AccorHotels has named Mark Willis as its new CEO for the Middle East and Africa, replacing Olivier Granet who is embarking on a new project to drive sustainable development in Africa with AccorHotels.

Willis was previously president for the Asia region with Movenpick Hotels & Resorts and has also held a number of senior leadership roles within the Radisson Hotel Group.

Based in Dubai, Willis will be responsible for overseeing a combined network of almost 400 hotels open and in the pipeline across the region. He will also focus on fueling the region’s growth by nurturing a talent pool to reach 50,000 employees by 2021, according to a statement.