Red Roof named Zack Gharib president Tuesday, nearly 10 months after his predecessor departed.
Effective immediately, Gharib will take over the top job at Red Roof, replacing former president George Limbert, who stepped down from the role in July.
Gharib brings more than two decades of senior management experience in franchising, operations and brand management to the role, according to Red Roof.
The industry veteran previously worked at Marriott International, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and, most recently, held the position of senior vice president of operations at Highgate, according to LinkedIn.
As president, Gharib will lead Red Roof’s strategic portfolio growth. Currently, the hotel company has more than 60,000 rooms across nearly 700 properties in the U.S. and Japan.
Gharib will also assist the company with expanding and deepening its franchise relationships.
Mohamed Thowfeek, a member of the Red Roof board of directors who has served as interim president since Limbert’s departure, said he’s confident Gharib will “take the brand and its franchise partners to new heights” with his focus on growth and operations excellence and his “demonstrated ability to deliver transformative results for some of the most widely regarded brands in the hotel industry.”
In conjunction with Gharib’s appointment, Red Roof announced Fouad Malouf’s promotion from SVP of franchise operations to the newly created position of chief operating officer.
Malouf, who has been with the company for more than 40 years, will support Gharib by overseeing the company's day-to-day operations.
