Hyatt has announced Stuart Deeson as Vice President of Operations for the Middle East and Africa (MEA).
In his new role, Deeson is responsible for Hyatt’s operating hotels across the region, with a current portfolio of more than 30 properties across 7 brands, including Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Alila, Andaz, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Place and Hyatt House.
Deeson began his hospitality career at the age of 16 in the family country house hotel business, before joining the Hyatt family in 1995 and gaining extensive knowledge of Asia and the Middle East markets over nearly three decades. He started his journey with the company as Business Development Manager at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, and got promoted two years later to Director of Business Development at Hyatt Regency Xian in China. In 1999, Deeson was appointed the hotel’s Director of Rooms and successfully climbed the career ladder to his first Executive Assistant Manager (EAM) position in 2000, at Grand Hyatt Seoul in Korea. Continuing his journey across Asia, Deeson moved to Japan in 2002 to join the pre-opening team of Grand Hyatt Tokyo as EAM, Rooms. Three years later, he took on his first General Manager (GM) role at Hyatt Regency Johor Bahru in Malaysia, before making the exciting move to the Middle East as GM of Park Hyatt Dubai in 2010. Deeson moved to the UAE capital in 2014 and held GM positions at Park Hyatt and Grand Hyatt properties before taking on his former role as Area Vice President and General Manager of Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi.
A passionate hotelier from the get-go, Deeson studied at the University of Surrey, Guildford in the United Kingdom, completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Catering Management. He will be based at Hyatt’s regional office in Dubai and work closely with his sub-regional teams to further enhance the company’s operational excellence and success in the Middle East & Africa.
Srdjan Milekovic, Senior Vice President Operations – Europe, Africa and Middle East, Hyatt, said, “I am delighted that Stuart has stepped into this new role. With his deep knowledge and experience across the Middle East and Africa, I know he will deliver great value for our colleagues, owners and guests, and successfully drive Hyatt’s purpose forward in the region.”
