Photographed at RAFFLES THE PALM DUBAI, Accor’s Mark Willis, left, and Yigit Sezgin typify new-look hoteliers. Their creative enthusiasm feeds off the proximity of one to the other. Mark Willis is CEO of Fairmont, globally. Yigit Sezgin heads branding for Fairmont, worldwide. Both are based in Dubai which shows two things. As Girlahead has said so often, Dubai is increasingly becoming the centre of the world, and in the case of this personable pair, lots of creative thoughts are on the table.
Yigit Sezgin has just been in Los Angeles – the Grammies could not take place without this terrific Turk. He went on to London, to boost Universal Studios at THE SAVOY, a Fairmont Hotel.
When Fairmont started, many decades ago, there were boogie-style debs’ parties at FAIRMONT COPLEY PLAZA in Boston and ski parties at FAIRMONT CHATEAU LAKE LOUISE in Alberta – and tea parties galore at FAIRMONT THE EMPRESS in Victoria, on BC’s Vancouver Island. Now there are red carpets galore at FAIRMONT CENTURY PLAZA in Los Angeles and golfing parties at FAIRMONT ST ANDREW’S in Scotland.
Times are already a-changing and, Girlahead predicts, expect substantial evolution with this new leadership creativity.