Read More About Our Team
Jerry Xu
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Jerry Xu is the visionary founder and esteemed CEO of La Vie Hotels & Resorts, a leading force in the hospitality industry renowned for excellence and innovation.
Fueled by an unwavering passion for hospitality, Jerry embarked on his journey in the industry more than 20 years ago. With determination and a sharp instinct for opportunities, he carved out his path as a dynamic operational leader. Throughout Jerry’s journey, he not only earned a reputation as a trusted partner within the industry but also pursued the goal of establishing the foremost owner-centric hotel management company in the region.
Inspired by an unwavering commitment to excellence, Jerry established La Vie Hotels & Resorts. Guided by a core philosophy of relentless passion and dedication, La Vie endeavors to captivate its guests by establishing high standards in hospitality, while delivering returns to stakeholders and elevating the guest experience. Under his visionary leadership, the company has flourished, expanding its footprint across Asia Pacific region and curating a portfolio of hotels renowned for their distinctive charm and exceptional hospitality.
In his role as CEO, Jerry steers the company’s strategic direction and leads initiatives focused on attaining operational excellence and fostering sustainable growth. He leads by example, cultivating a culture defined by collaboration, innovation, and a relentless drive to surpass customer expectations.
With an inexhaustible well of energy, an innovative mindset, and an unwavering dedication to excellence, Jerry persistently guides La Vie Hotels & Resorts toward unprecedented achievements, reinforcing its status as an exemplary leader within the hospitality sector.
Priscilla Tran
Chief Financial Officer
Priscilla has over 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry, holding senior positions including CFO, Director & Company Secretary roles. She was previously Chief Financial Officer of Hotel Capital Partners and prior to that, Director of Finance Asia-Pacific and Director of Australia for AccorInvest, a global hotel investor, owner and operator. Priscilla was also Group Financial Controller – Corporate at Accor Hotels, Australia.
Amanda Cottome
Head of Operations - Pacific
Amanda brings more than 23 years of senior leadership experience in hospitality operations, service excellence, and team development. She joins La Vie Hotels and Resorts following her most recent role as Group Director of Brand Experience & Sustainability at Ovolo Hotels, where she led brand strategy, cultural engagement, and ESG initiatives across Australia, Hong Kong, and Bali. Prior to this, she also served as Director of Operations for Australia, overseeing the performance of the group’s Australian portfolio.
RAmesh Bappoo
Head of Hospitality Operations South & South-East Asia
Ramesh brings more than three decades of extensive hospitality experience, having held senior leadership positions across globally recognised hotel brands including Accor, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hilton, and Marriott International. His career has spanned South East Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Gulf, and Africa, providing him with a broad international perspective and deep operational expertise across diverse markets.
Most recently, Ramesh oversaw a portfolio of 15 hotels across six brands operating under a single cluster structure, demonstrating exceptional capability in multi-brand operations, strategic leadership, and driving performance across complex hospitality environments.
Lachlan Harris
Group Director of Commercial
Lachlan’s extensive and diverse journey within the hospitality industry is a testament to his unwavering dedication. His passion for hospitality was ignited at the age of 15, where he embarked on a path that would ultimately shape his illustrious career. By the age of 19, Lachlan had already achieved the status of a qualified pastry chef, marking an impressive milestone in his culinary expertise. Transitioning seamlessly into the realm of hotels, he commenced his journey as an overnight porter, eventually mastering various roles within the front office.
Nelsy Zreik
Group Director of Finance, Australia
Nelsy has over 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Whilst holding several key finance positions, Nelsy has always been involved in the operations thus understand all key drivers, enabling informed input towards decision making across all business facets.
A strategic leader, who aligns business activity to the long-term vision of the organisation. Nelsy has demonstrated a track record of analysing complex data from multiple sources to inform strategy and future decisions.
Ryan Isemonger
Group Director of People & Culture
With 27 years of experience in the Hotel Industry, Ryan’s career is remarkable. He commenced as a Food & Beverage Attendant at the renowned Sydney Hilton, where he laid the foundation for his career. His tenure in London allowed him to excel in MICE and Guest Relations, providing a valuable global perspective to his skill set.
For 8 years, Ryan served at Meriton Suites, spending 6 of those years as a Hotel Manager across four prestigious properties, where he demonstrated his exceptional leadership abilities. Ryan’s role with one of the industry’s leading outsourcing labor companies involved managing a wide range of hotel services, showcasing his comprehensive understanding of the industry.
Ruwani Weerasinghe
Director of Asset Management & Acquisitions
Ritwik Gautam
Director of Revenue Management and Distribution South & South-East Asia
Ritwik Gautam is a seasoned hospitality executive currently serving as the Director of Revenue Management and Distribution for South & South-East Asia at La Vie Hotels & Resorts. In this role, he oversees revenue optimization and distribution strategies across key markets in the region, including Thailand, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Laos, and Ukraine.
With a strong background in revenue management and distribution, Ritwik plays a pivotal role in driving the commercial success of La Vie’s diverse portfolio. His expertise ensures that each property under his purview maximizes profitability while delivering exceptional guest experiences.
