Crystalbrook Collection appoints

A NEWLY-FORMED Australian hotel group, Crystalbrook Collection has named its executive leadership team.

CEO Mark Davie has appointed Geoff York as grp director, hotels.

York brings more than 35 years’ senior hospitality experience and was most recently director of operations and development at Event Hospitality and Entertainment where he launched the Atura and Eventhouse hotel brands.

Laura Davie has stepped into the role of group director, operations and HR, where she oversees the full HR lifecycle as well as business operations.

Kylie Brajak will be on group director, global sales & manages all business segments including leisure, wholesale, corporate, groups, meetings and events.

Brajak joined from Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide where she was responsible for the global leisure and luxury sales and distribution strategy.

Katie Malone has taken on the title of group director, marketing, bringing more than 15 years of travel marketing experience spanning hotels, aviation and online travel throughout Australia, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand.

She was most recently based in Abu Dhabi overseeing marketing for St. Regis and in her new role will manage brand development, advertising, public relations, sponsorship, social media and digital strategy.

David Kotze rounds out the executive leadership team as director, hotel systems.

He has more than 30 years’ experience and has worked on more than 50 hotel openings and project managed 23 openings.

Crystalbrook Collection has committed $370m in investment to date towards developing three “lifestyle savvy” hotels in Cairns, which would add a combined 900 rooms to the city.

The company plans to develop the brand and ethos over the next 12 months and build a staff of 150 people ahead of opening the first hotel in 2018.

Crystalbrook Collection expects to invest in other Australian locations in the near future.

Pictured are: David Kotze, Kylie Brajak, Mark Davie, Laura Davie, Katie Malone and Geoff York.