Jumeirah has announced the appointment of Francis Killory as Vice President of Development Asia Pacific and will be based in Shanghai.

Killory will be responsible for growing the Jumeirah portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific's major cities and international resort locations.

In his new role, Killory will oversee Jumeirah's growth initiative from the Group's Development office in Shanghai, China, where the company recently signed its first Chinese flagship property in China's financial capital, the 338-room HanTang Jumeirah Shanghai, which is scheduled to open in mid 2008.

Killory has been active in Asia Pacific hotel development for 15 years, and has previously served in senior development positions with InterContinental, Meridien Hotels & Resorts, and Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and holds a MBA from Cornell University and an MSc in e-Commerce from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.