor UK & Ireland, where she was responsible for overseeing operations across the ibis family brands.

Thomas Dubaere, managing director AccorHotels UK&I said: “Inge has held a number of key positions during her long career at AccorHotels and has made a significant contribution to the strong performance of the ibis family brands in recent years.

“The UK is a growing market and we have ambitious expansion plans.

“Inge brings a wealth of skills and experience that will be invaluable in driving this expansion through our mid and upscale brands.”

The move comes as AccorHotels looks to acquire new portfolios on a franchise and management basis, and accelerate its strong organic franchise growth, with the Mercure brand being a particular area of focus.

van Ooteghem commented: “I have always been proud to be a part of the AccorHotels family.

“The UK and Ireland is such an exciting place to be right now in the hospitality industry and I am looking forward to playing my part in driving the success and growth of our mid and upscale brands here.”