Preferred Hotel Group announced a new appointment and two leadership promotions within its Latin America team. Ricardo Lambertini, who is based in Buenos Aires, has been appointed as Regional Director, Consultant - South America; Antonio Vera, who is based in Mexico City has been promoted to Regional Director, Mexico & Central America; and Stefania Ymay, who is based in Mexico City, has been promoted to Regional Director, Mexico. The promotions demonstrate Preferred's commitment to developing new and enriching existing hotel partnerships across the region, with a focus on its Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Beyond Green brands.
"We are thrilled to recognize the incredible dedication of Antonio and Stefania with these promotions and to welcome Ricardo as the newest member of our team in Latin America, where every team member exemplifies Preferred's core values and showcases the necessary expertise to drive growth in the region," said Bob Van Ness, Executive Vice President, Preferred Hotel Group, who oversees Latin America. "In this new era of travel, Latin America has started to captivate the interests of explorers with its incredible culture and breath-taking natural scenery, and we are eager to develop even greater relationships with distinct properties across the region."
Ricardo Lambertini joins Preferred Hotel Group as Regional Director, Consultant - South America, with a wealth of experience in hospitality and destination marketing. Effective immediately, Ricardo will provide account management, assist with developing the region and dedicated initiatives, and manage retention for Preferred Hotel Group's brands across South America. Before joining Preferred, Ricardo served as the Vice President of Sales and Business Development in South & Central America for Luxe Hotels for 12 years.
As Regional Director, Mexico & Central America, Antonio Vera is now responsible for the growth of all brands in the Preferred Hotel Group portfolio across Mexico and Central America. Since joining the company more than six years ago, Antonio has grown Mexico to be the second-largest country in the Preferred Hotels & Resorts portfolio, with 60 best-in-class hotel and resort members. He will continue his prior responsibilities while also driving first-time presence for all of the company's brands in new markets, including but not limited to Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama. Before joining Preferred, Antonio served as the Director of Sales & Marketing for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and was primarily focused on driving domestic and international travel to the Acapulco region.
As Regional Director, Mexico, Stefania Ymay will continue to manage a portfolio of valuable hotel accounts as part of her elevated role, which includes leadership support and training for both Preferred team members and clients in the region. Over the past six years, Stefania has positively impacted the growth and retention of member hotels, with a particular focused on city-center properties, resulting in a strong presence of small group partners such as Brisas Hotels, Hotsson Hotels, and Tafer Hotels. Before joining Preferred, Stefania worked for Grupo Aeromexico and handled commission negotiations, strategy development, and client relations.