W Sydney has announced the appointment of three industry leaders to its management team, ahead of the property’s opening in October 2023.

Culinary director Richard Millar, director of rooms Christopher Stedman and hotel manager Judd Rabbidge join the hotel’s general manager Craig Seaward and director of sales and marketing Roxanne Markovina to spearhead the hotel’s launch and operations.

The hotel is expected to bring a new energy of design, innovation and creativity to the city, with the management team taking charge of creating extraordinary stays for guests.

“Talent are the key to delivering the W brand experience, and we’ve assembled some of the country’s most passionate talent to power the opening and ongoing operation of W Sydney,” Seaward said.

“We are thrilled to welcome Richard Millar, Christopher Stedman, and Judd Rabbidge, who are all leaders in their respective fields with extensive luxury and lifestyle hotel backgrounds, both in Australia and abroad. They will be working collectively to ensure W Sydney delivers exceptional experiences for our hotel guests and visitors.”

Bringing more than 30 years of experience in 5-star hotels, luxury and lifestyle resorts and restaurants across Australia and Asia-Pacific, Richard Millar will work to shape the W Sydney culinary experience for its venues, rooms, and suites. An executive chef and a passionate foodie, his impressive career highlights include stints as director of cuisine at W Bali-Seminyak and pre-opening director of culinary at W Kuala Lumpur.

Christopher Stedman is a manager with in-depth experience in luxury hotels and resorts across Australia and Asia and has worked as general manager of the all-villa Vinpearl Luxury Nha Trang Resort, Vietnam and director of rooms for The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur and Primus Hotel Sydney (Kimpton Margot Sydney).

Previously the Director of Sales & Marketing for W Bali and Director of Sales for One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives, Judd Rabbidge is a man with a passion for building hospitality brands who said working within the W Sydney team was a dream come true.

“The opportunity to open the largest W hotel in the world, in one of the best global cities, comes along once in a lifetime,” Rabbidge said.

“The W brand is all about people and its hotels have a vibrant energy like no other. W Sydney will be a magnet for talent and it’s exciting to be a part of the changing 5-star hotel landscape in Sydney.”