Meet our Management Board, the dynamic team of industry veterans who bring their diverse expertise to guide Arena Hospitality Group towards unparalleled success and growth.
President of the Management Board
Mr Slonim joined Arena Hospitality Group as Executive Director in 2008. His previous role was as Vice President of Operations & Development and board member of Isrotel Hotels and Resorts, one of Israel’s leading hospitality companies. Prior to that, Mr Slonim was Vice President Marketing & Sales after having served for ten years as General Manager of 5-Star resort hotels.
Since joining Arena Hospitality Group in 2008, he has led a programme of major transformations which include the renovation, upgrading and rebranding of six properties (1,200 rooms) and the growth in EBITDA from €4.0 million in 2008 to €18.0 million in 2016.
At the same time, several of the Group’s IT systems were updated and a management and training culture has been introduced, which has resulted in Arena Hospitality Group being recognised as a leading hospitality company in Croatia. Mr Slonim is an active member of the Pula and Medulin Tourist Board, in the community of Medulin and city of Pula and in culture and sports associations.
Member of the Management Board and Chief Financial Officer
Devansh Bakshi joined Arena Hospitality Group in 2019 as Board member and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that he worked as Group Finance Director for Arora Group, which is a diverse real estate business managing hotels, construction and commercial property portfolio in the UK. In 2011 he joined PPHE Hotel Group and worked for over five years as a Regional Financial Controller for the UK region. He has over 25 years of hospitality experience covering various disciplines of finance, real estate & construction. He is instrumental in ongoing group’s financial activities for redevelopment and new acquisitions. Consolidating of support functions and technology upgrade for group wide optimisation of resources and organisational efficiency. Leads group compliance (including ESG), governance and enterprise risk management. He has a particular focus on investor relations and capital market activities. Mr Bakshi holds a Hotel Management degree, an MBA in International Business and is a qualified Fellow Chartered Management Accountant from United Kingdom.
Member of the Management Board & Chief Operation Officer
Edi Pinto started his hospitality career as General Manager in hotel operations, working for ‘’Isrotel’’ hotel chain for more than 20 years. Edi Pinto has rich experience in the hotel industry with extensive knowledge in establishing cooperation with large businesses and organizational bodies and fostering community ties at the municipal level.
He recently worked as Resort Consultant & Owner Representative, managing all required opening procedures for a new holiday resort. Providing support to the owner in regards of financial issues, establishing budgets, developing, regulations, standards, terms, documentation, processes, handling requirements and inventories.
Mr Pinto joined Arena Hospitality Group in March 2020.
Member of the Management Board and Marketing and Sales Director
Mrs Manuela Kraljević joined the Arena Hospitality Group as Sales and Marketing Director in 2009, after six years as Sales and Marketing Director for Croatia for the renowned Sol Meliá hotel chain. Many years of business experience in the hotel industry with international companies (previously Sol Meliá, now PPHE) leads her to develop creative solutions for challenges in tourism.
Since joining the Arena Hospitality Group, Mrs Kraljević has positioned the company at the very top of the Croatian tourism market through the repositioning of renovated facilities, the modernization and development of the Sales and Marketing Department, and the introduction of revenue management business functions. Her contribution in the segment of internet business modernization was of vital importance for the development of the company. She adopts and supports innovative technological solutions, which facilitates the transition of the Group into a modern and agile company.She leads the team that develops special business segments, from the leasure to the business segment. Under her leadership, development and implementation of marketing and sales strategies, the company gains market share in Croatia, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Serbia. Mrs Kraljević also manages the Group's responsible business segment (ESG).
She is a member of Pula and Medulin Tourist and the Economic Council of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce for the County of Istria. The company's marketing achievements have been awarded the Golden Goat award several times. Mrs Kraljević received a prestigious award for successful work in 2022 and the title of Manager of the Year from the Croatian Association of Business Women Krug.