14-Year Starwood Veteran Chris Holdren Tapped to Lead Digital, Loyalty and Partnerships
STAMFORD, Conn.–August 6, 2015– Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced that Mark Vondrasek has been promoted to the role of Senior Vice President of Commercial Services. As the leader of this newly created division, Vondrasek, a 14-year Starwood veteran, will oversee the Starwood Sales Organization and Revenue Management globally, in addition to Distribution, Loyalty and Partnerships.
“We are fortunate to have a deep bench of talent within Starwood and we are delighted that Mark will take on additional and critical revenue-generating functions within our company,” said Adam Aron, Chief Executive Officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts on an interim basis. “The creation of Commercial Services allows us to look holistically at the enterprise value of our global sales accounts, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members and new and emerging guests, and customers to create outsized loyalty and drive more high-value business to our hotels.”
In his new role, Vondrasek will lead an organization of more than 7,500 associates around the globe, responsible for the innovative, award-winning SPG program, 10 Customer Contact Centers, mobile applications, digital initiatives, business-to-business sales strategy, revenue management and sales.
During his tenure at Starwood, Vondrasek spearheaded industry-changing initiatives in loyalty such as SPG Keyless, SPGPro, Your24, SPG Lifetime, Delta Crossover Rewards, and SPG Preferences. He has also overseen Starwood’s strategic marketing partnerships, including a long-standing, co-branded credit card alliance with American Express as well as high profile entertainment partnerships. Across Starwood brands, these partnerships – Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Coca Cola, Mercedes AMG Petronas, and Uber, among others – offer guests access and experiences like no other through SPG Moments.
Joining Starwood in 2001, Vondrasek’s responsibilities have significantly expanded over his tenure. Prior to Starwood, he worked at Fidelity Investments. Vondrasek earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and a Masters in Business Administration from Loyola University in Chicago.
Starwood also announced a new and expanded role for Chris Holdren, Senior Vice President of Distribution, Loyalty and Partnerships, who reports to Vondrasek. Holdren, who began his career with Starwood in 2001, will assume day-to-day leadership of SPG, Digital, Marketing Partnerships and Consumer Insight and Analytics.
“Chris’s enhanced role is a testament to his successful track record at Starwood and plays to his strengths in loyalty and digital where we continue to innovate and distinguish Starwood from our competitors,” said Vondrasek.
