Senior Leadership Team

Prior to joining as General Manager of The Marker Hotel on its journey to Anantara, Michael Davern was the CEO of the iconic K Club, Kildare, Ireland. The K Club was sold in February 2020 and following the successful sale and transition of the resort to its new owner, Michael ended his tenure in October 2020.

Michael graduated from Shannon College of Hotel Management in 1988 and went on to hold management roles in a number of Trust House Forte hotels in the UK and also worked as a Project Manager for a software development company engaged in the Catering Business. He returned to Ireland to join the opening team of The K Club in 1991.

At the ripe age of 29, Michael assumed the role of General Manager at the renowned, Fancourt Hotel and Country Club, on the Garden Route in South Africa and remained there until 2001. Michael oversaw the operation of the Resort which hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Retreat. Under his leadership, Fancourt became a household name for golfers worldwide and was also the home of arguably one of Southern Africa’s greatest golfers; Ernie Els.

In 2001 Michael was headhunted by a multi-billion-pound Irish consortium, chaired by Dermot Desmond, to become General Manager of the International award winning, Caribbean Resort - Sandy Lane Properties in Barbados.

In 2005 Michael returned to Ireland having been appointed CEO and General Manager of The K Club. He was responsible for The K Club’s staging of the 2006 Ryder Cup Matches. In 2015, The K Club underwent a €20 million refurbishment and development programme which saw the addition of 70 new bedrooms, a new bar and conference room and the upgrading of all of the public areas, with Michael responsible for coordinating and delivering this development. In 2016, he coordinated the resort’s successful hosting of the Irish Open with the European Tour and the Rory McIlroy Foundation.

Michael was awarded World General Manager of the Year by Preferred Hotels & Resorts in 2016 and was a long standing member of their European and Global Advisory Board.

Michael has created an extensive network of a multitude of figureheads, ranging from notable investors to golf professionals, to industry golf leaders and hospitality leaders. With his own leadership and relationship qualities, experience, and ability to create legendary guest experiences across an array of luxury properties.

Stephanie is an Edinburgh native with an established career and experience in the very best of luxury hospitality and events industry. After university she worked and lived in Canada, US and Bermuda before returning home to Scotland to raise her family. Stephanie worked in hotels both operationally and in sales before moving to event catering. This gave her the experience of working in some of the most beautiful stately homes, galleries and museums around the UK creating outstanding events where attention to detail was everything while working with the highest levels of industry professionals. A move to hotels came post COVID as Director of Sales at InterContinental Edinburgh The George and Kimpton Charlotte Square, a superb experience to promote Scottish luxury hospitality to the world. Stephanie was proud to be part of this team and worked extensively with travel advisors and DMC community for both leisure and group enquiries.

Being approached for the role at Seaton House was an enticing invitation and being part of the preopening senior leadership team gives a new experience. Stephanie is committed to creating a strong local legacy in this well loved local landmark and is proud to represent Seaton House around the world to clients.

After attending Borders College Mark started his career at Peebles Hydro as a Commis Chef before progressing through the ranks of kitchens throughout Scotland, Mark moved to Yorkshire to a small coach house called the General Tarleton before moving to London working in some small establishments ending up at the iconic Rosewood London where he progressed through the ranks to become head chef and lead the team to many accolades. After 7 and a half years he made his way back to his native Scotland to reopen the world famous Cameron House hotel on the Banks of Loch Lomand. From there he progressed to other luxury properties in Scotland such as Crossbasket Castle and Schloss Roxburghe Hotel, Spa and Golf Course. This was a full circle moment for Mark as he had first started his career here. He was instrumental to the leadership of the hotel to re-establish through an expansion of 58 extra rooms and 51 lodges and 2 extra food and beverage outlets.

In his spare time he loves to explore new restaurants and food trends, he also enjoys sports such as rugby, golf, football and boxing. Mark has relocated in nearby Auchtermuchty with his partner and their labrador Darcy.

Houssem started his career at a young age in his native Tunisia selling souvenirs to tourists, this started his love of hospitality and travel. He has worked his way through a variety of roles before becoming a guest service manager at the age of 19. The opportunity to move to Scotland and to join the team at Gleneagles was incredible giving him the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world and allowed him to showcase his enviable language skills. Houssem has been very fortunate to be part of the team helping to host many major global events like the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup and Senior Open.

Reflecting on his time at Gleneagles, Houssem is filled with gratitude for the growth, achievements, and unforgettable experiences. It has been a dream come true to work in such a unique and luxurious environment creating life long memories.

Houssem is thrilled to share his excitement about the future and the new opportunities that lie ahead at Seaton House. Being part of the opening team for this unique hotel is a dream come true and he looks forward to creating unforgettable experiences in the home of golf.