MICHAEL A GIBB APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER OF MUTIARA KUALA LUMPUR

PERNAS Hotel Management is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael A. Gibb as the General Manager of the Mutiara Kuala Lumpur (formerly known as Hilton Kuala Lumpur).

Mr Gibb has had extensive experience in the hospitality industry throughout the world with the past 13-years being spent in Asia. He has worked in most facets of the hotel industry, his last position was with the Mandarin Oriental Group at the Excelsior Hotel in Hong Kong.

He started his career in a small independent restaurant before moving to a five star hotel in Rooms Division. He then joined the Meikles Southern Sun Hotels in Zimbabwe in various management positions.

In 1977, Mr Gibb returned to the United Kingdom to work with Crest Hotels, part of Bass PLC where he ultimately took up the position of Hotel Manager. He developed a new hotel from greenfield site to full operations prior to managing the conversion of an old English country house into a major deluxe hotel and conference centre, Anugraha.

Mr Gibb’s stint in Asia commenced in 1987 with his appointment as Resident Manager at the Excelsior Hotel, Hong Kong. Since then, he has held General Manager positions at the Mandarin Oriental Jakarta and Mandarin Oriental Manila prior to returning to the Excelsior Hotel, Hong Kong as General Manager.

Mr Gibb has most recently been involved in a management consultancy business providing services to the hospitality industry in the Philippines. As such, he has helped design new hotels, redesigned old properties and created successful innovative new restaurant concepts.

Mr Gibb sees his role as General Manager Mutiara Kuala Lumpur as perhaps his most important to date. He said: "This is an excellent property with a long tradition in the Malaysian hospitality industry. It once housed the first international hotel brand in the country and under the new Mutiara brand we want to continue the professionalism of international service excellence but enhance this with truly Malaysian traditions". Mr Gibb continued: "We want our guests to know they are staying in Malaysia where the service standards are on par or exceed levels of service in other parts of the globe".

Mr Gibb concluded: "These are challenging times for everyone in the hospitality industry, and the Mutiara will be well positioned to develop its brand equity by providing a superb quality product and exemplary service standards with the natural warmth of Malaysian hospitality".

Mutiara Hotels & Resorts is managed by PERNAS Hotel Management Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of PERNAS International Holdings Berhad. The chain has six properties located in key cities and resorts in Malaysia to include Burau Bay (Langkawi); Johor Bahru (Johor); Kuala Lumpur; Pedu Lake (Kedah); Penang and Taman Negara/National Park (Pahang).