Deanna Oppenheimer to succeed Patrick Cescau as IHG chair

It has been confirmed that Deanna Oppenheimer will become non-executive chair of IHG Hotels & Resorts' board later this year following the retirement of Patrick Cescau.

Cescau will retire from the board on 31 August following nine years in the role. Oppenheimer will be appointed chair designate and non-executive director from 1 June, taking the role of non-executive chair from 1 September.

Cescau said: "I feel honoured to have overseen the growth of IHG over the past nine years and take great pride in the board's leadership through the pandemic, where we have prioritised doing the right thing by all of our stakeholders. I am confident that I leave IHG in a strong position for growth. The strength of this board, to be led by Deanna, reflects the range of talent, skills and experience that is integral to the company's culture and future success."

Oppenheimer is non-executive chair of financial services company Hargreaves Lansdown and sits on the board of media firm Thomson Reuters Corporation. She previously served as a non-executive director of Premier Inn owner Whitbread.

Between 2005-2011 she was chief operating officer of the UK business division of Barclays before becoming chief executive of UK and Western Europe retail banking and subsequently vice-chair of global retail banking.

She said: "I am delighted to be joining the IHG board and to have the opportunity to work with Keith and his executive committee to ensure that IHG's strategic priorities and responsible business goals continue to be delivered successfully. Patrick leaves behind a strong legacy and I look forward to working closely with my new board colleagues to guide IHG's next phase of growth."

Keith Barr, chief executive of IHG, said: "I would like to thank Patrick for his counsel and support during his tenure as chair. His dedication and stewardship has left the company in a strong position for high-quality future growth and I am certain the wealth of experience Deanna will bring to the IHG board will make her an excellent successor."

Oppenheimer will join the nomination committee of the IHG board on her appointment as a non-executive director from 1 June and will subsequently chair the committee on assuming the role of non-executive chair from 1 September.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has a portfolio of 6,000 hotels in more than 100 countries and a further 1,800 in the pipeline, across 17 brands including Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental, Kimpton and Hotel Indigo.