Michael Wale has been named as the new president and chief executive officer of Cheltenham headquartered Abercrombie & Kent Group.

He joins the luxury travel company from Kerzner International, the owner of Atlantis and One & Only Resorts, where he was CEO. The appointment comes into effect from October 1, 2020.

Before joining Kerzner, his career spanned almost 40 years with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, culminating as President for Europe, Africa & Middle East, directly overseeing the operations of 250 hotels and resorts, for its ten brands, in 60 countries.

"With Michael, Abercrombie & Kent will start an exciting new chapter," said co-chairman of the business Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio.

"When guests book a holiday with us, they know we will guide them to amazing places, but the destination is a given. What they expect from us - and what keeps them coming back - is how we go the extra mile. Michael's extensive experience in guest services and operations will take what A&K is known for to the next level."

Co-chairman Geoffrey Kent added: "Michael Wale has a remarkable track record of steering leading luxury brands towards unequalled heights. We look forward to working with him to elevate Abercrombie & Kent's profile and achieve even higher standards of excellence."

Mr Wale is currently based in Dubai and will be relocating to Monaco. He will continue his association with Kerzner International as he joins the board of the company.

"I am thrilled to be joining the team at Abercrombie & Kent at this pivotal time in the company's history," said Mr Wale.

"I have travelled with A&K before and understand its distinctive approach to luxury experiential travel. I also look forward to working with Geoffrey and Manfredi, two titans of the travel industry, to build a bright future for our guests, partners and staff."