INTERCONTINENTAL Hotel Group (IHG) announced that Daniel Arbenz has been appointed to be the director of South China operations and general manager of InterContinental Shenzhen. Effective from Sept. 1, Arbenz is also overseeing other IHG properties in South China.

As a Switzerland national, Arbenz graduated with a bachelor’s of management in hotel management from Swiss Hotel Management School Montana and Higher Institute of Hotel Management Lucerne and then started his career in Switzerland.

After more than 30 years in the hospitality industry, he has held key roles in many hotel openings and operations and accumulated a vast trove of experience and leadership skills. He has held numerous senior management positions in Australia, Indonesia and China.

Arbenz has been with IHG for 20 years and is a highly respected member of the team. He got his start in China at the Holiday Inn Beijing Lido, led Crowne Plaza Wangfujing through a renovation and opened Crowne Plaza Beijing Sun Palace for the Olympic Games. He then assumed his first InterContinental hotel with InterContinental Beijing Beichen and after the Olympics laid a solid foundation for the luxury hotel market in Beijing.

During this time, Arbenz also served as the regional general manager of Northeast China of IHG, leading the teams and operations in this part of China. Arbenz then transferred to Shanghai as general manager of InterContinental Shanghai Pudong and regional general manager for Shanghai.

The two years prior to his appointment in Shenzhen he was appointed head of operations East China working out of the IHG China Corporate Office in Shanghai.

Arbenz brings 30 years of hospitality experience to his new role. His wealth of operational and managerial experience in Europe, Asia and China will be a key strength for furthering InterContinental Shenzhen’s products and services and enhancing the hotel’s existing prestigious image.

His mission is not only to ensure InterContinental Shenzhen is the city’s top luxury business resort hotel but also to expand the IHG operation equity as one of the most important assets in this competitive market around the Pearl River Delta.(SD News)