IHG’s New CEO on Launching a New Brand and Making Hotels Profitable

IHG Hotels & Resorts' new CEO Elie Maalouf said his strategy is to make the company's portfolio as appealing to owners and guests as possible. Maalouf spoke to Skift on Tuesday after his first earnings call as CEO, having taken the helm last month.

Maalouf isn't a new kid on the block at the Windsor, UK-based hotel operator — whose brands include Holiday Inn, Avid, Kimpton, and Six Senses. He previously led the group's North American business for 8 years.

"It's my sixth year on the board, so I've been integral to not only our Americas strategy but also our global strategy," Maalouf said. "I've overseen the expansion of our portfolio into all segments, including luxury and lifestyle, our further expansion into the midscale, a global expansion geographically, and the strengthening of our loyalty plan and our enterprise systems and revenue management systems."

Maalouf touted on Tuesday IHG's 19th brand — as-yet-unnamed — that will be a conversi