SilverDoor Appoints Shelley Mathews to Lead Business Development Across EMEA and APAC

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September 2, 2026 3:07 PM |

Global corporate serviced apartment provider SilverDoor has appointed Shelley Mathews as Head of Business Development, EMEA & APAC, giving her responsibility for expanding the company’s corporate client relationships and commercial presence across two major international regions.

Mathews joins SilverDoor with immediate effect and will lead the company’s business development strategy across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific (APAC).

She will work with SilverDoor’s wider commercial organisation to strengthen relationships with corporate customers, develop new business opportunities and support the company’s continued international expansion.

The appointment adds more than two decades of business travel and corporate accommodation experience to SilverDoor’s commercial leadership team.

It comes as demand for serviced apartments continues to be supported by corporate relocation programmes, extended business assignments, project work and other forms of longer-term travel.

An experienced commercial leader joins SilverDoor

Mathews brings more than 20 years of experience in business travel and corporate accommodation to her new position.

Most recently, she served as Chief Revenue Officer at Take2Eton, where her responsibilities centred on commercial performance and revenue growth.

Before that, she held senior commercial leadership positions at CTM and ATPI, two established businesses within the corporate travel sector.

Across these roles, Mathews has developed and led sales and business development teams, managed commercial pipelines and built partnerships spanning multiple markets.

Her experience includes sales strategy, pipeline development and P&L ownership, giving her exposure to both the operational and financial sides of commercial growth.

That background is relevant to SilverDoor’s current ambitions because corporate serviced accommodation requires a strong understanding of how travel buyers evaluate suppliers, manage accommodation programmes and balance cost with flexibility and service quality.

Why the EMEA and APAC role matters

The new role covers two geographically diverse regions with substantial corporate travel markets.

EMEA includes established business travel centres across Europe and the Middle East, alongside rapidly developing markets in Africa.

APAC encompasses major corporate and financial hubs such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne and Tokyo, as well as a wider network of markets supporting multinational businesses.

Corporate accommodation requirements can vary considerably between these locations.

Companies may need apartments for employees relocating internationally, teams working on temporary projects, consultants undertaking extended assignments or staff requiring accommodation for longer business stays.

A regional business development strategy must therefore account for differences in local supply, corporate travel policies, pricing, customer expectations and market maturity.

Mathews’ international commercial background gives her experience working across multiple markets, which is likely to be particularly relevant to this remit.

Serviced apartments are increasingly important to corporate travel

Serviced apartments occupy a distinctive position within the business travel ecosystem.

Unlike conventional hotel rooms, they are generally designed to provide a more residential environment and can offer features such as separate living spaces and kitchen facilities.

These characteristics can make them particularly suitable for extended stays, relocations and project-based assignments.

For businesses, longer accommodation requirements can also create different commercial considerations from conventional short hotel stays.

A company relocating an employee for several weeks or months may prioritise space, practicality, location and consistency of service rather than simply selecting a hotel based on nightly room rates.

Similarly, project teams may require multiple units in the same property or location for an extended period.

SilverDoor’s corporate accommodation model is focused on serving these requirements.

Mathews will focus on partnerships and growth

A central part of Mathews’ role will be strengthening SilverDoor’s relationships with existing corporate customers while identifying new commercial opportunities.

Her previous experience includes developing long-term partnerships and building high-performing sales organisations.

That is important in corporate accommodation, where client relationships can extend well beyond individual bookings.

Corporate buyers may require accommodation in multiple cities and countries, making supplier reliability and geographical coverage important considerations.

A provider must be able to respond consistently as clients’ travel programmes change.

For SilverDoor, expanding its corporate client base across EMEA and APAC will therefore involve more than generating individual bookings. It will require developing relationships with companies that have recurring and potentially international accommodation needs.

SilverDoor looks to deepen its global presence

The appointment comes as SilverDoor continues to expand across its global markets.

The company supports corporate clients booking serviced apartments for relocation, project work and extended stays.

These segments can create recurring demand because multinational companies frequently move employees, deploy teams temporarily or establish operations in new locations.

Global mobility has also become more complex.

Employees may relocate for longer periods, companies may operate distributed teams and project-based work can require accommodation in cities where staff would not normally be based.

This creates opportunities for corporate accommodation providers that can combine local market knowledge with international reach.

SilverDoor’s expansion strategy appears designed around that combination.

Corporate clients increasingly expect a global service

Multinational companies often prefer suppliers capable of supporting employees across several destinations.

Using multiple accommodation providers can increase administrative complexity for corporate travel departments and mobility teams.

