Virgin Hotels welcomed Rani Gharbié as the new vice president of development. Gharbié will oversee the brand’s continued expansion in the United States and Canada.

Gharbié joins the development team led by Allie Hope, head of development and acquisitions, and will identify partners and investors to secure conversion opportunities to not only grow the management arm of the brand but also build new sites. Gharbié strives to work with partners that align with the brand’s unique culture and values, cultivating promising and authentic relationships.

“As an avid traveler with a deep understanding of the hotel industry, it’s an amazing opportunity to join the Virgin Hotels team. They’ve introduced a hotel experience guests identify with and are excited about, and that’s difficult to do in what is a very crowded market,” says Gharbié. “I’m proud to be a new steward for the brand as we look to keep up with the admirable growth in the United States and make our move into Canada.”

Gharbié was previously a founding principal at Cedar Funds, a New York City-based hotel and real estate development and investment firm. The firm focused on ground-up projects and acquisitions of underperforming assets. He held key positions in real estate and hotel industries for many years, including regional director of development at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).