ARENA HOSPITALITY GROUP - Key Persons
Ms. Pende was a long-standing legal counsel at Uljanik, d.d. where she worked for over 30 years. Ms. Pende acts as the Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of Alpha Adriatic d.d.. Ms. Pende holds a law degree from the University of Zagreb.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- President of PPHE Hotel Group
Boris Ivesha has been President of PPHE Hotel Group since 1991. Mr. Ivesha brought the Park Plaza® Hotels & Resorts brand to the PPHE Hotel Group in 1994 in collaboration with the Red Sea Group (one of the major shareholders of PPHE Hotel Group) and has been a major contributor in the expansion of PPHE Hotel Group. Mr. Ivesha established the Yamit Hotel, Israel in 1984 and served as its President. He was Director of the Carlton Hotel in Israel (1979-1984). Prior to that he was a General Manager of the Royal Horseguards Hotel in London (1972 - 1979).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Board and Chief Financial Officer
Devansh Bakshi obtained a Hotel Management degree and started his hospitality career in hotel operations working for Taj Group of Hotels for four years. He then completed his Master of Business Administration in International Business before joining the Finance department at Hilton Hotels Worldwide, where he worked for Hilton in London UK for over 10 years, latterly as the Cluster Finance Director. On 2011 Mr. Bakshi subsequently joined the PPHE Hotel Group and worked for over five years as a Regional Financial Controller for the UK region leading a portfolio of owned, managed and franchised hotel finance operations. Mr. Bakshi recently worked as Group Finance Director for Arora Group, which is a diverse real estate business managing hotels, construction and commercial property portfolio in the UK. He is a qualified Chartered Global Management Accountant and Fellow Member of the UK Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He is also a Financial Management Certified Associate Member of Hospitality Professionals Association in the UK. With over 23 years of experience in the hotel industry covering multiple finance disciplines, he brings a wealth of industry experience.
Edi Pinto started his hospitality career as General Manager in hotel operations, working for ‘'Isrotel'' hotel chain for more than 20 years. Edi Pinto has rich experience in the hotel industry with extensive knowledge in establishing cooperation with large businesses and organizational bodies and fostering community ties at the municipal level. He recently worked as Resort Consultant & Owner Representative, managing all required opening procedures for a new holiday resort. Providing support to the owner in regards of financial issues, establishing budgets, developing, regulations, standards, terms, documentation, processes, handling requirements and inventories. Mr Pinto joined Arena Hospitality Group in March 2020.
Goran Nikolić was born in 1977 in Pula, Croatia. He completed his primary and secondary education in Pula in 1995. In 2010, he completed the course for "System and Network Administrator" at the University College Algebra. After employment at Pula Airport and Uljanik, since 1998 he has been employed by Arenaturist (today Arena Hospitality Group) where he has already worked for 22 years. Mr. Nikolić also holds the position of President of the Workers' Council of the Company.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Expert
Mrs. Matovina is an expert in the field of audit and accounting and has extensive knowledge in audit and application of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). She is a Croatian certified auditor and Certified auditor of Great Britain. Ms. Matovina was a perennial member of the Board of the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency and of the Croatian Financial Reporting Standards Board. She is a founder and a director of the several smaller local companies, among others Antares savjetovanje d.o.o. and Antares revizija d.o.o. She serves as a member and the deputy chairman of the Supervisory Board of Professio energija d.d.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Non - Executive Deputy Chairman of PPHE Hotel Group Limited
Kevin is a Non-Executive Deputy Chairman of PPHE Hotel Group Limited. He was a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners for 20 years and has held directorships in various regulated investment companies and remains a director of two regulated entities. Retired Chairman of Carey Group (since joining as Chief Executive in 1999), he was also Head of Advisory Services for Paribas International Private Banking and Managing Director of Paribas Suisse in Guernsey (1992-1999). He served as Finance Director of Ansbacher offshore banking group, was appointed as Chief Executive of Ansbacher's Guernsey bank and trust company business in 1994 and held posts in three different departments in the States of Guernsey (1973-1980).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business
Ms Škuflić is a professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb and since 2010 has been the Head of the Department of Economic Theory. Prior to this, Ms. Škuflić was employed at the Croatian Chamber of Economy - County Chamber Pula and also with the Institute of Economics, Zagreb. Ms. Škuflić obtained her PhD in economics at the University of Rijeka in 1999. Ms. Škuflić is a member of boards at the Faculty of Economics and Business, the University of Zagreb and the Ministry of Science and Education, as well as a member of different associations.
Job Titles:
- Sales and Marketing Director
- Member of the Management Board and Marketing and Sales Director
Mrs Kraljević joined Arena Hospitality Group as Sales and Marketing Director in January 2009. During her previous appointment, Mrs Kraljević was covering for six years the position of Sales and Marketing Director in Croatia for the renowned hotel chain Sol Meliá. Previously to that, for the same company, she was the Contracting Director for both Istraturist Umag and Jadranturist Rovinj for 4 years. Since joining Arena Hospitality Group in 2009, she has projected the company to the top of the market in Croatia, thorough the repositioning of seven upgraded properties, the development of a modern sales and marketing department and the introduction of revenue and yield management, the growth of new digital and online business, the introduction and launch of new technical hotel innovation. Under her leadership, developing and directing marketing and sales strategies for 15 hotels and 12 camping and resorts, AHG is now gaining market share and penetration in Germany, Hungary and Croatia. Mrs Kraljević is Member of the Istrian Tourism Marketing Director's Board since 2003. Her marketing achievements were awarded four times with the Golden Goat Award.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board
- Chairman of the Board of Red Sea Hotels Limited
Yoav Papouchado is Chairman of the Board of Red Sea Hotels Limited and has been since 1998. Red Sea Hotels Limited is a group of real-estate companies operating worldwide. Mr. Papouchado holds an MBA as well as a BA in Economics from the Tel-Aviv University.