Boutique hotel operator Morgans Hotel Group has named Michael Gross CEO. He replaces Fred Kleisner, whose contract expires at the end of March.
Gross has been a member of Morgans’ board of directors since October 2009. He joined the board after partnering with Yucaipa Cos. to invest in Morgans.
Kleisner was appointed interim CEO of Morgans in September 2007, following the resignation of W. Edward Scheetz.
Ron Burkle, Yucaipa’s managing partner, joins Morgans’ board, as does Jason Taubman Kalisman, founding member of OTK Associates. Yucaipa and OTK are Morgans’ two largest stakeholders, said the company.
David Hamamoto, currently board chairman and one of Morgans’ largest shareholders, becomes executive chairman.
Daniel Flannery and Yoav Gery have joined Morgans as COO and chief development officer, respectively. They both were at Marriott International, most recently working on Marriott’s new lifestyle brand, Edition. (Marriott’s partner for Edition, noted boutique hotelier Ian Schrager, founded Morgans Hotel Group in 1984 and left the company in 2005.)
Morgans also said that the company’s president, Marc Gordon, is “leaving the company to pursue other interests.” His employment contract is scheduled to end on April 1, according to Morgans.