Playa Hotels & Resorts has appointed Omar Palacios as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, joining the comany from resort operator Kerzner International Limited. Following the recent recapitalization and restructuring of the company, Palacios will work with Chairman & CEO Bruce Wardinski in the planning and development of the company's financial infrastructure and to position the company for its future Initial Public Offering.
Established in 2006, the company was created in 2006 to invest in the acquisition and development of all-inclusive beachfront resorts in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. Its 17 properties in Mexico and the Dominican Republic are operated under the Barcelo brand, owned by Barcelo Hotels & Resorts, and the Dreams and Secrets brands, owned by AMResorts.
Prior to joining Playa Hotel & Resorts, Palacios spent 11 years at Kerzner, where he served most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for One&Only Resorts, Kerzner's luxury hotel brand. Following his work with accounting firm Arthur Andersen, where he began his career, he worked at auto retailer AutoNation, where he acted as a member of that company's acquisitions team. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Miami and attained a Certified Public Accountant certificate from the state of Georgia.
For more information, visit www.playahr.com/index_eng.cfm.