Aimbridge Hospitality introduced that Craig S. Smith will be a part of the worldwide hospitality administration firm as CEO, efficient March 18, 2024. As solely the third CEO in Aimbridge’s historical past, Smith is predicted to leverage many years of operational expertise and management with Marriott Worldwide to solidify Aimbridge’s place within the trade. Having begun his hospitality profession in resort operations, Smith was a common supervisor earlier than being tapped for government spots in a number of worldwide markets, rising to guide the worldwide enterprise earlier than he retired from the model.
As group president and managing director—worldwide, Smith was answerable for the division and:
- Oversaw greater than 2,500 accommodations worldwide—two-thirds of which have been brand-managed—throughout 28 manufacturers in 136 nations and territories
- Led a workforce of greater than 230,000 resort and regional help middle associates with accountability for operations, improvement, model acquisitions, gross sales and advertising and marketing, authorized, and human assets throughout the worldwide enterprise
- Spearheaded the realignment and resourcing of the corporate’s worldwide markets, together with reorganizing the division into 4 autonomous areas, leading to development and $23 billion in gross sales
- Supplied oversight of 4 worldwide presidents and their groups with ends in driving topline development, GOP, visitor satisfaction, and affiliate tradition; and
- Served as lead strategist for Marriott’s world development plan and managed a improvement pipeline of greater than 1,000 tasks all over the world, together with new and rising markets
With a standpoint on working requirements and main complicated, world companies, Smith is predicted to leverage his expertise to design and speed up plans at Aimbridge that put the final supervisor on the middle, drive worth at scale, end in property efficiency, and develop the corporate’s tradition.
“Aimbridge’s status as a trusted world resort operator and the crew’s want to outperform at each flip is what excites me about taking over the CEO function,” mentioned Smith. “There’s nonetheless large alternative to reinforce our service providing to constantly ship excellent outcomes for our homeowners and additional drive model growth throughout all verticals domestically and overseas. As we go ahead, we’ll put even higher emphasis on strengthening operations and simplifying our strategy to be constructed across the common supervisor, activating operational efficiencies that leverage our scale and create materials worth for us and our companions, and doubling down on our dedication to recruit, develop, and practice the perfect folks within the trade, together with serving to the following technology of expertise thrive.”
The corporate introduced it was additionally making adjustments to its board of managers that can present help to Smith and extra CEO-level hospitality expertise.
Efficient instantly, Steve Joyce, who joined the Aimbridge board in November 2023, will assume the function of government chairman.
Joyce, with greater than 4 many years of multi-brand and franchisee expertise together with as president and CEO of Alternative Lodges Worldwide, is predicted to work with Smith and the corporate’s senior administration crew to advance strategic plans, together with finalizing the beforehand introduced streamlined construction in the US and broaden the corporate’s world footprint.
“There isn’t any doubt in my thoughts that Aimbridge can—and will probably be—the perfect third-party operator on the planet, and it begins with embedding a seasoned chief with a deep observe report of driving outsized efficiency throughout all key metrics—that’s Craig S. Smith,” mentioned Joyce. “Should you have a look at what Craig has achieved throughout his 35-year profession as a hospitality chief, it’s clear that he is aware of how you can develop successful methods, set superior operational requirements, and most critically, inspire and activate groups to get the perfect out of his folks. In my function as government chairman, I stay up for supporting Craig as we take Aimbridge to the following degree and work to ship the perfect product providing the trade has seen up to now.”
Joyce succeeds Glenn Murphy who has served as chairman since 2019 and can stay on the board.
Becoming a member of Joyce and Murphy on the board is Michael Barnello, managing companion and founding father of Badlands Lodge Capital and the previous president and CEO of LaSalle Lodge Properties. The corporate expects to faucet into Barnello’s understanding of the hospitality actual property market and leverage his standpoint because it appears to be like towards development and construct out its newly introduced Proprietor Relations crew, together with standing up an Homeowners Advisory Council.
