Edward Jones appointed finance director of EasyHotel

Edward Jones has been named finance director of EasyHotel, which has revealed plans to double the size of its portfolio over the next four years.

Jones was previously group finance director of pet supplements company YuMove, where he managed and trained a UK and US finance team and supported M&A activity.

Prior to that, he was finance manager of the National Basketball Association (2012-2015) and an auditor at Baker Tilly.

Jones will be supporting CFO Charles Persello to execute the group’s expansion plans regarding new hotel openings, franchisee partners and acquisitions.

His appointment comes after recent hires Kay Pithwa, UK & Ireland financial controller; Sophie Ruelland, France & Spain financial controller; and Fil Goralczyk, senior management accountant.

Jones said: “I am delighted to be joining easyHotel at an exciting time as it executes its ambitious growth strategy. As a great value and low-carbon operator, we’re seeing fantastic results with revPAR surging 32% compared with last year. Our value credentials and excellent brand recognition look set to fuel further growth throughout the rest of the year.”

The budget hotel chain received a €50m (£42.66m) commitment from shareholders Ivanhoé Cambridge and ICAMAP towards its growth in December 2021, which unveiled plans to more than triple its estate in Europe by 2026.