Ascott Appoints Serena Lim as Chief Growth Officer

Dark/Light Mode (10/01/23)  Ascott has appointed Serena Lim as Chief Growth Officer.

Serena will lead Ascott’s global business development team and will be responsible for steering and managing the company’s growth in management and franchise contracts globally, excluding China where development will continue to be led by the in-market team.

Serena Lim

Reporting directly to Ascott’s Chief Executive Officer - Kevin Goh, Serena is primed to accelerate the group’s development ambitions through an asset-light growth strategy designed to deliver strong recurring fee income.

“We believe in investing in the right talent to support our growth ambitions while strengthening our lodging management capabilities,” said Mr. Goh. “Serena joins us with over two decades of industry experience, and her wealth of knowledge and experience in establishing long-term owner relations is key for us as we seek new opportunities to extend our geographic reach across key growth markets. With her in-depth expertise in building and leading large development teams in global hospitality groups and her track-record in delivering tangible results, I am confident that under her leadership, we will grow the business to new heights of success as we continue the rapid expansion of our property portfolio across all brands over the next few years.”

Serena joins Ascott from her most recent role as Vice President of Development - Southeast Asia and Korea at IHG, where she was responsible for leading the group’s development strategy and extended growth teams in the region.

Prior to joining IHG, Serena was responsible for development efforts in Southeast Asia at Marriott International, where she held the role of Regional Vice President.

Serena also spent early parts of her career with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, where she led the company’s expansion across Southeast Asia.

“I am excited to join Ascott and play a key role in its next stage of growth. The pandemic has since brought about a shift in the needs and expectations from asset owners and our priority now is to deepen our engagement with existing owners whilst pursuing added opportunities to establish new owner relations,” Serena said. “Ascott’s portfolio of global brands such as Ascott, Citadines, Somerset, lyf and Oakwood caters well to the evolving expectations of guests across both the short and long stay markets.”

Serena graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science (Distinction) in Hotel Administration and a Major in Finance.

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