Steve Sickel Appointed CEO of IHG Owners Association, Bringing Extensive Hospitality Experience

The IHG Owners Association, representing the interests of IHG Hotels & Resorts franchisees globally, has announced the appointment of Steve Sickel as Chief Executive Officer effective November 24. Sickel succeeds John Muehlbauer, who will retire at the end of 2025 after five years as CEO and a distinguished 30-year career in hospitality.

Sickel brings extensive hospitality sector experience, including 13 years with IHG where he held various senior roles, culminating as Global Head of Revenue Delivery. In that position, he led strategy and execution across IHG's key commercial drivers including IHG One Rewards, Distribution Marketing, Digital Marketing, Pricing and Revenue Management, and the System Fund. His background includes serving as CEO of RoomKey, an online travel distribution company formed as a joint venture among major hospitality companies, where he designed strategies to lower hotel third-party distribution costs. Most recently, Sickel served as Partner & Chief Marketing Officer at The Mallet Group, a global loyalty marketing consultancy focused on the travel sector.

The appointment follows a comprehensive search process conducted by a committee of owner volunteers in partnership with Bristol Associates, a leading hospitality talent placement firm. Sickel was recognized by HSMAI as one of the "Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality," highlighting his reputation as an innovative leader in multi-function and multi-brand global organizations.

As CEO, Sickel will uphold the Association's mission to strengthen returns on members' investments in IHG hotels and lead the organization's advice and counsel to IHG. He emphasized his focus on strengthening relationships with IHG hotel owners, IHG leadership, and key industry constituents; developing win-win solutions that improve long-term value for members; and harnessing the collective voice to drive meaningful impact with IHG and the broader hospitality industry.

Mark Zipperer, 2025 Chair of the Association's Global Board of Directors, commented that Sickel's deep knowledge of IHG combined with his broad industry expertise and reputation as a collaborative problem-solver make him the ideal choice for this role. The transition comes at a critical time for the hospitality industry as it continues to navigate post-pandemic recovery and evolving market dynamics.

The IHG Owners Association, originally established by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson in 1955, represents more than 5,000 owners of IHG Hotels & Resorts properties worldwide. The global not-for-profit organization advocates on behalf of its members to IHG leadership on standards and initiatives related to hotel operations and industry-wide issues. Additional information about the Association is available at https://www.owners.org.