Thailand's Minor Hotels announces Chief People Officer appointment

Bangkok-based Minor Hotels has announced the appointment Craig Cochrane as its new Chief People Officer.

Cochrane, who joined the group in January 2023 from his former role as Senior Vice President of Talent and Culture - Turkey, India, Middle East and Africa at Accor Hotels, will oversee people and culture functions for Minor Hotels, with responsibility for employee engagement, maintaining a strong company culture during Minor Hotels’ rapid expansion phase and leading learning and development programs for the group.

Before joining Accor in 2018, between 2012 and 2018, Cochrane was Senior VP Human Resources with Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts based out of Zurich and Dubai - an executive role he was promoted to after serving as the group’s VP of Human Resources, Middle East and Asia for almost five years, overseeing 32 operating hotels and 20 under development.

Prior to joining Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Cochrane (pictured) held key executive Human Resources positions for the Jumeirah Group in Dubai and in Shanghai, including the post of Resort Director of Human Resources, Madinat Jumeirah, which employed 3,500 people at the time.

Announcing the appointment, Dillip Rajakarier, Group Chief Executive at Minor International and Chief Executive at Minor Hotels, stated “I’m delighted to welcome Craig on board at this crucial time for the company when we are pursuing an aggressive expansion strategy.

“With his vast international experience and innate understanding of the hospitality industry, I know he will deliver great value and drive Minor Hotels’ employee strategies in line with the company’s future plans.”