Caterersearch.com 100: Simon Vincent

Overall ranking: 15

Hotelier ranking: 4

Simon Vincent - Snapshot

Simon Vincent is area president of Hilton's

Simon Vincent - Career guide

A 20-year veteran of the leisure and travel industry, Vincent was previously chief exective of Opodo, the online travel agency. He also spent 13 years at the Thomas Cook Group, latterly as chief operating officer and managing director of tour operating and retail distribution.

Vincent has extensive international experience, having held a number of pan-European roles and worked in North America and Japan. He spent the early part of his career in international banking with HSBC.

He is chairman of the Hilton in the Community Foundation, on the executive committee of the **British Hospitality Association **and is also a trustee of the Jigsaw School, an independent day school for children on the autistic spectrum.

Simon Vincent - What we think

Vincent is spearheading an aggressive expansion policy that resulted in 15 hotels opening across Europe in 2009 and a total of 302 globally. This growth is expected to continue, with more than 70 properties across the portfolio of brands signed and expected to open in Europe between now and 2013.

In the region Vincent has overseen the debut of four new Hilton Worldwide brands. In summer 2008 he introduced the UK’s first Hilton Garden Inn, in Luton, and has also been responsible for spearheading the launch of Doubletree by Hilton across Europe, a brand with 12 European properties now open - in the UK, Italy, Greece and Slovakia.

In March 2009 Vincent opened Europe’s first **Hampton by Hilton **hotel, in Corby, Northamptonshire, signalling the company’s international entry into the budget sector. Hampton by Hilton can also now be found in Liverpool City Airport, Birmingham, Shrewsbury and Braintree, Essex.

Investment in, and regeneration of, core brand Hilton has also been a focus, with new properties having opened their doors in Liverpool in the UK, Dalaman in Turkey, Sibiu in Romania, Giardini Naxos in Sicily and, most recently, Gdansk in Poland.

Hilton is the now the ninth-largest operator of hotels in Europe, according to research firm MKG Hospitality’s 2010 European Hotel Group report â€" up one on last year.

Simon Vincent - Further information
Simon Vincent appointed area president for Europe at Hilton >>

Hilton plans more hotels over next five years >>

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