Atlanta, Georgia, United States, February 2026 – Andrew Francks has started a new position as Vice President of HR – US & Canada Hotel Operations at IHG Hotels & Resorts, taking on a pivotal leadership mandate across one of the company’s most significant markets. In this role, he will oversee HR strategy and operations for hotel teams across the United States and Canada, supporting IHG’s continued growth and performance in the region.
Prior to this appointment, Andrew served for nearly two years as Vice President Global Talent, Culture, Organisation & HR Owner Offer – Hotels at IHG. In that role, he led the design and delivery of the global HR talent strategy spanning new hotel openings, organisation design, culture, performance, and talent management across franchised, managed, and owned & leased hotels. He also drove the development and implementation of the global HR Owner Offer, working closely with hotel owners to help them open, run, and grow their businesses in alignment with IHG’s strategic ambitions, while leading in-market Talent Directors globally.
Earlier, Andrew worked as CHRO Chief of Staff & Global Talent and Leadership Strategy Director, reporting directly to the Global CHRO. He played a central role in executing IHG’s six Global HR priorities, supporting Board and Executive Committee communications, and leading the evolution of the company’s multi-year talent and leadership strategy. His leadership helped shape IHG’s investment in leadership vision, colleague experience, and employer brand initiatives across the enterprise.
As Global Director Talent and Performance, and previously Global Director Early Careers, Andrew held accountability for IHG’s global talent acceleration, succession planning, executive talent cadence, performance management cycle, and early careers strategy across more than 100 countries. He also led the development of IHG’s digital learning platform through IHG Skills Academy, strengthened CSR-linked employability initiatives, and partnered across regions to drive retention, diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes at scale.
Before joining IHG, Andrew held senior HR and learning leadership roles at Yum! Brands and KFC UK & Ireland, including Global Learning Manager and HR Business Partner positions spanning over 135 countries. He also spent nearly five years at Marks and Spencer in progressive learning and HR roles. Additionally, he served as a Board Member of Global Travel and Tourism Partnership, contributing to global youth employability initiatives.
IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON: IHG; NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company with a purpose to provide “True Hospitality for Good.” With a portfolio of 20 hotel brands, including Six Senses, InterContinental, Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, and Staybridge Suites, and over 6,900 hotels in more than 100 countries, IHG supports approximately 400,000 colleagues worldwide. The company also operates IHG One Rewards, one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes, and maintains a development pipeline of over 2,000 properties globally.
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