Membership
Russell Reynolds Associates Names Leader of Leisure/Hospitality Team
Russell Reynolds Associates has continued its recent expansion with the addition of Hoda Tahoun to its consumer practice as a leader of the leisure and hospitality team.
Based in Miami, Ms. Tahoun advises U.S.-based and global companies on developing and building strong executive teams while also guiding clients on long-term leadership strategies, including succession planning. Her clients range from global hotel companies, cruise companies, private equity firms, development firms, travel businesses, entertainment companies and sovereign wealth funds. She recruits for CEO, board director and senior-level executive assignments in operations, business development, finance and customer experience.
“Hoda has deep industry connections with top executives in the travel, hospitality, leisure and real estate industries,” said Constantine Alexandrakis, leader of Russell Reynolds’ U.S. region. “Her work recruiting and advising international senior management teams in these dynamic and agile sectors will have an immediate impact on our clients’ growth capabilities as they look for ways to leverage their human capital for success.”
Ms. Tahoun joins Russell Reynolds after more than seven years working for both internationally recognized and boutique executive search firms. Most recently, she was a principal and senior member of a global hospitality and real estate practice at Korn Ferry. Before that, she was a partner with Sousou Partners, a boutique executive search firm dedicated to real estate and hospitality sectors.
Before entering the search industry, Ms. Tahoun worked with hotel management companies, cruise companies and private equity firms, with a particular focus on the Americas and global roles. Previously, she was an assistant vice president at SHUAA Capital in Dubai, where she led investment banking efforts at the firm. Earlier, she worked as a pricing manager at American Express, a portfolio manager at Bank of America and a financial analyst at Citi.
The leisure and hospitality industry is experiencing tremendous growth, as well as unprecedented change, causing an increase in costs, competition, industry consolidation and economic concerns. This, along with ever-evolving consumer tastes, places continuous pressure on the leisure and hospitality industry to adapt, said the search firm.
Companies are responding to the need to innovate and connect in a meaningful way with consumers/guests, as well as the rising demand in key emerging markets and the shift away from real estate into asset-light models, said the firm. This requires a new breed of leader, who can successfully lead transformative change in the digital age while understanding the complexities and realities of emerging markets, as well as changing business models.
