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Our Company

Senior Management

laurent kleitman
Laurent Kleitman

Group Chief Executive | mohg-gce@mohg.com

 

Laurent Kleitman was appointed Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in September 2023.

 

A seasoned leader in the world of luxury lifestyle brands, Laurent’s career spans over 30 years in senior leadership roles with global corporations including Unilever, Coty and LVMH. Laurent has been responsible for the strategic direction and growth of many iconic global brands across Europe, the Americas and Asia and has been based in New York, London, Paris, Milan, Moscow and Bangkok. Before joining Mandarin Oriental, Laurent served as President and Chief Executive of Parfums Christian Dior, the largest LVMH beauty business, successfully guiding the brand's transformation and fast development in the fragrance, make-up, skincare and spa categories.

 

He is a French national and a graduate of Reims Management School and is now based in the Group’s Hong Kong office.


Matthew Bishop

Chief Financial Officer | mohg-fd@mohg.com

 

Matthew Bishop was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in September 2021.

 

A Chartered Accountant, he joined the Jardine Matheson Group, of which Mandarin Oriental is a part, in 2009. Matthew has worked in Hong Kong and the UK in a variety of senior finance roles in Jardine Pacific, Jardine Technology Holdings and Jardine Motors Group. Before joining Jardines he spent 4 years in banking and 6 years at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Matthew’s most recent position was as Group Treasurer for Jardine Matheson.

 

He is based at the Group’s Hong Kong office.


Kieren Barry

Group Counsel | mohg-gc@mohg.com

 

Kieren Barry is Group Counsel and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Group’s legal services worldwide. He joined Mandarin Oriental in 2006 and is based at the Group’s Hong Kong office.

 

Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental, Kieren worked in private practice as a litigator then commercial property lawyer, moving in-house as Senior Legal Counsel for all Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels in Asia Pacific, and later as General Counsel for an international sports and leisure group in Switzerland.

 

Kieren holds degrees in Classics and Law from Auckland University, and is admitted to the High Court of New Zealand as a Barrister and Solicitor.



Francesco Cefalu

Chief Development Officer | mohg-cdo@mohg.com

 

Francesco Cefalu is the Chief Development Officer responsible for Mandarin Oriental’s global development strategy of luxury hotels and residential projects, supporting the company’s growth objectives and ensuring the brand is well-represented in the world’s most desirable destinations.

 

He joined Mandarin Oriental in 2016 as the Regional Development Director for EMEA, and has since led the Group’s development strategy in the region, resulting in projects including Lake Como, Riyadh, Mallorca, Zurich, and Tel Aviv.

 

Francesco has extensive experience in hospitality real estate, including hotel management contracts, company investments, and residential agreements. In his previous roles, he worked for brands such as Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Worldwide, with management positions in Brazil, Italy, and the UK. Francesco is an Italian national and graduated from Bocconi University in Milan with a degree in Economics. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School in Boston. Francesco remains based at the Group’s London corporate office.



Geraldine Dobey
Geraldine Dobey

Group Director of Quality
Area Vice President, Operations
General Manager

 

Geraldine Dobey is the Group Director of Quality and is responsible for Service Excellence throughout the Mandarin Oriental portfolio. Geraldine has over 30 years of experience in hotel operations having held management positions in London, Geneva, and Paris.

 

Geraldine is General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Paris and Area Vice President, overseeing Mandarin Oriental hotels in Geneva and Marrakech. Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental, Geraldine worked with Disney, Hilton, Mandarin Oriental Geneva and the French Groupe Barrière. She returned to Mandarin Oriental in July 2021. Geraldine holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in Hotel & Catering Management from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in Ireland. She is Vice-President in the Club of Executives of the International and Prestigious Hotel Industry in France.



Joanna Flint

Chief Commercial Officer

 

Joanna Flint is Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing the development and execution of the Group’s commercial strategy and responsible for all aspects of the Group’s customer experience. Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental, Joanna spent 12 years at Google in Asia Pacific general management and sales leadership roles. Preceding this, she was Principal Consultant at Ogilvy Asia Pacific and spent a further decade in global eCommerce, CRM and customer service transformation programmes for Singapore Airlines and British Airways.

 

Joanna sits on the Board of Singapore Tourism, is an active member of the Young Presidents Organisation (YPO), and is a mentor to early stage start-ups. She holds a Joint Honours degree in Politics and Philosophy from the University of Manchester, and an MSc in Major Programme Management from the University of Oxford.


Samantha Furlong
Samantha Furlong

Group Director of Rooms

 

Samantha Furlong is Group Director of Rooms, overseeing all aspects of Rooms Division including Front Office, Housekeeping, and Guest Services.

 

After studying and gaining experience with luxury hotels in Asia and Europe, Samantha joined Mandarin Oriental, Miami in 2004 and relocated to the Hong Kong corporate office in 2007. With over 20 years at Mandarin Oriental, Samantha has overseen various project management endeavours and played a key role in hotel openings, core system training, and operational standards and management. She assumed her current position in 2023. Samantha, an Australian national, holds a BA (Hons) in Hospitality Management from Florida International University, USA, and an Advanced Diploma in Hotel Management from DCT International School, Switzerland.


Amanda Hyndman

Group Chief People Officer

 

Amanda joined Mandarin Oriental in 2007 and is Group Chief People Officer, responsible for establishing, implementing and evaluating global HR strategies for the Group.

