Key Personnel

Thierry Naidu, Founder

Thierry, the founder and CEO of Phoenix Hotel Management Company was born in Mauritius, grew up in the hospitality business and has 25 years experience in the hotel sector.

Prior to creating PHMC, Thierry was both CEO and COO of Franklyn Hotels and Resorts, and President of Stein Hotels and Resorts Europe, companies specialized in management of non- standardized individual luxury hotels.

He has also played a key role in the development of world class hotels such as Royal Mansour in Marrakech, Grand Hotel Rodina in Sochi, Russia and Finca Cortesin Golf and Spa Resort in Casares, Spain along with many other luxury hotels worldwide.

He also spent 12 years as General Manager of the world-renowned Château de la Chevre d’Or hotel on the Côte d’Azur. Under his direction, the property developed into what is now considered to be one of the best hotels in the world, with a famous 2 Star Michelin restaurant.

Earlier in his career Thierry worked as assistant GM for Château de Gilly in Burgundy, one of the luxury properties of the Grandes Etapes Francaises Group. His experience also includes the management of five restaurants, bars and a catering company.

He was also a long-term member of the board of directors of Relais & Châteaux, President of the Tourist Board of Eze and Vice President of Les Palaces Côte d’Azur.

Sophie Provenza, Director of Operations

Sophie originating from Beaulieu, on the Riviera, is attached to the quality of receiving learned from her grandmothers, housekeepers in Master Houses.
After marketings studies, she returns quickly back to her passion and start a career in hotel trade by deluxe hotel, she will never leave this sector anymore.

A professional experience based within all the hotel services, she likes to learn and all interests her, the perfection of the service is a spirit state.

The experiments follow one another increasingly in the hierarchy: a smart restaurant of the city in London, the Royal Riviéra in St Jean Cap Ferrat during its rebirth, the Château de la Chèvre dOr in Eze village for a first collaboration with Thierry Naidu, an experiment enriching with La Reserve de Beaulieu. All these experiments make her progress to the General Management which start in Monaco at Port Palace (affiliated at this time to Stein group hotels and resort). Then thereafter, she collaborates to the opening of Royal Mansour in Marrakech and realize one opening in Mougins for a Canadian group Only Prestigious Houses!

By joining again Thierry Naidu and Phoenix HMC, she concretizes whole her capacities through new challenges, by meeting other experiments, professional and human, by insufflating her positive philosophy and organization within each project.

Isabelle Fremont, Director of Sales and Marketing

Isabelle has travelled a lot in her life and speaks fluently 5 languages. After studying Architecture, she developed a passion for the Luxury Hotel Industry and started her initiation in Rome, spending many years as a true autodidact.

She started working as sales assistant at the Luxury 4* Hotel Artemide and afterwards, for the Möevenpick Hotel in Rome (nowadays, Marriott Hotel).

Returning to France, she worked as International sales Manager at the legendary Hotel Martinez in Cannes and at the Hotel Palais de la Mediterranée in Nice. Two very impressive Hotels in the French Riviera, members of Concorde Hotel Chain.

This experience is quickly followed by a new position as key account director for these two Properties, belonging at the same time to the others Concorde Hotel sales team ( Hotel de Crillon, Hôtel du Louvre, Hôtel Concorde Montparnasse, Hotel de la Cité Lyon, and worked for the Hotel Villa Massalia pre opening in Marseille).

Expert in commercial relations, she employs her talent on behalf of Franklyn Hotels and Resorts in 2007, dealing with many international markets from France to the USA. She also takes part in the new opening of Finca Cortesin Hotel ***** in Spain, in charge of French and Swiss markets, achieving her goals with distinction.

Through her experience after all these years, Isabelle quickly fulfilled the role of Director of Sales and Marketing. She boasts an extraordinary range of skills, from sales and marketing to the training field as well.

Upon Phoenix HMC’s creation, she was hand-picked by Thierry Naidu as part of the founding team.

Sandrine Tournoy, Director of Finance & HR

Passionate about numbers, Sandrine conciliates  – with passion, experience  and know-how – accounting and finance  knowledge,  focused on  luxury hotel field, in which she finds a true vocation.

Experience: 5 years in accounting firm, financial controller for Stein Group, accountant and executive assistant Les Frênes 4 * (Relais et Château.)