Headoffice Team

The Executive Chairman of the Foremost Hotel Group is Usama Dessoky.  Mr Dessoky has over twenty years’ experience in the property investment and hotel development business. London based, Mr Dessoky runs hotel projects and other investment businesses throughout Europe and the Far East. His skills include identifying opportunities and future trends. Mr Dessoky has a proven track record in developing under-performing hotels assets, into professionally managed and highly profitable businesses.

Hubert Van De Loo has been a Director of Operations in various companies and is a highly respected figure in the industry.  Hubert van De Loo graduated in Hotel and Catering in his native Holland, moving to senior management positions within international hotel groups such as  Hilton, Sheraton, Accor and Forte Hotels, in the UK and throughout Europe. Hubert van de Loo has a proven track record in developing new hotel assets.

Anthony Stein started his career in 1995 as hotel management trainee in Heidelberg, Germany. He later moved to the UK and worked in various posts for the InterContinental Hotels Group. He commencend his first General Manager role in 2004 at the Holiday Inn Express Birmingham NEC. Before re-joining the Foremost Group Anthony Stein worked as Operations Manager for Whitbread in Swansea, Wales. Since re-joining in 2007 he worked on several openings for the Foremost Group. In August 2009 Mr. Stein was promoted to Director of Operations.

The finance department of the Foremost Group is headed up by John  O’Callaghan, who graduated from Shannon College of Hotel Management in Ireland. During his career John has worked in operations of hotels in Switzerland, Ireland and England. John then specialised  in hotel finance and is a qualified chartered accountant. Having worked as part of management teams in various hotel companies such as Le Méridien, Paramount, Principal Hotels, Quinn Group among others, John joined the Foremost Team in 2004.

Steffen Malinski graduated in 2001 from a Dresden private business school. He then worked for KPMG in Munich. In 2004 Mr. Malinski worked for the property finance team of DTZ Germany.
In 2007 Steffen Malinski specialized in hotel finance and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He also operates in the managing committee of Chartered Accountants and Controllers for the German states Berlin/Brandenburg.
Mr. Malinski joined the Foremost Group in December 2009 and took over as the Financial Controller for Germany.

Kokila De Silva started his hotel career in 1994 as a hotel management trainee in Sri Lanka. During his management training programme he joined the Ceylon Hotel School for Tourism and graduated with a Diploma for Hotel Management.
Mr. De Silva worked in various posts in different hotel chains such as Hilton, Palace Hotel in Berlin, Sofitel, Dorint Hotels, Park Plaza Hotels, in Germany.
He specialised in hotel finance and is qualified as Financial Accountant and joined the Foremost Group in 2008 as a Financial Administrator. 

Carolin Wessel started her career in 2000 as a Chef in the Maritim Hotel, she worked here until 2003 when she started her apprenticeship in the hotel and catering trade; she was fully qualified by 2006 and worked at the Mercure Hotel, the Schloßhotel in Grunewald, and the Hotel de Rome in Berlin.In these hotels she worked in many departments, including service, reception and also helped in the opening of the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Berlin. Ms. Wessel then continued her studies and is qualified in payroll and financial accounting, after which she joined the Foremost Group in February 2011 as Junior Accountant.

Terri Layden graduated from the University of Teesside in Middlesbrough, UK in 2009 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Public Relations. Since then, she has worked in different areas of Public Relations and Marketing including event management and online marketing before making the transition to the Foremost Group in April 2011.