Rezidor: New Area Vice President for Southern Europe & Africa and new Regional Director for Russia & CIS

Rezidor: New Area Vice President for Southern Europe & Africa and new Regional
Director for Russia & CIS

The Rezidor Hotel Group has appointed a new Area Vice President and a new
Regional Director: Effective March 16, Michel Stalport is Area Vice President
Southern Europe & Africa, and Tom Flanagan is Regional Director for Russia, CIS,
Baltics, Turkey, Azerbaijan & China. 

With these appointments Rezidor further strengthens the ambitious business
development in two of its most important emerging markets: In Russia & CIS, the
group is the leading international hotel operator and has 40 hotels with 10,000
rooms in operation and under development. The African continent is Rezidor's
upcoming market - the company opened the first hotel in the region in 1999 and
has today 25 hotels with 6,500 rooms in operation and under development. 

The Belgian Michel Stalport (54), currently Area Vice President Russia, CIS,
Baltics, Turkey, Azerbaijan & China, moves from Moscow to Nice - as Rezidor's
new Area Vice President Southern Europe & Africa. Stalport, a student of the
prestigious hotel schools of Namur/Belgium and Lausanne/Switzerland, joined
Rezidor in 1993. He was General Manager at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel,
Brussels, at the Radisson SAS Hotel, Nice and at the Radisson SAS Montfleury
Hotel, Cannes before also taking over the position as District Manager Southern
France in 2000 and as Regional Director France in 2002. Two years later, Tunisia
was added to his responsibilities, and in July 2006, Stalport was promoted to
his most recent position as Area Vice President Russia, CIS, Baltics, Turkey &
Azerbaijan. 

“The position Area Vice President Southern Europe & Africa is a new created
position within our group and in line with our strategic business development in
both regions”, comments Stalport. “Rezidor sees a considerable potential for
internationally branded hotels around the Mediterranean Sea and especially in
Africa - I'm looking forward to heading our operations and to driving our growth
in these areas.” 

Stalport's successor in Moscow is the Irish-born Tom Flanagan (36) - he has been
promoted to Regional Director Russia, CIS, Baltics, Turkey, Azerbaijan & China.
Flanagan holds a Diploma and B.A. Degree in Hotel Management from Galway
Regional Technical College, Ireland and Demontfort University Birmingham,
England. He joined Rezidor in 1999 as Service Manager at the Radisson SAS Hotel,
Scandinavia in Copenhagen and Front Office Manager at the Radisson SAS Hotel
Beijing. In 2002, he became Hotel Operations Manager at The Diplomat Radisson
SAS Hotel Manama - followed by positions as Hotel Manager of the Radisson SAS
Hotel Hamburg and as General Manager of the Radisson SAS Hotel Galway. Since
March 2008, Flanagan has been working as District Director Turkey, Azerbaijan &
China, based in Istanbul. 

“Russia and the further CIS countries are dynamic markets where Rezidor has a
pole position and will further extend his presence. We still see a huge growth
potential in cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants and a lack of
international hotels”, comments Flanagan. 

Both Michel Stalport and Tom Flanagan will report to Thorsten Kirschke,
Executive Vice President & COO of Rezidor. 


For further information please contact:
The Rezidor Hotel Group
Christiane Reiter, Director Corporate Communication
Tel. +32 2 702 9331, Christiane.Reiter@Rezidor.com 

Renu Snehi, Director Corporate Communication
Tel. +32 2 702 9241, Renu.Snehi@Rezidor.com

About the Rezidor Hotel Group:

The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the
world. The group features a portfolio of close to 370 hotels in operation and
under development with 78,000 rooms in 58 countries.

Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts, Regent Hotels &
Resorts, Park Inn and Country Inns & Suites in Europe, Middle East and Africa,
along with the goldpoints plusSM loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests.
Rezidor has signed a worldwide license agreement with the Italian fashion house
Missoni, in order to develop and operate a lifestyle hotel brand of the same
name: Hotel Missoni.

In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson
Companies is the main shareholder. 
The Corporate Office of the Rezidor Hotel Group is based in Brussels, Belgium.

For more information on Rezidor, visit www.rezidor.com