Radisson Hotel Group has appointed Oana Cristea as Director of Business Development for Poland and the Czech Republic. The appointment has been effective since 1 April 2026. In her new role, Cristea will be responsible for the Group’s development strategy in Poland and the Czech Republic, two key and dynamically growing markets in Central Europe. She will report directly to Valerie Schuermans, Chief Development Officer Western Europe.
The appointment comes as Radisson Hotel Group continues to accelerate its expansion in Central and Eastern Europe. In Poland, the Group currently has 25 hotels in operation and under development, offering a total of around 5,700 rooms across seven brands. This makes it one of the most diversified portfolios among international hotel groups operating in the country.
Recent milestones in Poland include the opening of Prize by Radisson, Gdańsk, the signing of Radisson Blu Hotel, Gdynia, and planned openings in Wrocław and Świeradów-Zdrój. In the Czech Republic, the Group is already present in Prague and is assessing further development opportunities across the country.
Oana Cristea brings nearly a decade of experience in hotel network development at Radisson Hotel Group to her new position. She joined the company in 2017 as a Business Development Analyst and subsequently advanced through a series of roles related to the Group’s expansion.
As Senior Manager Business Development, she played an important role in securing more than 2,000 rooms in key European cities, including several major projects in Poland. She was also involved in the creation and implementation of the Radisson Individuals soft brand and in expanding the Group’s offer into the serviced apartments segment.
Before joining Radisson Hotel Group, Cristea worked in revenue management and feasibility analysis at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. There, she gained experience in commercial strategy in Milan, as well as development and analysis for hotels in the EAME region.
Her international education in hospitality management at Hotelschool The Hague and professional experience across several European markets are complemented by fluency in English, French, Italian and Romanian.
“Poland and the Czech Republic are among the most attractive hotel development markets in Europe today, and Oana is the right person to lead our next phase of growth in these countries. She knows our business inside out — from transaction structuring to owner relations — and has already been one of the key people behind some of our most important deals in the region. This appointment underlines both the strategic importance of Poland and the Czech Republic and our commitment to developing talent within the organization,” said Valerie Schuermans, Chief Development Officer Western Europe at Radisson Hotel Group.
