New President, Americas Regio

RNS Number : 2348K

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

16 December 2008

 



IHG ANNOUNCES JIM ABRAHAMSON AS 

NEW PRESIDENT, AMERICAS REGION

December 16, 2008: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC ("IHG") [LON: IHG; NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] announces the appointment of Jim Abrahamson as President of its Americas region, effective 5 January 2009.

Jim takes over from Richard Solomons, Interim President of the Americas and Finance Director for the group. Richard has been running the region since July of this year, when Steve Porter sadly had to step down due to ill health, subsequently passing away. Jim will report to Andrew Cosslett, Chief Executive, and join the Group Executive Committee. Richard will continue to work closely with Jim to ensure a smooth transition, returning as planned to his full-time role as Group Finance Director, effective from 5 January 2009.

Jim joins IHG from Global Hyatt Corporation, where he served as Head of Development, The Americas. In this role he was responsible for the development of all Hyatt brands in the region and the Franchise Owner Relations Group supporting its full service and select service franchise hotels. Jim also played a key part in Global Hyatt's entry into new markets and segments, leading on the acquisitions of AmeriSuites and Summerfield Suites and developing new concepts Hyatt Place and Hyatt Summerfield Suites. Jim oversaw all aspects of operations, franchising and development for these two new brands. More recently, Jim had been tasked with the strategic planning for the international roll out of Hyatt Place. 

Jim has 30 years of management experience in hotel operations, branding, development and franchisee relations. Previous to Global Hyatt he was President and Chief Operating Officer, Baymont Inns and Woodfield Suites and Senior Vice President, Hilton Hotels Corporation, where he served in a variety of senior management roles during his 12 years with the company. While at Hilton, he led the development and launch of Hilton Garden Inn. Earlier in his career Jim held a number of general management positions for Embassy Suites and Holiday Inn. 

Andrew Cosslett, Chief Executive, said: "Jim is very highly regarded throughout the hotel industry. He has a proven track record of developing and managing leading brands and an intimate knowledge of working within a franchise organization. We are delighted that someone with his unique blend of operational, franchise and development leadership experience is joining our team. I would like to thank Richard Solomons who stepped into the role on a temporary basis under difficult circumstances and has done an outstanding job over the past six months."

Tom Corcoran, Chairman of the IAHI (The Owners Association of IHG), said: "We are now entering a new era with IHG. We will never forget our good friend Steve Porter but we now look to the future and are delighted that we will be working with Jim Abrahamson. He is a highly respected executive with a deep understanding of the hotel business; he has what it takes to manage and develop brands and knows how to work with a large franchisee community. He is a great addition to the IHG team." 

Jim is married with one son. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota.

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations (Heather Wood; Catherine Dolton):	[phone]
Media Affairs (Leslie McGibbon, Emma Corcoran):	[phone]
	[phone]

Notes to Editors:

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 4,100 hotels and more than 600,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with 40 million members worldwide.

IHG has more than 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 200,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office.

 

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