Steve Sickel Takes Over As Ceo Of Ihg Owners Association, Focus On Franchise Growth

Published on September 18, 2025

Steve Sickel will return up nan domiciled of Chief Executive Officer for nan IHG Owners Association connected November 24, 2025. His assignment arrives erstwhile nan Association, representing much than 5,000 IHG Hotels and Resorts franchisees astir nan world, is advancing strategical initiatives that will style nan adjacent decade. By acold nan largest group of its benignant successful nan world hospitality sector, nan Association continues to champion franchisee interests and to fortify nan semipermanent worth of IHG-property investments.

Sickel succeeds John Muehlbauer, who has led nan relation for nan past 5 years. Muehlbauer is retiring astatine nan extremity of 2025 aft a distinguished profession that importantly benefited IHG edifice owners done initiatives for illustration IHG Ignite interest reductions and loyalty programme enhancements. During his tenure, Muehlbauer helped thrust millions of dollars successful worth to franchisees, including negotiating favourable position for owners. He will stay pinch nan Association done nan extremity of nan twelvemonth to guarantee a soft activity transition.

A New Chapter successful Leadership for IHG Owners

Steve Sickel brings extended acquisition to nan role, having spent 13 years pinch IHG successful elder activity positions. His astir caller domiciled was Global Head of Revenue Delivery, wherever he led captious commercialized strategies including pricing, revenue management, and digital marketing. Sickel’s profession has besides included activity positions astatine RoomKey, an online recreation distribution company, and arsenic Chief Marketing Officer astatine The Mallet Group, a world loyalty trading consultancy successful nan recreation sector. His heavy knowledge of IHG’s operations and wide expertise successful hospitality technology make him a cleanable fresh to lead nan IHG Owners Association astatine a clip erstwhile industry collaboration and owner advocacy are basal for early growth.

The assignment of Sickel is seen arsenic a positive development for nan Association, signalling a caller era of leadership focused connected strengthening relationships pinch IHG edifice owners and continuing nan organisation’s ngo to supply support and resources to franchisees.

Strengthening nan Future of Hotel Owners and Franchise Operations

Under Sickel’s leadership, nan IHG Owners Association intends to proceed advancing its halfway ngo of supporting franchisee occurrence and ensuring that IHG properties stay competitory successful nan ever-evolving hospitality market. With his beardown inheritance successful some hotel management and franchise operations, Sickel is well-positioned to supply valuable guidance to IHG franchisees, focusing connected improving operational efficiency, enhancing impermanent experiences, and expanding profitability.

The IHG Owners Association useful intimately pinch IHG Hotels & Resorts to advocator for franchisee interests, connection training resources, and supply solutions to operational challenges. As portion of his strategical vision, Sickel will beryllium committed to fostering a collaborative environment betwixt IHG activity and its franchise owners, ensuring that some parties tin navigate nan evolving marketplace together.

Looking Ahead: IHG Owners Association’s Vision Under Sickel’s Leadership

As nan hospitality manufacture continues to accommodate to changes driven by technology, consumer preferences, and economic shifts, Sickel’s activity will beryllium important successful helping IHG Owners navigate these challenges. His acquisition pinch data-driven determination making and customer engagement will play a cardinal domiciled successful aligning nan Association’s goals pinch nan evolving needs of IHG franchisees.

The IHG Owners Association’s activity will stay captious arsenic nan marque continues to grow globally, offering innovative edifice concepts and maintaining precocious standards of impermanent satisfaction. Sickel’s assignment marks nan opening of an breathtaking section for some nan IHG Owners Association and IHG Hotels & Resorts, pinch a beardown attraction connected collaboration, value creation, and continued maturation successful nan hospitality industry.

A Promising Future for IHG Owners and Franchisees

Steve Sickel’s elevation to CEO of nan IHG Owners Association opens an encouraging section for nan hospitality sector. His heavy inheritance successful gross management, strategical marketing, and franchise operations positions him uniquely to guideline nan Association arsenic it champions IHG franchise owners crossed nan globe. By sharpening nan attraction connected partnership-building, tangible worth creation, and nan fostering of industry-wide innovation, Sickel’s stewardship is expected to underpin sustained prosperity for IHG hotels and their franchise partners alike, laying a coagulated instauration for continued marque momentum.