Hong Kong – Mandarin Oriental has announced the appointment of Alex Schellenberger as its new senior vice president for brand to elevate the hotel’s brand presence and to increase its desirability as a luxury hospitality brand. 

With over two decades in global luxury brand building, storytelling and brand experience roles, he brings invaluable insights and expertise to this newly created global role and will be joining the group leadership team.

His most recent role was being the global chief marketing officer of Accor, based in Paris. He began his journey with Procter & Gamble’s prestige division, where he elevated the Hugo Boss fragrance line. Subsequently, he held senior executive positions leading transformative marketing and communication initiatives to redefine and reposition beauty and luxury goods brands, at Coty and Swarovski.

Speaking on his new role, Schellenberger said, “I am proud to be joining this iconic brand that has captured the imagination and the loyalty of so many fans around the world. Mandarin Oriental is renowned for delighting its guests with legendary service, steeped in oriental heritage and we are uniquely placed to drive these exceptional experiences to new heights, further securing our position as a global leader in luxury hospitality.”

Meanwhile, Laurent Kleitman, group chief executive at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, expressed his enthusiasm about Alex’s appointment, commenting, “Alex is a talented and transformational brand builder. His global experience will be instrumental in realising our ambitious plans to put the brand and the guest at the heart of the organisation and deliver enriching and innovative experiences, stunning communications and innovative partnerships.”

He added, “Alex has an outstanding track record elevating luxury brands and I am delighted to have him join our team and steward Mandarin Oriental as we accelerate and elevate our presence in the most sought-after destinations around the world.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysia Airlines and Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur have joined forces to take guests on a delectable journey that celebrates Malaysia’s diverse culture and cuisine through a curated menu exclusively available at all the airline’s Golden Lounges in KL International Airport, Terminal 1.

This was released in conjunction with the recently concluded National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations.

From 30 August to 1 September and from 15 to 17 September, passengers at the Golden Lounge Satellite, Golden Lounge Regional and Golden Lounge Domestic will have the opportunity to savour a diverse menu featuring authentic Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines, which captures the essence of Malaysia’s rich and diverse culture heritage.

“Kuala Lumpur has become an icon in the city for its culinary excellence, often enlisting world-class chefs with unparalleled culinary expertise, spanning across seven innovative outlets featuring an array of different cuisines,” Malaysia Airlines said in a press statement.

They added, “With this collaboration, the chefs of Mandarin Oriental share their expertise to bring the best of cuisine to KLIA, resulting in exceptional dishes that can elevate the dining experience of customers in the Golden Lounge.” 

Hong Kong – Hong-Kong based international hotel group, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, has named Forsman & Bodenfors as its global brand agency. Forsman & Bodenfors will partner with media agency Assembly to deliver an integrated offering of brand, design, social, performance marketing, and media services. 

The appointment comes after a 4-month pitch process which was led by client-agency marketing consultancy AAR Group out of London. The remit was made to support Mandarin Oriental’s future expansion of the business and the evolution of its brand to meet the evolving needs of the luxury consumer. 

The global creative collective Forsman & Bodenfors will work with Mandarin Oriental’s brand and marketing team to develop a new brand strategy and approach. 

London advertising which was the one who pioneered the group’s star-studded ‘I’m a Fan’ campaign will continue to support celebrity management and its current campaign commitments. Launched in 1999, the ‘I’m a fan’ campaign features international celebrities who regularly stay at the group’s hotels and are considered ‘true fans’ of Mandarin Oriental.

Joanna Flint, chief commercial officer of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group said, “Forsman & Bodenfors challenged our thinking throughout the process, and their integrated approach alongside Assembly was seamless and impressive. We are really excited to see what comes next.”

Toby Southgate, global CEO of Forsman & Bodenfors added, “Our mission as a business is to make ‘ideas that change things’ and the Mandarin Oriental business has a bold and inspirational vision for their future. We have been enthused about this opportunity from the very start and we wanted to show every step of the way that we are the right partner for this business. On behalf of Forsman & Bodenfors, and Assembly, we’re delighted to be taking these steps together with our new partners.”

Forsman & Bodenfors and Assembly are both under the Stagwell Group of companies.