Oh dear, oh dear. The little white lies we tell.
Patrick Imbardelli, until today the chief executive of Asia Pacific for Intercontinental Hotels, had a secret. Despite his CV boasting of not one but three degrees - a BA from Victoria University in Australia, a BSc from Cornell and also an MA from the US institution - Mr Imbardelli did not in fact graduate at all. From either college.
None from three - which wasn’t a particular problem for him until IHG decided to elevate him to the company’s board back in May. He was due to join from the beginning of July.
Mr Imbardelli, 46, had been with IHG since 2000, when he joined the company through the acquisition of some hotel properties in Asia. No CV check there then.
A spokesman for IGH would only say on Thursday that “information came to light” given Mr Imbardelli’s more public profile as a result of the promotion. That information prompted an internal review, which ended in Mr Imbardelli’s resignation.
Which sounds to us like an unnamed someone picked up the phone to enlighten the group about their Asia Pacific chief’s academic performance - or lack of it.
Mr Imbardelli, who lives in Singapore with his wife and two children, has over 25 years experience in the industry having worked at Hilton, Hyatt and Southern Pacific Hotels. But, say IHG, accuracy of information and qualifications is “crucial” and taken “very seriously” by the company.
Tony South, IHG’s senior vice president for development and asset management, Asia Pacific, becomes acting chief executive in his place.
We presume IHG has been through his resume with a fine tooth comb. And here at FT Alphaville, we’re off to have another, more studied, look at the applicants for our vacancy.
