Chief Officer

The
Chief Hospitality Officer / Owner's Representative
("CHO") is a senior executive leadership role with full accountability for representing ownership interests across a diversified and growing portfolio of 31 hotels located in Malaysia and selected regional markets. This position is designed to act as the single, authoritative voice of ownership in all matters relating to hotel operations, asset performance, brand stewardship, operator relationships, and long-term value creation.

The CHO will work closely with the Board, Group CEO, investment teams, and external operating partners to ensure that each asset is managed in strict alignment with ownership objectives, approved investment strategies, and defined return thresholds. The role requires a balance of strategic oversight and hands-on execution, combining deep hospitality operating expertise with strong asset management, commercial acumen, and governance discipline.

This search is supported by
Hospitality.SG
, a specialist advisory and executive search partner within the hospitality and tourism sector.

Key Responsibilities

1. Owner Representation & Strategic Governance

2. Serve as the principal owner's representative across all hotels within the portfolio, safeguarding ownership interests at all times.

3. Act as the primary liaison between ownership and hotel operators, brand partners, management companies, and key third-party stakeholders.
4. Ensure strict adherence to management agreements, franchise agreements, technical services agreements, and all contractual obligations.
5. Establish and enforce governance structures, approval matrices, reporting standards, and escalation protocols across the portfolio.

6. Prepare and present consolidated portfolio performance updates, strategic recommendations, and key risk assessments to the Board.

7. Portfolio-Wide Asset & Performance Management

8. Oversee the end-to-end operational and financial performance of the 31-hotel portfolio, with accountability for revenue growth, profitability, cash flow generation, and asset value appreciation.

9. Review, challenge, and approve annual operating budgets, rolling forecasts, and long-range business plans submitted by operators.
10. Monitor and analyse key hospitality performance metrics, including RevPAR, ADR, occupancy, GOP, EBITDA, market share indices, and guest satisfaction scores.
11. Identify underperforming assets early and design corrective action plans, turnaround strategies, or repositioning initiatives as required.

12. Drive portfolio optimisation initiatives, including asset rebranding, operator changes, market repositioning, and cost structure optimisation.

13. Operator, Brand & Management Company Oversight

14. Lead the evaluation, selection, appointment, and ongoing assessment of hotel operators and brand partners.

15. Conduct formal operator performance reviews against contractual obligations, budget commitments, and market benchmarks.
16. Lead negotiations on management agreement renewals, amendments, terminations, or brand conversions when required.
17. Ensure brand standards, service quality, and guest experience are consistently upheld across all properties while protecting owner economics.

18. Manage complex multi-brand and multi-operator environments with clarity, discipline, and commercial rigour.

19. Capital Planning, Asset Enhancement & Development Oversight

20. Oversee capital expenditure planning, prioritisation, and execution, ensuring disciplined deployment of owner capital.

21. Review and approve FF&E reserves, major renovation plans, asset enhancement initiatives, and lifecycle capital programs.
22. Collaborate with development, design, and technical teams on new hotel developments, expansions, refurbishments, and conversions.
23. Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in alignment with approved design, brand, and financial objectives.

24. Assess return on investment for all capital initiatives and ensure post-implementation performance tracking.

25. Investment, Transactions & Due Diligence Support

26. Support ownership and investment teams on acquisitions, divestments, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships involving hospitality assets.

27. Lead operational and commercial due diligence on prospective hotel investments.
28. Provide expert input on valuation assumptions, operator selection, brand strategy, and post-acquisition integration plans.

29. Assist in exit planning, including asset positioning, performance optimisation, and operator readiness for sale processes.

30. Commercial, Revenue & Market Strategy

31. Provide strategic oversight on revenue management, sales strategy, distribution mix, and commercial performance across the portfolio.

32. Ensure alignment between operators' commercial strategies and ownership return objectives.
33. Drive cross-portfolio synergies in procurement, marketing, loyalty, and shared services where appropriate.

34. Monitor market trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging opportunities across Malaysia and the wider region.

35. Risk Management, Compliance & Sustainability

36. Ensure compliance with all regulatory, statutory, and brand-mandated requirements across jurisdictions.

37. Identify operational, financial, reputational, and contractual risks and implement mitigation strategies.
38. Champion sustainability, ESG initiatives, and responsible hospitality practices aligned with ownership values and stakeholder expectations.

39. Oversee crisis management, business continuity planning, and insurance matters related to hotel operations.

40. Leadership & Stakeholder Management

41. Provide leadership, mentorship, and direction to internal asset management, technical services, and hospitality oversight teams.

42. Build strong, professional relationships with operators, brand executives, lenders, consultants, and government authorities.
43. Act as a trusted advisor to the Board and senior leadership on all hospitality-related matters.

Key Requirements & Qualifications

• Minimum 15–20 years of senior leadership experience in hospitality operations, asset management, or owner representation roles.
• Proven track record overseeing large, multi-asset hotel portfolios across multiple brands and geographies.
• Deep understanding of hotel management agreements, franchise models, and owner-operator dynamics.
• Strong financial acumen with demonstrated ability to drive profitability, optimise capital deployment, and enhance asset value.
• Experience working with international hotel brands and regional operators in Southeast Asia.
• Strategic thinker with hands-on execution capability and strong negotiation skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management, governance, and board-level communication capabilities.
• Willingness to travel extensively within Malaysia and the region.

Why This Role

This is a rare opportunity to shape the long-term performance and strategic direction of a sizeable, regionally significant hospitality portfolio. The role offers meaningful influence at ownership and board level, exposure to complex multi-brand environments, and the mandate to drive both operational excellence and asset value creation.