 

Prior to this, she was Area Vice President Operations for Mandarin Oriental’s iconic flagship property in Hong Kong, overseeing hotels in Southern China and previously in Northern Europe, and has held General Manager roles at Mandarin Oriental properties in Hong Kong, London, Bangkok and Washington DC.

 

In 2020, Amanda was appointed Group Director of Quality & Rooms, supporting all aspects of the Group’s operational service standards as well as Rooms Division.

 

Her career spans over 30 years in the industry, having previously held senior management roles with luxury hotel brands in the UK. A British national, she holds a BA (Hons) in Hotel Management from the University of Strathclyde. Amanda was voted Hotelier of the Year at 2019 Virtuoso Best of the Best Awards.

 

Amanda is based at the Group’s Hong Kong corporate office.


Christoph Mares

Chief Operating Officer | mohg-coo@mohg.com

 

Christoph Mares is Chief Operating Officer, responsible for global hotel operations as well as overseeing the operational functions of Food and Beverage, Rooms and Quality and Spa and Wellness.

 

Christoph has over 25 years’ experience in luxury hotel management around the world. He first joined Mandarin Oriental in 2000, and held senior management positions in the London, Paris and Munich hotels. In 2008, he joined Emaar Hospitality Group LLC as Chief Operating Officer. He returned to Mandarin Oriental in 2009 as Executive Vice President, Operations Director, EMEA and India and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2018. Christoph is based at the Group’s Hong Kong corporate office.


Vincent Marot

Chief Technical Services Officer

 

Vincent Marot is Chief Technical Services Officer responsible for all aspects of technical services for hotels under operation and development. Vincent joined Mandarin Oriental in 1996 and has held a variety of senior management positions at Mandarin Oriental hotels. He was appointed Regional Director of Technical Services, EMEA based in France in 2008 and was promoted to his current role in 2012. He is now based at the Group’s Hong Kong office.

 

Vincent has over 25 years of experience in hotels and resorts’ technical services. Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental, he spent six years with Club Med as a Director of Engineering, and four years as Chief Engineer and Property Manager for high-rise condominiums in the United States.

 

Vincent holds a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and a Graduate Certificate in Business Management from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University.


Jeremy McCarthy

Group Director of Spa & Wellness

 

Jeremy McCarthy is Group Director of Spa & Wellness responsible for leading and managing the global activities of Mandarin Oriental’s internationally acclaimed luxury spa division. He is a respected spa professional with over twenty years of luxury hotel and leisure services experience. He joined the company in 2014 and is based at the Group’s Hong Kong office.

 

Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental, Jeremy was Director, Spa Development and Operations of Starwood Hotels and Resorts where he was responsible for expanding the company’s portfolio of spa brands. From 1989 to 2006, Jeremy held a number of senior management roles with Four Seasons hotels.

 

A US citizen, Jeremy has served on the board of ISPA, and participates in other spa organizations such as Wellness Tourism Worldwide, The Global Wellness Summit and The Hotel & Spa Forum. He holds a BA in Psychology from the University of California and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.


Monika Nerger

Chief Information Officer

 

Monika Nerger is Chief Information Officer overseeing all aspects of the Group’s global technology. She joined Mandarin Oriental in 2006 as Vice President of Technology, the Americas, and was promoted to her current role in 2011. She is based in the Group’s Hong Kong and San Francisco offices.

 

Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental, Monika worked internationally with Pan Pacific Hotels, KPMG Consulting, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business from the University of Miami as well as an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. She is currently a Board member of HTNG (Hotel Technology Next Generation).


David Nicholls

Group Director of Food and Beverage

 

David Nicholls is Group Director of Food and Beverage, responsible for Mandarin Oriental’s food and beverage interests on a global basis. He joined Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park in November 1996 as Director of Food and Beverage and Executive Chef, and was promoted to his current position in 2007. He is based at the Group’s London office.

 

David has over 30 years of relevant experience, and under his tenure some of the world’s most distinguished culinary talent has joined Mandarin Oriental, including Heston Blumenthal, Gaston Acurio, Quique Dacosta and Thierry Marx.

 

Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental, he worked as a chef at Buckingham Palace, and was the youngest chef in the United Kingdom to be awarded a Michelin star.


Alex Schellenberger
Alex Schellenberger

Senior Vice President, Brand

 

Alex is a seasoned leader with almost two decades of extensive branding, marketing, and commercial experience. He commenced his career at Procter & Gamble with various assignments across different geographies, including the Prestige Division, where he elevated the Hugo Boss fragrance line. Subsequently, he held senior executive positions steering transformative marketing and communication initiatives to redefine and reposition beauty and luxury goods brands at companies like Coty, Braun, and Swarovski. Most recently, Alex served as Global Chief Marketing Officer for Accor, based in Paris, where he pioneered brand equity and rejuvenation across Accor’s portfolio of hospitality brands. Alex is a German national with extensive experience living in both Europe and Asia and is based at the Group’s Head Office in Hong Kong.



Torsten van Dullemen

Group Director of Sustainability

 

Torsten van Dullemen is Group Director of Sustainability, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Group’s sustainability commitments and initiatives towards the wellbeing of the planet, of communities and of individuals.

Torsten has over 30 years of experience in luxury hotel management and currently holds the position of General Manager for Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London and Area Vice President for the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. Torsten was previously General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. and Area Vice President, Operations for the Group’s Northeast US operations, and held senior Mandarin Oriental positions in Hong Kong, Manila, Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Sanya as well as with the Oberoi Hotels in India.

 

Torsten is a graduate of Hotelschool The Hague, Institute for Hotel Management and Cornell University, as well as a member of MENSA International.