Estefania Fausto

Estefania joined IHG in 2013 as an assistant in Development upon graduating from Universidad de Guadalajara with a degree in tourism administration. As a business development manager, she supports franchise sales and development in Mexico for the growth of all brands across the country. Her duties also include driving strategic negotiations of all retentions in Mexico, Latin America & the Caribbean. Estefania is originally from California but moved to Mexico at the age of 5. She enjoys soccer, painting, discovering new restaurants, and traveling with her daughters and partner. 

Alexis Feuillat

Alexis Feuillat is the Development Director for CIS, Türkiye & Israel at IHG^®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. He is responsible for the expansion of IHG’s brand portfolio in the CIS, Türkiye & Israel region through franchise and management agreements. Since joining IHG in 2018, Alexis has secured over 20 projects across conversion and new built hotels, building long-term relationships with owners and expanding IHG’s footprint in new territories.

Prior to IHG, Alexis was the Director for Development with Accor Hotels, where he first started as Project Manager in the Technical department for hotel projects, including design, construction, engineering, equipment and opening.

Alexis holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Moscow State University and a Master’s degree in CIS study from National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations.

Pedro Freire

Pedro Freire has over 20 years of significant experience in the hotel industry.

Before joining IHG team, Pedro was a Vice President of Asset Management at hotelAVE. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing the company´s assignments throughout Latin America, which included All-Inclusive and luxury resorts and hotels, totaling more than $1 billion invested and encompassing three thousand keys.

Before hAVE, Pedro has worked for near 15 years at JLL, where he oversaw the Advisory, Asset Management and Investment Sales activities for Hotels & Hospitality team in Brazil. With JLL, Pedro has participated of a wide-variety of valuations and feasibility studies, as well as operator selection processes, management and franchise contract negotiations and asset management assignments, ranging from budget and limited-service properties to luxury hotels and branded residences, destination all-inclusive resorts and luxury second homes in Brazil, Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Additionally, he has been involved in hotel transactions, capital raising and IPO processes related to the development of hotels and resorts with branded residences and second homes.

Prior to joining JLL, Pedro worked as Manager, Acquisitions & Development – Latin America for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, where he participated in franchise and management agreements negotiations and prepared market research and financial analysis for investment opportunities in Brazil and Latin America.

Previously, Pedro worked as sales account executive at the Gran Meliá Mofarrej in São Paulo, Brazil and as a Revenue Management trainee at Marriott Brazil.

Pedro has also completed hotel operations internships at the Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria in Rome, Italy and at the Hotel Astor in Switzerland.

Pedro has a MBA from the Fundação Getúlio Vargas in São Paulo and graduated with Merit from the Les Roches International School of Hotel Management School in Switzerland. He has also undertaken further study in Real Estate Investment, in the Professional Development Program, at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas in São Paulo, Brazil. He is proficient in Portuguese and English, fluent in Spanish and communicates well in French and Italian.

In his leisure time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and friends. He also likes running and walking, watching movies, reading, and traveling.

Willemijn Geels

Willemijn Geels is Vice President of Development for Europe region at IHG®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. She is responsible for driving the expansion of IHG's portfolio of brands across Europe, encompassing luxury, upscale and mainstream opportunities through managed and franchised deal structures. In addition to identifying new growth opportunities, Willemijn and her team work closely with owners and investors in a support and advisory capacity to drive long-term revenue.

Prior to joining IHG in 2015, Willemijn was Development & Acquisitions Director at Louvre Hotels Group where she delivered strong returns for European owners. She also gained experience in Deloitte's Transport, Hospitality and Leisure team in Paris, where she led multiple hotel valuations, feasibility studies, and transaction and strategic advisory assignments.

Willemijn graduated from IMHI-ESSEC business school with an MBA degree in International Hospitality Management specialising in Real Estate.

Pathana Jitsaereetham

Pathana Jitsaereetham is Senior Development Manager for South East Asia & Korea at IHG^®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. Pathana is responsible for the strategic growth of IHG’s portfolio in Thailand.

Prior to joining IHG, Pathana was Development Manager at Asset World Corp (AWC) and Central Pattana (CPN), leading real estate and hotel developers in Thailand. He was also previously Development & Asset Management Manager at Nova Asset Management, a hotel consulting firm based in Thailand.

Pathana holds an MBA from University of Strathclyde, UK and a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

Farkhad Kamilov

Farkhad Kamilov is Development Manager for Poland at IHG®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. He is responsible for developing IHG’s brands across Poland through franchise and management agreements and working collaboratively with development partners to deliver strong returns for owners.

Farkhad joined IHG in 2010, starting at the 5-star luxury InterContinental Budapest as part of his finance graduate program. Since then, his international career has spanned various finance roles in Hungary, Austria and the UK at both hotel and corporate levels. Prior to his current position, Farkhad worked in Investment Analysis providing business partnering to IHG Europe’s development team in the fields of feasibility, deal structuring, contract valuation and IHG board approvals.

Farkhad is a graduate of Hotelschool The Hague in the Netherlands and attained a CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting. He is currently pursuing his CIMA Professional Qualification.

Arik Kono

Arik spearheads new-build and conversion hotel development activity across the southern United States and the Caribbean for IHG’s upscale brands. With over 20 years of experience, Arik specializes in hotel real estate development. As Vice President, North America Development and Acquisitions for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Arik delivered against global growth objectives by expanding the development pipeline across all segments and project types. He was responsible for developing seven of Starwood’s nine franchise brands, including Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft, Element, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, and Luxury Collection in the United States and the Caribbean. During football season, Arik never misses an opportunity to watch his alma mater, the University of Alabama. Additionally, he is an avid golfer and enjoys traveling and spending time at home with his two dogs.

Alexey Korobkin

Alexey Korobkin is the Senior Development Director MEA at IHG^®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. He joined IHG in 2021 and was responsible for leading the expansion of IHG’s brand portfolio in the Russia, CIS, Georgia, Ukraine & Baltics region through franchise and management agreements. Since 2022 he joined the MEA team and is looking after among others the expansion in the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Kuwait and further countries.

Prior to joining IHG in 2021, Alexey spent 8 years in development roles at Azimut Hotels, Marriott International and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). In that time, Alexey helped to expand the portfolio of brands in the region and drive strong returns for owners. Prior to working in hotel development, Alexey headed the Moscow Consulting & Valuation practice of HVS Global Hospitality Services, where he specialized in strategic consulting, valuations and investment advisory across Russia & the CIS.

Alexey also worked for various hotel management companies within the hospitality industry across Europe, USA and Russia in operational departments including Rooms Division, Revenue Management and Food & Beverage.

Alexey obtained a BSc in Economics and Finance from the University of London, and holds an MBA in Hotel Management from César Ritz, Switzerland.

Henning Kreckel

Henning Kreckel is the Senior Development Manager for DACH at IHG^®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. He is responsible for the development and growth of IHG’s brand portfolio across Germany.