Kent Cooper appointed Regional Director, Sales and Marketing, Middle East & Africa

In this role Kent will be responsible for strategically overseeing sales & marketing efforts for the region, and supporting the company's developmental strategies in the region.

Kent will continue to be based in Dubai, where he has been Director of Sales and Marketing for Fairmont's flagship international property, The Fairmont Dubai. Kent will report to both Michael Kaile, Vice President & General Manager, The Fairmont Dubai and Area Director, Kenya, and Heather McCrory, Vice President Sales and Distribution.

Kent's career in hospitality has spanned 13 years and included sales roles with Hyatt Hotel Corporation and Hilton Hotels Corporation. In 1999, Kent was appointed to the position of Director of Group Sales at The Plaza. A key member of the pre-opening team, he joined The Fairmont Dubai in summer 2001 as Director of Sales, and was promoted to his current role in October 2003.

'Kent has played a key role in establishing the Fairmont brand in an extremely competitive market,' said Michael Kaile. 'In his new position, Kent will expand his focus to include Fairmont's up and coming properties such as Palm Island, Abu Dhabi, and Cairo. We are confident that Kent will be an invaluable asset as we continue to put down roots in the region.'

Kent serves on the board of the Dubai chapter of The Mission to Seafarers, an organisation that provides humanitarian assistance to seafarers around the world, and is a member of SKAL International. He lives in Dubai with his wife Barbara and their two children, Maxwell, three, and MacKenzie, four months.