HOTEL CO 51 STRENGTHENS SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH PROMOTION OF LESYA BATSUK AS GROUP FINANCE MANAGER

Lesya Batsuk has been promoted to Group Finance Manager of Hotel Co 51, heading up the operator’s Finance Department.

An accomplished financial leader with strong budgeting and planning skills, Lesya brings 17 years of strategic accounting expertise to the position.

Prior to joining the hotel management company in 2021, Lesya spent over eight years in a senior financial management role at Intertrust Group. While working for international clients, she honed her experience of navigating statutory regulations across multiple countries to comply with differing European jurisdictions and reporting technologies.

Since joining Hotel Co 51, Lesya has been instrumental in establishing its centralised finance structure and introducing systems across Europe from the company’s Amsterdam headquarters. Since then, Hotel Co 51’s portfolio has expanded to 42 properties across five Marriott International brands and eight countries.

With the support of five direct reports, Lesya oversees a 29-strong team who represent 15 nationalities and speak 20 languages. She is responsible for driving efficiencies across the business and developing ethical financial processes that support the company’s focus on high-performing, sustainable hotels.

This is the hotel operator’s second internal promotion to its senior leadership team in recent months, following Wayne Androliakos’s appointment as Hotel Co 51 CEO in June 2024.

Hotel Co 51 CEO, Wayne Androliakos, said: “Lesya’s contributions to Hotel Co 51’s financial operations over the last three years have been invaluable, with her experience of managing complex legislations a particular asset as we’ve scaled up the business across diverse European countries.

“We are passionate about developing internal talent and delighted to promote Lesya to her new role. I am confident that Hotel Co 51’s finance department will continue to thrive under Lesya’s resourceful leadership.”

HOTEL CO 51 APPOINTS WAYNE ANDROLIAKOS AS NEW CEO

Hotel Co 51 (hotelco51.com) is promoting experienced hospitality professional Wayne Androliakos as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Wayne Androliakos took over the CEO reins on 1 June, succeeding Tobias Linder who stays within the Vastint Group as the new Head of Asset Management for Vastint Holding B.V.

With over 25 years of hands-on hospitality expertise, Wayne brings his track record of building high-performing teams to the top role. Since joining Hotel Co 51 as UK Regional Director of Operations in summer 2022, Wayne has demonstrated his commitment to driving guest satisfaction by boosting feedback ratings across the 17 Marriott-branded properties in the UK region. This includes increasing food and beverage scores by 18.1%, intent to recommend by 14.4% and staff service by 12.7%.

Prior to joining Hotel Co 51, Wayne led the global operations for Generator and Freehand Hotels, and spent 14 years with Cycas Hospitality, where he played a strategic role in the group’s European expansion. Having progressed from General Manager of Cycas’s first hotel to Chief Operating Officer for its European portfolio, Wayne is passionate about developing talent from within.

Announcing the appointment, Tobias said: “Hospitality is all about human connections, and Wayne’s ability to create happy teams that deliver exceptional service shines through his leadership approach. I’m delighted that Wayne has agreed to take on his new role and consolidate Hotel Co 51’s position as one of Europe’s most successful hotel operators.”

Reinforcing Hotel Co 51’s sustainable credentials, under Wayne’s stewardship the company is on target to secure Green Key certification across each of its European hotels by the end of 2024.

Speaking of his focus on delivering sustainable hospitality with purpose, Wayne said: “Since joining Hotel Co 51 in 2022 I’ve been struck by the company’s genuine commitment to putting people and the planet first, and it’s an honour to become CEO of a company with such strong cultural values.

“The Green Key process is an important step as we continue identifying new ways for us to break new ground in hospitality and ensure our hotels have a positive impact on our employees, guests and communities. I’m looking forward to harnessing my experience of working across multiple international brands, accommodation styles, cultures and markets to enhance Hotel Co 51’s reputation as an employer of choice as we focus on training and retention programmes that help our people grow.”