IHG appoints top AI leader as part of tech investment strategy

IHG’s appointment of Wei Manfredi, named a top AI leader for 2026 and one of the 100 most influential AI leaders in America shows a significant leap in the hospitality industry that big corporations are taking the use of AI and other advances in technology more seriously. By welcoming top talent, IHG says it is investing in technology leadership to drive meaningful benefits for its owners, guests and teams, but could this also indicate the first major shift in the team structures behind big hospitality businesses?

Wei Manfredi brings a unique blend of deep technology expertise and franchise understanding having lead global companies including McDonald’s, Google Cloud, Lululemon and Visa, as well as having held advisory roles with top tech boards. IHG sees Wei’s experience as helping to harness the power of AI across its brands while still keeping human moments at the heart of hospitality.

IHG is positioning itself at the forefront of hospitality technology, advancing its digital capabilities, and empowering teams to focus on creating memorable guest experiences through deeper personalisation and insight. In her new role, Wei will guide IHG’s AI strategy, further strengthen its technical and data architecture, and continue to foster partnerships with leading technology organisations, ensuring IHG’s approach to AI is innovative and grounded in operational excellence, as well as being responsible and secure.

Jolie Fleming, Chief Product & Technology Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “Wei has a proven track record of leading AI-driven strategies for global brands. Her appointment reflects our commitment to responsible innovation – supporting our owners, optimising operations, and engaging guests in new ways. We’re excited to build on our momentum and shape the future of hospitality together.”

IHG’s ongoing investment in technology is designed to deliver tangible benefits for owners and guests, and support IHG teams with smart, secure solutions.

Recent technology-enabled milestones include IHG rolling out its new Revenue Management System to 6,700+ hotels worldwide, launching its new Property Management System in 2,000 hotels, debuting machine translation for 20+ brands, and driving AI-powered automations – worth keeping an eye on further developments as the technology evolves.

Main image credit: IHG Hotels & Resorts