InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the appointment of Marvin Alballi as its new director of restaurants and bars in India, the Middle East, and Africa.

In his remit, Alballi will be focused on driving commercial operations across IHG’s restaurants and bars offering in IMEA, generating greater revenue and profitability for the company’s hotels.

He will also be responsible for operational excellence and delivering great guest experiences across the region.

After studying in Europe and graduating with a degree in hotel and catering management, Alballi spent over a decade working in the Middle East, including senior roles in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Dubai.

He has led multiple regional franchises, including Chili’s, Caribou Coffee, Fuddrucker’s and Applebee’s.

Prior to IHG, Alballi served as the franchise business leader for a leading restaurant chain in North America, supporting 61 restaurants across Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.

He also served as a franchise business consultant for White Spot Restaurants in Canada.

He will report directly to Pascal Gauvin, chief operating officer, IMEA, IHG, who said: “At IHG, restaurants and bars have always been an integral part of the business, however, given our accelerated pipeline in the region, we now feel the need for more specialised expertise to consistently focus on optimising the quality, standards and performance of our offerings across our brands in IMEA.

“Marvin brings forward expertise in driving commercial operations for food and beverage chains successfully across large geographies; I am confident that he will bring the right combination of leading profitability and enhancing guest experiences within our regional footprint.”

As a Canadian national with Middle Eastern heritage, Alballi brings a valuable blend of international and regional perspectives to his new role.

Alballi added: “I am incredibly excited to be a part of such a renowned hospitality company both globally and in the region.

“IHG’s brand portfolio in India, Middle East and Africa allows for an extensive range of restaurants and bars offerings that caters to the most varied combinations of international and local cuisines and fine dining experiences.

“I look forward to expanding on IHG’s success in this space across the region.”

IHG currently operates 280 hotels across six brands in IMEA, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo and Staybridge Suites with a further 153 hotels in the development pipeline due to open within the next three to five years.