WHITE PLAINS, NY – Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. announced Monday it is restructuring its North American hotel operations around its coveted brands: St. Regis, Luxury Collection, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Four Points Hotels by Sheraton and W Hotels.
Previously, Starwood’s operations were aligned geographically. According to Ted Darnall, President - North America Hotel Operations for Starwood Hotel Group, the new structure is part of a strategy that had been in place for some time. Now it will be implemented.
“It is critical that the operating organization align itself by individual brands in order to honor and protect the integrity of these world-class brands and to better deliver on our brand promises to our guests, employees and owners,” Darnall said.
To accomplish its new brand structure, Starwood's North American Division has created two new positions: Executive Vice President of Sheraton Hotel Operations and Executive Vice President of Westin Hotel Operations.
Randy Kwasniewski, formerly Senior Vice President of Operations, has been named Executive Vice President of Sheraton Hotel Operations, which also includes supervision of the Four Points and Luxury Collection brands.
Norman MacLeod, also a Senior Vice President of Operations, has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Westin Hotel Operations. Each will be responsible for owned, managed and franchised hotels within their brand, and will have several existing Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents of Operations reporting to them. Kwasniewski and MacLeod, who will work closely with the brand managers from their respective brands, will report to Darnall.
In other moves, Paul A. Scott has been named Senior Vice President of Operations for Westin Hotels & Resorts. In this capacity, Scott will oversee the operations of 19 Westin hotels located primarily on the East Coast. He reports to MacLeod.
A 23-year hotel veteran, Scott comes to Starwood from Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, where he served as Regional Vice President of Operations, supervising the company's East Coast properties.
Edward S. Netzhammer was named to the newly created position of Vice President of Global Revenue Management. His responsibilities include managing Starwood's revenue management systems globally, as well as creating a new revenue management system for the millennium.
Netzhammer begins his position Jan. 1, 2000, and will report to Keith Ferrazzi, Starwood's Chief Marketing Officer. Netzhammer has more than 15 years of experience in hotel management at leading properties throughout the United States.