INTERNATIONAL. Airport hospitality specialist Plaza Premium Group has made three senior appointments as it continues its international expansion.
Chamil Liyanage is named Group Director of Lounges and will lead the operations of Plaza Premium First, Plaza Premium Lounge and Allways airport meet and greet service. Suresh Kumar is named Group Director of Hotels, and will manage Aerotel and Refreshhh by Aerotel brands under the hotel division. Becky Lim becomes Group Managing Director of Commercial, spearheading the company’s global commercial product and sales strategy.
“To ensure the best-in-class standard of services in each and every location, we are delighted to have Chamil leading our strong and dedicated Plaza Premium Lounge teams and Suresh will be the key man to manage a young team of passionate hotel associates as Aerotel enters its fourth year of operations,” said Founder and CEO Song Hoi-See.
“To enhance the commercial synergies and business growth among our global network of over 160 locations in 44 international airports, Becky will lead our sales teams worldwide to take our fast-growing business to the next level. She will work closely with our existing and potential partners to develop ideas and unlock customer-centric sales strategies.”
Chamil Liyanage brings 30 years of experience in airlines and the hospitality industry to Plaza Premium Group. His last role was Head of Customer Experience – Lounges and Al Maha Services at Qatar Airways. His previous experience included senior roles in food & beverage and operations for Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline, international hotels and private clubs.
Suresh Kumar now oversees the development and operations of Aerotel, the world’s largest chain of in-terminal airport hotels. He brings 24 years of hospitality experience in hotel operations and corporate roles with groups including Shangri-La, InterContinental Hotels, Mulia Hotels, Alila Hotels & Resorts, Ascott Residences and independent luxury hotel brands in China.
Becky Lim has more than 20 years of international experience in product development, management, marketing, customer loyalty, strategy and negotiation. Her previous career saw her managing products and portfolios across Asia Pacific, Europe, Central Europe and Middle East. Prior to joining Plaza Premium Group, she was Chief Executive Officer of DragonPass, Asia Pacific, and held leadership roles at financial organisations including Visa, American Express and DBS Bank.
Recent developments in the group’s international expansion include the openings of Plaza Premium Lounge in Helsinki, Langkawi and Cebu, the launch of Allways at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and new Aerotel locations in London and Beijing. A further Plaza Premium Lounge will open in Dubai in November.
