Hotel boss resigns over job lies

It is rare that a senior appointment is outed for lying about credentials

The head of Intercontinental Hotel's Asia-Pacific region has resigned over lies about his education.

The firm said Patrick Imbardelli quit after an internal review, which found he did not have the academic qualifications he claimed on his CV.

Mr Imbardelli had been about to be promoted to the board of the Holiday Inn owner, but the firm said the appointment "would not proceed".

Insider Tony South will become acting chief executive of the region.

New appointment

InterContinental said Mr Imbardelli, who joined the group in 2000, claimed to have a degree in hotel administration and business from Victoria University in Australia and a masters degree from Cornell University in the US.

"He had attended some classes but did not graduate," a company spokesman said.

Mr South, an accountant, is currently senior vice president, Asia Pacific, and will report directly to group chief executive Andrew Cosslett.

Intercontinental, which also operates the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand, owns and manages more than 3,650 hotels across the world.