A global serviced apartment provider can potentially simplify that process by giving clients access to accommodation across a wider network.

However, global coverage also creates expectations around consistency.

Corporate customers need confidence that booking processes, account management, support and accommodation standards will remain dependable across different markets.

Mathews’ remit will involve working with SilverDoor’s commercial team to strengthen that proposition throughout EMEA and APAC.

Her experience spans sales, partnerships and financial management

One of the strongest aspects of Mathews’ background is the breadth of her commercial responsibilities.

Her career has included leadership of sales and business development teams, responsibility for revenue growth and development of major partnerships.

She has also worked with P&L responsibility.

This combination provides a broader perspective than a purely sales-focused background.

For a corporate accommodation provider, commercial growth must be balanced against profitability, client retention, supply costs and service delivery.

A business development leader therefore needs to understand not only how to win customers, but also how to build sustainable commercial relationships.

Mathews’ previous positions have exposed her to those different dimensions.

SilverDoor strengthens its commercial leadership

The appointment also supports SilverDoor’s broader commercial organisation under Claire Barrie, Chief Commercial Officer.

Barrie said Mathews brings extensive experience in building commercial teams and long-term client relationships, while understanding the requirements of corporate customers.

Her comments highlight the strategic value SilverDoor places on Mathews’ knowledge of corporate travel and accommodation.

The company is effectively adding a senior executive whose experience connects customer requirements with sales strategy and commercial execution.

That could become increasingly valuable as corporate travel buyers become more sophisticated in how they assess accommodation suppliers.

What corporate travellers need from serviced accommodation

The requirements of business travellers staying for extended periods differ from those of traditional leisure visitors.

Location remains important, but so do practical considerations such as space, facilities, connectivity and the ability to maintain a comfortable routine over a longer stay.

For employers, other factors can include duty of care, booking support, invoicing, policy compliance and the ability to manage accommodation in multiple markets.

Relocation programmes can create particularly complex requirements because employees may be moving between countries or cities while waiting for permanent housing.

Project teams can also require several apartments simultaneously, sometimes at short notice.

These are the types of requirements that make corporate serviced accommodation a specialised segment of the wider travel industry.

EMEA and APAC offer different growth opportunities

SilverDoor’s combined EMEA and APAC remit gives Mathews a broad commercial territory.

Europe remains a major centre for international business, while Middle Eastern cities have become increasingly important hubs for finance, aviation, technology and international investment.

APAC also contains established commercial centres alongside rapidly growing economies.

The diversity of these markets means there is no single corporate accommodation strategy that will work everywhere.

Local partnerships, inventory availability and client demand can vary considerably.

Mathews will therefore need to combine regional strategy with market-specific execution.

Her previous experience across multiple markets could support that approach as SilverDoor looks for new clients and deeper relationships with existing customers.

A changing corporate travel environment

The corporate travel sector has changed significantly in recent years.

Companies have become more selective about travel expenditure while continuing to send employees on assignments where in-person presence remains necessary.

At the same time, extended stays can be driven by international expansion, relocation, infrastructure projects, consulting assignments and temporary workforce requirements.

These patterns create a different demand profile from short business trips.

Serviced apartments can provide an alternative to conventional hotel accommodation for employees who need to stay away from home for longer periods.

The sector’s growth therefore depends partly on the continued evolution of corporate mobility and international business activity.

Mathews’ immediate priorities

In her comments following the appointment, Mathews said she was looking forward to strengthening SilverDoor’s client partnerships and identifying new growth opportunities across EMEA and APAC.

Her immediate focus is therefore expected to combine client development, partnership growth and regional business expansion.

She also highlighted SilverDoor’s reputation for understanding corporate clients and providing a global service.

Maintaining that reputation while expanding will be an important part of her mandate.

Growth can place pressure on sales teams, account management and service delivery, making coordination between commercial and operational functions essential.

What the appointment means for SilverDoor

Mathews’ appointment strengthens SilverDoor’s ability to pursue corporate business across two strategically important regions.

Her background at Take2Eton, CTM and ATPI gives her experience across business travel, commercial leadership, sales strategy and partnership development.

That experience is closely aligned with SilverDoor’s target customer base.

The company is not simply selling accommodation to leisure travellers. Its clients often require a managed solution for employees who need housing during relocations, project assignments or extended business stays.

That makes relationship management and an understanding of corporate travel policy particularly important.

Mathews’ expertise could therefore help SilverDoor deepen its position within the corporate accommodation market while expanding its reach across international business centres.