New Managing Director for The Langham, Auckland

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New Managing Director Announced for The Langham, Auckland

(Auckland – 20 August 2008)

There is to be a changing of the guard at The Langham, Auckland with Mr Jeffrey van Vorsselen returning to New Zealand as managing director and replacing Mr John Dick from 1 October.
Mr Dick, who has been managing director of TLA since February 2005, will move to Langham Place, Beijing.

Mr van Vorsselen is a professional hotelier, with over twenty years experience in the industry. He has spent the last five years in Hong Kong where he opened Langham Place, Hong Kong and played a significant role in the creation of the Langham Place brand. Prior to this, Mr van Vorsselen has held hotel management roles in Australia, the United Kingdom, Africa and Asia and worked at The Langham, Auckland property when it was formerly managed by Sheraton.

“I am delighted to be returning home to Auckland with my family and I am very pleased to lead the team at such an elegant and multi award-winning hotel as The Langham, Auckland. I would like to acknowledge the endeavours of Mr John Dick who has so successfully overseen the rebranding of The Langham since its inception in 2005 and I look forward to further developing The Langham experience in New Zealand,” says Mr van Vorsselen.

Also an experienced hotelier, Mr John Dick leaves an impressive legacy at The Langham, Auckland but says he is excited about the new challenges and opportunities that the Langham Place role in Beijing will offer.

“I am immensely proud of The Langham, Auckland and the esteem with which it is held, due to a number of industry accolades and achievements. Leading the hotel when it won the country’s best visitor accommodation award in 2007, was tremendous. Having The Langham be the first hotel to achieve Green Globe certification, a Ministry for the Environment Green Ribbon Award and most recently the Green Globe Sustainability Award from TIANZ, have also been real highlights for me,” says Mr Dick.

Mr Dick is the sustainability champion for The Langham brand and has taken the lead in the New Zealand hotel industry by benchmarking a number of ground breaking environmental initiatives. He hopes to continue to focus on sustainable business practice and to also promote New Zealand goods and services at Langham Place, Beijing.

ENDS

Background notes

The Langham, Auckland
The Langham Auckland is a five-star property with opulent décor reminiscent of her sister hotel The Langham London (Europe’s first grand hotel). The Auckland property has 410 enchanting rooms and suites and is within walking distance of parks, fashion houses, cafes, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the Auckland Art Gallery and the waterfront.
• Green Globe Sustainability Award: 2008 New Zealand Tourism Industry Association
• New Zealand Best Visitor Accommodation: 2007 New Zealand Tourism Industry Association
• New Zealand Restaurant of the Year: 2006 and 2007 New Zealand Culinary Fare (Partingtons)

Langham Place, Beijing is located in Chao Yang District, the prime business and leisure precinct in Beijing, close to Chang An and the foreign embassy district. Living up to the Langham Place brand, the hotel will present stimulating hospitality in an ambience of modern luxury surrounded by a gallery of modern art and the latest technology offerings.

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