MCLEAN, Va. – Hilton (NYSE:HLT) today announced Craig Dezern has joined the company as Vice President of a newly created team, Brand Communications. In his role, Dezern will lead global communications across Hilton's 14 industry-leading brands as well as for the award-winning Hilton Honors loyalty program. The experienced team Dezern will oversee focuses primarily on reaching consumer audiences around the world through brand storytelling and marketing communications, including the more than 160 million guests Hilton welcomes every year. Dezern will report directly to Katie Beirne Fallon, Hilton's Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs.
Prior to joining Hilton, Dezern spent more than 20 years as a communications leader at the Walt Disney Company. Most recently, Dezern led a team of more than 100 professionals driving earned, owned, social and promotional media campaigns for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a family vacation business that spans three continents and includes six world-class vacation destinations and a top-rated family cruise line. Before joining Disney, Craig was an award-winning journalist for The Orlando Sentinel, earning national accolades for feature writing, environmental reporting and public service.
"Hilton has an incredible story, with a nearly 100-year legacy, more than 5,000 hotels globally, and extraordinary Team Members who are dedicated to fulfilling our mission to be the most hospitable company in the world," said Fallon. "We are thrilled to have Craig joining our team of world-class communicators, to lead us in the telling of that story in an authentic way to our loyal customers and future guests."
A native of Louisville, Ky., Dezern earned his B.A. from Western Kentucky University, with a double major in journalism and English. In 1992, Craig was a journalism fellow at the Yale Law School, earning a Master of Studies in Law. Craig is the professional advisor for the University of Florida Bateman Competition, serves on the board of Historic St. Augustine and recently joined the WKU Department of Communications Advisory Council.
"This is an incredibly exciting time to be joining Hilton as the company's brands continue to exceed expectations and expand globally," said Dezern. "I look forward to leading this exceptional team to inspire even more guests to travel and enjoy the hospitality Hilton is known for around the world."
Dezern joins Hilton's communications leaders Katrina Jones, SVP Team Member & Executive Communications, and Nigel Glennie, VP Corporate Communications in Hilton's headquarters in McLean, Virginia. His appointment to this role coincides with an integration of the Brand and Hilton Honors PR teams into the aligned global communications team for Hilton, which will now encompass all corporate, internal and brand communications.
