Peter Gowers, Gerald Lawless and Lim Kok Thay join CNI's Joint Advisory Board

Peter Gowers, Gerald Lawless and Lim Kok Thay, leading hospitality industry stalwarts have become members of the Cornell Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Managements (CNI) Joint Advisory Board.

The Joint Advisory Board provides advice to the Deans of CNI, Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and Nanyang technological University's Business School. Gowers, Lawless and Lim will convene with other members of the Joint Advisory Board twice a year to review and evaluate the Master of Management in Hospitality program, Executive Education programs and helps secure fundraising support for CNI.

Peter Gowers is the Chief Executive Officer of InterContinental Hotels Group Asia Pacific. Based in Singapore, Peter oversees the enhancement and expansion of the group's network of approximately 200 hotels across IHG's five key brands: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express and the new Hotel Indigo. He is also a member of IHG's group Executive Committee.

Gerald Lawless is the Executive Chairman of the Jumeirah Group. He joined the group in 1997 as Managing Director. The Dubai-based luxury international hotel management group encompasses the world renowned Burj Al Arab, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Madinat Jumeirah and Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai, the Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London and the Jumeirah Essex House in New York.

Jumeirah also has extensive expansion plans to grow its portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts into key gateway or letterhead cities and aspirational resort destinations worldwide. Currently, the group has several luxury five-star properties under development in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Bali, Thailand, China, Argentina, Spain, England, Scotland and the US Virgin Islands. In early 2009, the group is eagerly anticipating the grand opening of Jumeirah HanTang Xintiandi in Shanghai, Jumeirah’s first hotel in the Asia Pacific region.

The group’s activities are not restricted to hotel and resort management. The Jumeirah Group portfolio also includes Jumeirah Living, the group’s luxury brand of serviced residences; global spa brand Talise Wellness; The Taste Department, the company’s dedicated restaurant division; Wild Wadi water park; The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management; and Jumeirah Retail.

Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay is the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Genting Group, one of Asia's leading and best-managed conglomerates. He joined the group in 1976 and played a key role in developing the group's primary leisure asset, Genting Highlands Resort to become one of the world's leading integrated resorts. He spearheaded the internationalization of the Genting Group - creating casinos and resorts in Australia, the Philippines and the Bahamas.

More recently, he expanded the group's presence in the UK via Genting Stanley - the largest casino operator in the country. He led the group to successfully win the competitive bid to develop Resorts World at Sentosa - one of Singapore's only two integrated resorts, targeted to complete by 2010. Tan Sri Lim's vision and drive has enabled him to establish Star Cruises as one of the worlds largest cruise lines. He has also diversified the groups portfolio by investing in the power generation, oil palm plantations, property development, biotechnology and oil & gas related activities.

See other recent news regarding: Travel News Asia, Promotions, New Hotels, Cornell, Nanyang