Garth Simmons

COO, Asia, Premium, Midscale & Economy Division

Garth Simmons began his full-time career in 1988 with the Rydges Hotels & Resorts in Australia before becoming a hotel General Manager in 1998, then Area General Manager. He joined Accor in 2007 in various strategic positions within Australia, first as Regional General Manager for Accor's Victoria, Tasmania and Adelaide hotels, before expanding his portfolio to New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory properties. In addition to his responsibilities for Accor, he also managed Qantas' First Class Lounges in Sydney and Melbourne Airports.

In 2012, Garth took on the role of Senior Vice President for Accor New Zealand, Fiji, French Polynesia and Japan, and became an active contributor to the New Zealand tourism sector. He sat on the board of the New Zealand Tourism Industry Association (TIA) and was involved with validating the Tourism New Zealand 2025 framework. Ultimately, he was instrumental in building Accor's position as New Zealand's largest operator.

Garth moved to Indonesia in 2015 as Chief Operating Officer of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore at a time of tremendous growth. During his tenure, he reinforced Accor's leadership position as the largest operator in both Indonesia and Singapore. In his most recent role as COO, which he assumed in 2019, Garth was responsible for over 200 hotels and 16 brands across 6 countries in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and South Asia.

In a career spanning more than three decades, built on driving performance and forging strong relationships with owners and key tourism partners, Garth has led the group's New Zealand unit on a business transformation to achieve record growth in direct web revenue, strong increases in both network development & hotel performance.

He is a strong advocate of giving back to the local community, volunteering and lending his voice to fundraising through initiatives such as the Accor Race to Survive Fiji for Cure Kids. Thanks to the amazing spirit and fundraising efforts of Accor teams across Asia Pacific, Cure Kids now provide medical equipment for The Children's Ward, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Lautoka Hospital as well as the Nadi Children's Ward in the Maternity Ward.