CHICAGO (October 20, 2005) -- Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) today announced the appointment of Gustaaf Schrils, Vice President of Hotel Technology and Services, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the Americas, to its Board of Directors.  This appointment, which fills a vacancy, was taken by the Board at its October 6, 2005, meeting in London.  Mr. Schrils’ appointment rounds out the HTNG Board to its maximum size of 10 senior hotel technology executives.

 

Nick Price, Chief Technology Officer of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and President of HTNG said, “HTNG is very privileged to have the opportunity to extend its relationship with one of the world’s most influential hotel companies.  The other board members join me in welcoming Gustaaf Schrils, whose accomplishments at IHG are significant and critical to its success.  We believe that his visionary thinking is completely aligned with HTNG’s objectives, and we are very much looking forward to the contributions that he and his organization will make in furthering HTNG’s agenda to improve the quality, interoperability, and manageability of technologies used in the lodging industry.”

 

Commenting on his appointment, Gustaaf Schrils said, “I am very pleased to have the opportunity to join to Board of HTNG.  I have watched the organization gain momentum and stature over the last few years in our industry.  Today, this organization is clearly one of the leaders in our industry building the kind of technologies that will help us truly serve the needs of our guests, our operators, and our owners.”

 

Gustaaf Schrils joined IHG, then known as Bass Hotels & Resorts, Inc., in 1995 as Director of Global Telecommunications.  He was promoted to Vice President of Hotel Technology and Services in 2000.  He oversees hotel-based technology services for the Americas Region with responsibility measuring well over the tens of millions of dollars.  Mr. Schrils holds a B.A. in Computer Engineering and a Masters degree in Engineering Management from Florida Institute of Technology.

 

HTNG’s board of directors consists exclusively of hotel company executives with senior level technology responsibility, representing a wide range of large, midsized, and small hotel companies operating in every market segment and every geographic region of the world.  Current board members include:

 

• Nick Price, Chief Technology Officer, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (President)

• Barry Shuler, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Marriott International (Vice President)

• Jane Durment, CIO, The Marcus Corporation (Secretary/Treasurer)

• Robert Bansfield, AVP – Information Technology, Hyatt Hotels Corporation

• Glenn Bonner, CIO and Corporate Vice President, MGM Mirage

• Francis Joseph (Joe) Durocher, Senior Vice President & CIO, Outrigger Enterprises

• Michael Hwu, Vice President – Information Services, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts

• Luke Mellors, Director of Information Technology, Dorchester Group Hotels

• Gustaaf Schrils, Vice President, Hotel Technology & Services, InterContinental Hotels Group

• Bryan Steele, Director of Information Technology, Thistle Hotels plc

 

About Hotel Technology Next Generation

 

The premier technology solutions association in the hospitality industry, HTNG is a self-funded, non-profit organization with members from hotel and hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, and other industry members including consultants, media, and academic experts. HTNG's members participate in focused workgroups to bring open solution-sets addressing specific business problems to the hospitality market. 

 

Membership in HTNG is open to hotel and hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, consultants, academics, press and others.   Currently more than 250 companies and individuals from across this spectrum are active HTNG members.  Workgroup proceedings, drafts, and specifications are published for all HTNG members as soon as they are created, encouraging rapid and broad adoption.  For more information, visit www.htng.org.

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Source:  Hotel Technology Next Generation

Contact: Douglas Rice

Exec.Director@htng.org

+1 847 348 1148

+44 (0) 20 7101 9358