IHG Names Leanne Harwood Senior Vice President, Global Sales
IHG Hotels & Resorts named Leanne Harwood senior vice president, global sales. The release carries the date 6 October 2026.
Harwood is based in Atlanta. She leads IHG's Global Sales organisation, with strategy, performance and customer engagement across the company's global sales segments and regions.
The Commercial Growth Remit
IHG introduces the appointment with the line "Experienced hospitality leader to accelerate commercial growth and strengthen customer relationships worldwide."
The release sets the role across the corporate, group and meetings and events segments worldwide. It names the company's customer partnerships as the commercial target of the position.
More Than 30 Years In Hospitality
Harwood brings more than 30 years of hospitality experience to the role, including more than 20 years with IHG.
Since March 2024 she has served as senior vice president and managing director for luxury, lifestyle and managed hotels in the Americas. IHG's release of 17 January 2024 announced that appointment as senior vice president and managing director, Luxury & Lifestyle Americas, with a March start.
She has also held IHG leadership roles in sales, commercial and operations across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Japan and Australasia.
The Americas Chief Executive On The Appointment
Jolyon Bulley, chief executive for the Americas at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: "Leanne's deep commercial expertise and track record of building high-performing teams makes her the ideal person to lead our Global Sales organization. Her global experience, strategic perspective and passion for hospitality will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen and grow our customer partnerships across our business."
The Organisation Behind The Title
IHG describes itself in the same release as a global hospitality company with 21 hotel brands and the IHG One Rewards programme, which it states holds more than 160 million members. The release states more than 7,100 hotels and more than one million rooms across over 100 countries, and a development pipeline of a further 2,400 properties.