Mandarin Oriental appoints Joanna Flint as CCO

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Joanna Flint as Chief Commercial Officer from 1 April 2021.

The newly created role will oversee the development and execution of the Group’s commercial strategy while also taking executive responsibility for all aspects of Mandarin Oriental’s customer experience. Joanna will take over the responsibilities of Chief Marketing Officer, Jill Kluge, who retires from Mandarin Oriental in September 2021.

Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental, Joanna spent 12 years at Google in general management and sales leadership roles, most recently as Managing Director – Global Partner Business, with responsibility for industry go-to-market and commercialisation for Google’s media and technology partners in Asia Pacific. Prior to Google, she was Principal Consultant at Ogilvy Asia Pacific. This followed a decade in the travel industry leading global eCommerce, CRM and customer service transformation programmes for Singapore Airlines and British Airways.

Commenting on the appointment, James Riley, Group Chief Executive said “We are delighted to welcome Joanna to Mandarin Oriental. Her global leadership skills, digital expertise and understanding of customer behaviour will strengthen our ability to innovate and enhance our position as a leader in the luxury market.”

He added, “I would also like to thank Jill for an incredible 30 years of service. She has been instrumental in the growth and global awareness of our brand, particularly in devising our “Fan” campaigns. I am delighted that she will continue with the Group as Brand Advisor.”

Commenting on her new role, Joanna said, “It is a privilege to join Mandarin Oriental at such an important time; a brand I’ve always admired for service excellence and luxury. This opportunity is boundless, and I’m excited to return to the travel industry to work with our colleagues and partners around the world to shape the Group’s future for our customers”.