Jumeirah, the dynamic and fast growing Dubai based luxury hospitality group, has announced the appointment of Mr. Francis Killory as Vice President of Development Asia Pacific. Killory will be responsible for growing the Jumeirah portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific’s major cities and international resort locations.

With a strategic global focus on aggressively entering new markets over the coming months and years, Jumeirah will continue to follow its core operating philosophy.

The commitment to ‘Stay Different’ - the company’s tagline - and the drive for quality in all of its activities, are reflected in the number of prestigious travel and tourism awards that the Group has won, including the award for ‘Best Business Hotel Group in the Middle East and Africa’ by readers of Business Traveller Magazine Asia and Business Traveller Magazine UK.

In his new role, Killory will oversee Jumeirah’s growth initiative from the Group’s Development office in Shanghai, China, where the company recently signed its first PRC flagship property in China’s financial capital, the 338-room HanTang Jumeirah Shanghai, which is scheduled to open in mid 2008.

Killory has been active in Asia Pacific hotel development for 15 years, and has previously served in senior development positions with Inter-Continental, Meridien Hotels & Resorts, and Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and holds a MBA from Cornell University and an MSc in e-Commerce from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Paul McPherson, Chief Development Officer of Jumeirah said, “Francis brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team and his appointment is an important step in our aim to accelerate Jumeirah’s growth in the Asia Pacific region and to further establish the brand in this key market for us.”

Killory commented, “I am delighted to join one of the world’s fastest growing luxury hotel groups and I look forward to leading the successful development of Jumeirah in the Asia Pacific region.”
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