The Irvine Company has hired Ralph Grippo, formerly a senior executive at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., to head up the Newport Beach-based company’s resort properties division.
Grippo is taking on the title of president of the Irvine Co.’s resort division, and will serve as managing director of the company’s Resort at Pelican Hill, which is under construction in Newport Beach.
The hiring comes at a busy time for the resort properties group, which includes hotels, golf clubs and marinas.
The Resort at Pelican Hill, considered the crown jewel of chairman Donald Bren’s holdings, is set to see its golf club re-open this fall. The remainder of the resort development should open in fall 2008.
Other properties in the division’s portfolio include the Island Hotel Newport Beach, the Hyatt Regency Irvine, and Shady Canyon and Oak Creek golf clubs in Irvine.
The company last year brought in Ray Jacobi to handle general manager duties at the 295-room Island Hotel. Jacobi succeeded Hansjoerg Maissen, who became a consultant for the company’s golf operations.
Grippo, 43, has worked for the past 17 years with Ritz-Carlton. Most recently he served as vice president and area general manager for China, where he oversaw seven hotels totaling about 2,600 rooms.