• Coote will oversee Rotana’s TAROT, Duroob, and LEAD programmes
• A key focus will be to drive Rotana’s leadership development at General Manager level and establish growth plans for future General Managers within the business

Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with 77 operational properties in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Türkiye (MENAT), announces today the appointment of Rory Coote as Corporate Director of Learning and Development.

In line with the group’s well-established focus on colleagues’ development, the appointment will see Coote refresh and relaunch Rotana’s offering, including its flagship TAROT (The Accelerated Refinement of Talent) programme aimed at offering Rotana colleagues fast-track development with progressive growth opportunities. Another key focus will be Rotana’s Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD) programme, which is aimed at building the leadership capacities and skills of senior managers. Coote will also be involved in the company’s unique “Duroob” programme through which Rotana taps into native talent pools in host countries, ensuring young, local citizens are recruited and offered the training, mentoring, and work experience needed to secure employment in the industry. He will also support the company’s Women in Leadership initiative and be directly involved in redefining the fundamentals of what brings Rotana’s promise of Treasured Time to life for guests.

Commenting on the announcement, Joseph Abou Yaghi, VP – Human Resources at Rotana, said: “We are excited to welcome Rory to the team. One of our most valuable assets is our colleagues, and with Rory’s guidance, they will be able to soar to new heights. At Rotana, we are serious about investing in our colleagues, not only to help them achieve their goals but also to ensure each of our guests has the most memorable experience possible. With his exceptional experience across the full training cycle in the hospitality sector, we are confident that Rory will play a positive role in developing our colleagues and company.”

A seasoned professional, Coote brings 12 years of experience to Rotana. This includes practical training, work in needs analysis, and content and programme design for both classroom and online environments. Before joining Rotana, Coote held the role of Area Head of Learning and Development at The Dorchester, 45 Park Lane, and Coworth Park Hotels in England. He was also a Regional Training Manager for InterContinental Hotels Group, positions that provided him with valuable insight into the training needs of hospitality employees.

“I am thrilled to join Rotana as Corporate Director of Learning and Development and look forward to helping build this extraordinary company and its people, taking Rotana to new levels of service excellence and delivering on our promise of creating Treasured Time through exceptional service at all levels of the organisation,” Rory Coote said.

Rotana currently operates 77 hotels in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Türkiye, serving more than six million guests per year. Rotana’s overall pipeline currently spans 10,040 keys across six superlative brands, including an impressive 40 international hotels and seven new properties in the UAE alone.