Julia Hillenbrand has been appointed the new Vice President Sales EMEA for Lufthansa Group Airlines.
She will be responsible for all commercial and sales activities across the brands in European countries outside the home markets, along with the Middle East and Africa. In addition, Hillenbrand and her teams will manage and develop the group’s global sales programme and sales communication worldwide.
Since 2022, Hillenbrand has been responsible for the brand and customer experience of SWISS. Between 2019 and 2022 she led the sales division, initially for Spain and Portugal, and later for Western Europe as Senior Director Sales Western Europe.
Hillenbrand takes over from Lorenza Maggio, who has been appointed to the Board of Directors of ITA Airways.
Nigel Pace joins the Royal Portfolio
The Royal Portfolio has appointed Nigel Pace as its executive Head of Sales.
Pace has close to 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, with 25 years spent in General Manager roles. He has held positions as General Manager of the Plettenberg Hotel as well as of the Cape Grace and Singita Kruger National Park.
He was most recently the Head of Hospitality at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. The Royal Portfolio said he would bring a global perspective and multilingual communication skills to the role.
“We are thrilled to welcome Nigel, and we are confident that his expertise will further strengthen our sales division and relationships with our trade partners,” said Simon Mandy, Managing Director of the Royal Portfolio.
Radisson appoints new MD for Africa
The Radisson Hotel Group has promoted Sandra Kneubuhler to Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa. She will now lead the Group’s operations in English-speaking African countries.
Rochell Schonken will step into the role of Country Director of Sales for South Africa, one of the positions previously held by Kneubuhler.
Discussing her new role, Kneubuhler says her immediate priorities will be connecting with regional teams, fostering career development and building a skilled workforce to support the group’s expansion plans. By the end of 2025, she aims to boost the region’s profitability through strong top-line growth while also nurturing more female leaders.
