Choice Hotels | November 18, 2020

ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 17, 2020 — Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors, has announced three new leaders to advance the company’s corporate priorities and drive growth.

These include:

  • Jonathan Mills joins Choice Hotels as chief executive officer for Choice Hotels Europe, where he will oversee the company’s continued investments in Europe for franchisees and guests. In this position, Mills is responsible for setting the strategic and operational direction for the company in Europe with a goal of driving growth and performance. He will lead all business and franchising operations for the region, including development, franchise operations, corporate sales, marketing, franchise relations and finance. Additionally, he will oversee and support over 430 franchised properties in more than 20 countries. Mills has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, leading strategic growth initiatives and performance for global companies. He joins Choice Hotels from Wyndham Destinations, where he served as managing director of Resorts Condominiums International, Asia Pacific and Dial An Exchange, Global. Prior to that, he worked at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) as head of operations for Holiday Inn Express and IHG Shared Services Asia Australasia. He previously held sales and marketing leadership roles at Hilton and Forte & Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, among other companies. An award-winning hospitality professional, Mills attended Southfields College in Leicestershire, England. Mills will be based in Amsterdam, where he will lead Choice’s growing Pan-European leadership team.

 

  • Olivier Macpherson has been appointed as regional finance director, Choice Hotels Europe, a position supporting the company’s continued investments in the region. In this role, he will lead all financial and administrative functions for Choice’s Europe operations, including accounting, financial planning and analysis, tax, and treasury operations. With more than 20 years of corporate finance experience, Macpherson most recently served as regional finance director for Michael Page International in Northern Europe and Germany. He will be based in Amsterdam reporting directly to Mills, and will be part of Choice’s pan-European leadership team. Under Mills’ leadership, the pan-European leadership structure will set the foundation to drive financially and operationally sound investments and growth in the region. Macpherson studied law at Leiden University and business economics at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht in the Netherlands, as well as accountancy and corporate governance in several post graduate programs across Europe.

 

  • Neerav Dudhwala joins Choice Hotels as the head of the Ascend Hotel Collection brand. In this role, he will help elevate the brand’s value proposition and further its leadership position as the first and largest soft brand in the industry. Dudhwala will collaborate with the company’s marketing and distribution department to improve top line revenue for owners, as well as the franchise development team to attract new investment to the collection. Dudhwala comes to Choice following 19 years with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. During his tenure, he held leadership positions in franchise operations and quality, most recently overseeing AmericInn by Wyndham, and worked closely with internal stakeholders and franchisee advisory groups to drive hotel performance and fuel unit growth. Dudhwala attended Pennsylvania State University.

 

Choice Hotels continues to be recognized for workplace achievements. Just this year, Choice was named by Forbes as a Best Employer for Diversity as well as Best Employer for Veterans; earned a top score on Disability:IN’s 2020 Disability Equality Index; and was recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. In July, Choice’s president and chief executive officer, Patrick Pacious, was awarded Comparably’s Best CEOs for Women Award for inspiring, encouraging and supporting women’s voices and contributions in the workplace.