Christopher Mumford is Managing Director of HVS Executive Search in London and specializes in executive search and compensation consulting for clients in the hospitality industry throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. A regular speaker on industry related issues, Chris is a frequent author of articles on executive selection, compensation trends, and general Human Resources topics for a number of industry publications. A selection of hospitality clients include Emaar (Armani) Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Maybourne Hotel Group, Sama Dubai, The Stein Group, Rezidor Hotel Group, Aareal Bank, Invesco and Starwood Capital.

Lorenza Alessie is Director at HVS Executive Search in London. Lorenza has significant experience in hospitality management recruitment throughout Europe and the Middle East. A graduate in International Hospitality Management from Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland, she began her hospitality career with the Dukes Hotel, London. Lorenza went on to work with leading hotels such as Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne and Grand Hotel Ambasciatori, The Westin Excelsior and The St Regis Grand in Rome. Prior to joining HVS Executive Search, Lorenza was Director of the Geneva office of a recruitment company focusing on international hotel management recruitment. Dutch and Italian by nationality, Lorenza is a capable linguist with fluency in English, Italian, Spanish and French.

Pooja Vir is the Director of Marketing for HVS Executive Search globally. An Economics graduate, Pooja began her hospitality career in hotel and restaurant operational Public Relations, including as a key member of the Grand Hyatt Mumbai pre-opening team. Pooja continues to be based out of the London offices specialising in compensation consulting. She has completed assignments in several markets including the UK, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE. A selection of her clients includes Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Marriott International, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and Jumeirah.

Thomas Mielke is a Senior Associate at HVS Executive Search in London. Since joining the firm in 2008, Thomas has worked on assignments across the EMEA region and has successfully placed senior executives at leading hospitality companies including Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide and Invesco Real Estate. Thomas has assisted clients with searches ranging in functional expertise from real estate and asset management to technical services and brand management. He is the co-author of HVS’s annual European Corporate Governance Study and also helped institute HVS’s annual review of CEO turnover at the 50 largest hotel companies in the world.

Prior to joining HVS, Thomas spent several years working in Germany and Spain, including with Jones Lang LaSalle focusing on hotel market studies and research publications. Born in Spain and of Swiss-German origins, Thomas is fluent in German, Spanish, French and English. He graduated from Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne and holds a Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management with a specialisation in Resort and Leisure Development.