Talal Ammari
Regional Director of Sales South & South-East Asia
Talal Ammari is a seasoned hospitality executive with nearly two decades of experience in global sales and business development. Currently serving as the Regional Director of Sales, South and South East Asia at La Vie Hotels & Resorts, Talal is based in Bangkok and oversees sales operations across key markets including Thailand, the Maldives, Sri Lanka
In his role, Talal is responsible for managing all sales functions in South and South East Asia, leveraging his expertise to identify and capitalize on opportunities to build revenue. His leadership is instrumental in driving La Vie’s strategic growth across the region
Issara Siripaisan
Senior Project and Design Manager
Issara brings over 20 years of hospitality design experience to La Vie Hotels & Resorts. Beginning her hospitality design career in Los Angeles, Issara has worked on a diverse range of projects across the US in renowned hotel brands including MGM resorts international, Hyatt, The Venetian and Hard Rock Hotels. As a Senior Project Architect and Designer, she was assigned as the on-site project supervisor for The Star Hotel & Casino and The Darling hotel in Sydney, sparking her desire to expand to Australia.
jeremy ryan
regional general manager
Jeremy brings more than 15 years of hospitality leadership experience across hotel operations, guest experience, and team management throughout Australia and New Zealand. He joins La Vie Hotels & Resorts following his most recent role as General Manager at FBM, where he oversaw operational performance and business growth across the Sydney market. Prior to this, Jeremy held a range of leadership positions with IHG Hotels & Resorts, including General Manager of Holiday Inn & Suites Sydney Bondi Junction and senior operational roles across the InterContinental and Holiday Inn portfolio.
robert mulley
regional director of it
With more than two decades of senior leadership experience, Robert has built an impressive career across telecommunications, retail, and enterprise technology. His expertise spans infrastructure, cloud technologies, systems engineering, service management, and large-scale transformation programs, delivering strategic outcomes within complex, high-performing environments.
Robert has held senior leadership roles with major organisations including TPG Telecom and David Jones, where he successfully led enterprise technology initiatives and operational transformation projects. His broad industry knowledge, combined with a strong focus on innovation, operational excellence, and team leadership, brings valuable depth and experience to the organisation.
Katie Schenken
Director of Marketing
Katie Schenken is an experienced hospitality marketing leader with more than 20 years’ experience driving brand growth, commercial performance and strategic marketing for leading hotel companies and some of the industry’s most recognised brands.
Her career spans senior marketing and brand leadership roles with IHG Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Sydney, Marriott International and TFE Hotels, where she has led portfolio marketing, hotel openings, brand development and repositioning projects spanning luxury, premium and mainstream brands throughout Australia and Asia Pacific.
Georgina Williams
Director of Sales
Georgina Williams is a seasoned leader with decades of experience in the hospitality industry. She has held senior roles with with organisations such as Doltone Hospitality Group, Elanor Investors Group (Hotels), Best Western Group and Sabre.
She also brings expertise in brand and digital marketing, hotel franchise development, launches and rebranding, having supported both regional and metropolitan properties.
Georgia Mayne
Director of People and Culture
Georgia Mayne joins La Vie Hotels & Resorts as an accomplished People & Culture leader with more than 10 years of experience across hospitality and retail industries.
Prior to joining La Vie, Georgia held senior people leadership positions with W Cosmetics, Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts and Accor, where she led people and culture strategies across diverse hotel portfolios and corporate teams. A recognised industry talent, Georgia was named the HMA Rising Star of the Year in 2024 and has built a reputation for driving people-focused outcomes, strengthening workplace culture and supporting business growth through exceptional leadership.
Pooja Sharma
Revenue and Distribution Manager
Specialising in hotel revenue management across Australia and New Zealand, Pooja has built expertise in driving commercial performance, maximising profitability, and delivering strategic revenue solutions across a diverse portfolio of hotels.
She has previously held revenue management roles with leading global hospitality brands, including SkyCity, Langham Hotels, Millenium Hotel & Resorts, Marriott International and Accor. Her experience spans luxury, upscale, and midscale hotels, with responsibility for properties across Auckland, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide and Newcastle.
Julio Gomez
Financial Controller
Julio C Gomez is a commercially focused Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with a dual license in the USA and Australia. He brings extensive experience managing full-cycle financial operations across complex, high-pressure hospitality and corporate environments. Julio specializes in system integrations, internal controls, and financial reporting for major global brands. His career includes leadership roles as Corporate Controller for Marriott International, Accor Hotels, and IHG across Orlando, USA, and Sydney, Australia.
Amy Cao
Director - Capital Project & Sourcing
Amy Cao has 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, with a strong background in procurement, strategic sourcing, supplier management and hotel operations.
Prior to joining Paro, Amy was the Pacific Procurement Category Manager at Accor, where she led sourcing strategies, supplier negotiations and commercial optimisation across a hotel portfolio. I have also held senior Purchasing and procurement roles with leading hospitality groups, including IHG and Accor.
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