Tan-Hardy is expected to join on March 11. He left Singapore tycoon Kwek Leng Beng's hotel group, Millennium & Copthorne, where he served as senior vice president sales and marketing based in Singapore for the last three years, in mid-February.
Sources said the new job as Hong Kong Disneyland's vice-president of marketing and sales was a coup for Tan-Hardy as the entertainment giant normally recruited from within for positions at that level. It is understood that Tan-Hardy's past marketing experience outside of the hospitality industry was key to him securing the position. Tan-Hardy also worked at Visa International and American Express, and major US hotel chain Six Continents Hotels.
He is expected to take charge of marketing the theme park and the two hotels in the Disney compound on Lantau Island.
Tan-Hardy declined to comment on the appointment. But he has his job cut out: At a groundbreaking ceremony last month, Disney executives said they expected the US$2.8 billion theme park to turn a profit after four years of operation, with around 10 million visitors a year.
