Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers is the first property from Hilton’s luxury portfolio to open in the UAE capital. With a new leadership team in place comes a new direction to deliver an inspired stay for guests.
This team, made up of highly experienced, hand-picked individuals has been tasked with leveraging their creative talents, interpersonal skills and operational expertise to elevate the hotel’s current offering and place it firmly on the map as a must-visit destination.
ALESSANDRO REDAELLI – GENERAL MANAGER
Described by his colleagues as a distinguished hotel professional, Redaelli has accumulated more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, leading to an immense amount of knowledge of hotel fundamentals.
Accumulating his wealth of knowledge by travelling around the globe during the course of his career, from Paris and Switzerland to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, to most recently residing in the UAE, Redaelli has previously held highly respected positions at global hotel groups and joins Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers from Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah where he was managing director.
Redaelli will oversee his team to ensure that each guest has a unique and flawless experience. Underlining what he aims to achieve, he says: “I’m delighted to be taking the reigns at this landmark property which further establishes Hilton’s footprint in the region. As general manager of Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers, I intend to lead by example, assemble the best team possible and empower them to use their talents.”
ASHWIN BHAT – COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
Working primarily in the hotel sector, Ashwin Bhat has had extensive experience in revenue management, front office operations and sales & marketing roles with progressive experience in reservations and an emphasis in driving fair market share throughout his 14-year career.
Previously cluster commercial director at Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Hilton Dubai The Walk and Hilton Dubai Creek, Bhat brings creative ideas, strategies and implementation skills to his new role. Bhat’s main focus for the coming year is to position Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers as the most sought-after hotel in the Emirates. He aims to build on the relationships that Hilton has had over the past four decades and develop a clear and achievable vision for the future.
JEAN PITTION – DIRECTOR OF F&B
Jean Pittion joins the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers team from his role as general manager of Hakkasan Jakarta. In his new role, Pittion will focus on elevating the property’s F&B offering by driving quality and implementing creative activations at signature venues including VaKaVa, Nahaam and Observation Deck at 300.
TAREK G. JARROUJE – DIRECTOR OF HR
Previously the director of human resources at Conrad Dubai, Tarek G. Jarrouje has made his mark on several high-profile properties throughout the region during his 20-year career. He will bring his financial acumen, commercial awareness and ability to successfully manage budgets while optimising quality to his new role at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers, where he will focus on inclusion, agility and talent management with an emphasis on skill development and digitalisation.
NICHOLAS FERNANDEZ – CHIEF ENGINEER
Joining the team from Accor’s Mercure Hotel Suites and Apartments Dubai, Nicholas Fernandez is a highly experienced Director of Engineering in the luxury hospitality sector with more than 20 years of experience in the UAE. Fernandez brings with him detailed knowledge of project management, budget planning, facilities management, building automation, preventative maintenance planning and value strategies, having worked with key professional teams and major clients.
ANNA DIKOVITSKAYA – DIRECTOR OF QUALITY
A hospitality professional with more than 10 years of experience, Anna Dikovitskaya’s strengths lie in quality improvement and continuous innovation, project management, brand compliance as well as customer and market research. Her ability to analyse and interpret key indicators have enabled her to specialise in hotel online reputation management and establish guest experience systems.
In her new role, Dikovitskaya would like to create a culture of continuous improvement and innovation among the team to support the delivery of an unparalleled guest experience at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers.
LESLIE WEDDLE – DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Having worked in hospitality for more than 10 years, Leslie Weddlehas is an articulate young hotelier with a strong marketing and communications background. Joining the team from Conrad Dubai, Weddle is keen to take on new challenges and to continue learning as she progresses in her professional journey.
JURGEN ZIROVNIK – DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
Jurgen Zirovnik’s appointment as director of finance marks his return to the UAE’s capital as he joins Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers from his previous role as area director of finance for Western Europe with Marriott International. This seasoned hotelier brings with him two decades of regional and international experience in maintaining internal and external relationships with various stakeholders including hotel management teams, corporate management, owners, asset managers, legal counsel, corporate counsel and auditors to name a few.