Marc Francois Dardenne, a Belgian national, is the CEO of Patina Hotels & Resorts, part of the Pontiac Land Group. Marc joined the group in 2011 and is responsible for leading the creation and development of Patina Hotels & Resorts and expanding the brand to key cities globally. Marc most recently spent 10 years in the Middle East as Vice President for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group and Chief Executive Officer of Armani Hotels and Resorts and The Address Hotels and Resorts. Prior to his experience in the Middle East he spent 11 years in Asia managing various properties in Singapore, Bali, Jakarta and Manila. Marc’s global workexperience also covers West Africa and Europe.
Marc has won prestigious awards including the ‘CEO of the Year 2009’ from CEO Middle East, was honoured with the ‘Excellence in Hospitality Leadership’ Award at the Middle East Hotel Expansion Congress; in 2009, and was chosen as 37th most influential expatriate by Arabian Business. In the beginning of 2010 he wasnamed ‘Accomplished Leader’ at the Feigenbaum Leadership Excellence Awards. He also ranked No. 3 in the Hotelier Middle East’s 50 most influential hoteliers in 2009 and achieved No. 2 position in the same list in 2011.
Marc has over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry and holds a diploma in Hotel Studies from the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland and an Executive MBA from Golden Gate University.