José Silva, chief executive officer for Jumeirah Group has appointed Michael Ellis as chief culinary officer. He joins from Michelin Restaurant and Hotel Guides where he was Global Director for Europe, Asia and the Americas.

The creation of this new role is an initial milestone in Silva’s strategy to refresh and elevate Jumeirah’s restaurant offerings throughout its luxury portfolio, and a first step in delivering his vision to put dining as a core pillar of the Jumeirah experience, and its strongest market differentiator.

An advocate for the restaurant industry and an American native with a global workplace, Ellis has an unmatched understanding of destination restaurants. He will focus on developing new restaurant concepts, attracting and upskilling culinary talent, and enhancing existing restaurants to industry-leading levels.