Shangri-La hires new global CMO from Starwood

Taylor will start work on January 5 and will report to Shangri-La president and CEO Greg Dogan. He is in the process of relocating from Belgium to Hong Kong, where he will be based. 

He replaces Kent Zhu, a Shangri-La veteran of 20 years, who has left the hospitality group for a "long break", according to his LinkedIn profile. 

In his role as CMO, Taylor will oversee all functions across Shangri-La’s Sales and Marketing Division, including revenue management, sales, digital marketing, brand communications, loyalty and partner marketing, customer insights and relationship management, reservations and distribution and corporate communications.

Taylor brings with him more than 16 years experience at Starwood where, in his most recent role, he was responsible for 260 hotels under nine brands including St. Regis, W and Westin. He holds an executive MBA from the Swiss School of Hospitality and Tourism.

According to Dogan, one of the reasons Taylor was chosen for the role is his "keen understanding of how to communicate with and engage 'Generation C' [Generation connected]". "“With his strategic vision and depth of experience, Steven will be an asset to Shangri-La as we extend ‘hospitality from the heart’ for which Shangri-La is renowned, and engage consumers across all digital touch-points," Dogan added. 

Connecting with the younger traveller is very much at the top of Shangri-La's marketing strategy. The hospitality group recently worked with Fluid to rebrand its Traders Hotel chain to 'Hotel Jen' in an effort to "appeal to the millennial mindset". 

Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts is currently working with Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong as its creative agency of record, but has been running an ongoing global creative review since September. The agency has held the account since 2009 when it won it from TBWA. 

The brand's media agency is Havas Media.