Alison Grinnell (She/her)

In 2019, Alison Grinnell was appointed Chief Executive Officer of RAK Hospitality Holding LLC following a three-year period as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to this, Alison had worked for 25 years in the hospitality industry throughout Europe, the United States, Middle East and Africa.

In 2014 the Government of Ras Al Khaimah established RAK Hospitality Holding. The company has a diverse portfolio of assets, including hotels, logistics and leisure organisations and restaurants which it owns, operates and manages. There are several subsidiaries, including RAK National Hotels LLC, Stirling Hospitality Advisors, RAK Hospitality Logistics LLC, RAK Leisure, RAK Ventures and Safarak.

Both the Group’s more established businesses, including Hotel ownership and development, Hospitality Logistics, Asset Management and Advisory Services, and delivering new business initiatives are the key responsibilities for Alison, as RAK Hospitality Holding’s CEO. In particular, RAK Leisure – which focuses on driving leisure and food & beverage activities across Ras Al Khaimah, especially on Jebel Jais Mountain – and Safarak, the Group’s DMC and Events arm are two new business areas on the agenda.

In 2022, RAK Hospitality Holding partnered with Marjan and Wynn Resorts to announce the development of a multi-billion dollar integrated resort on Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Marjan Island which is scheduled to open in the first half of 2027.

Alison Grinnell spent nearly 15 years at PwC before joining RAK Hospitality Holding. Moving to Dubai from London, she was closely involved with building the Middle East Hospitality and Leisure practise at PwC, where it developed into a leader in that field. She is an ACA Chartered Accountancy Qualification and has a BSc in Economics.

Alison Grinnell is also a board member on the Board of Governors of RAK Academy. This is a family of international schools that are highly-regarded in Ras Al Khaimah. Together, they deliver internationally recognised curricula to over 2,600 students with more than 80 nationalities.