Hilton appoints new European HR chief
21 May 2010 10:32
Hilton Worldwide has announced the appointment of Rachid 'Ben' Bengougam as vice president of human resources for Europe.
In his new role, Mr Bengougam will oversee human resource strategy for more than 180 hotels, seven brands and 20,000 team members across 30 countries.
He joins Hilton Worldwide from M.H. Alshaya, the largest retail and dining franchise operator based in the Middle East. Prior to that, he was group HR director for Dixons plc in the UK. In previous positions Mr Bengougam has been responsible for leading HR strategies across a broad spectrum of activities and cultures.
He started his career at Forte hotels in the 1980s where he held various roles from food and beverage service to catering and operations management.
Dave Osborne, senior vice president of HR for operations and development at Hilton Worldwide, said: "I am delighted to welcome Ben to Hilton Worldwide as he brings broad international experience from a variety of sectors. Our European business represents many key growth markets for the company including Italy, Turkey and Russia - where Ben's experience of strategy and cultures will be invaluable."
Mr Bengougam commented: "It's fantastic to be returning to the hospitality industry and to be joining Hilton Worldwide at such an exciting time in its evolution. The development pipeline will make this a very exciting and dynamic position - and I look forward to taking on the challenges of this new role, and making a contribution to the ongoing success of the business."
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