Brand Veteran Will Return to Lead Wyndham Hotels and Resorts

By: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts | 0 Shares 179 Reads

February 11, 2009 // Franchising.com // Parsippany, N.J. — Wyndham Hotel Group today announced the appointment of Jeff Wagoner, a 25–year lodging industry veteran, as president of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, responsible for the portfolio of managed and franchised upscale Wyndham® hotels and the franchised midscale Wingate® by Wyndham chain.

Wagoner will succeed Peter Strebel, who is stepping down after nearly four years with the brand and eight years with the company to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests.

The appointment marks a homecoming for Wagoner, who served the former Wyndham International from 1998 to 2004. As senior vice president of operations, he oversaw more than 100 Wyndham and Wyndham Garden hotels with responsibility for operations, strategic planning, revenue generation, profit performance and capital planning.

During that time, he spearheaded the creation of Wyndham ByRequest, the chain's personalized frequent guest program. He also oversaw relations with hotel owners, new property integration, the company's relationship with 10 Shula's on–site restaurants and hotel standards compliance.

"Jeff Wagoner brings to our organization a profound understanding of the culture and philosophies that established the Wyndham brand," said Eric Danziger, Wyndham Hotel Group president and chief executive officer. "His success growing other companies will help build on the Wyndham brand's solid business platform and take us to a new level."

Most recently, Wagoner was chief operating officer of WhiteFence, a privately held online comparison–shopping marketplace for residential home services. Prior to that, he was senior vice president of sales at ZipRealty Inc., a publicly traded, nationwide residential real estate brokerage firm. Earlier in his career, he held management roles with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc and Marriott International Inc.

Wagoner will begin work on February 23, 2009 and will relocate from Houston, Texas to Wyndham Hotel Group's Parsippany, N.J. offices.

Strebel, who led the Wyndham brand since 2005, oversaw expansion of the Wyndham resort portfolio in the Caribbean and Mexico and introduced new interior designs, in–room products and prototypes.

From 2001 to 2005, he served Wyndham Hotel Group as senior vice president of sales and marketing, then executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Strebel directed the launch of the company's TripRewards® loyalty program — since renamed Wyndham Rewards® — the largest of its type in the lodging industry, based on the number of participating hotels.

Wyndham Hotel Group, one of three principal components of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), encompasses nearly 7,000 hotels representing approximately 583,000 rooms in 66 countries under the Wyndham®, Ramada®, Days Inn®, Super 8®, Wingate® by Wyndham, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Microtel Inns and Suites®, Hawthorn Suites®, Howard Johnson®, Travelodge®, Knights Inn® and AmeriHost Inn® brands. All hotels are owned individually and operated independently or by Wyndham Hotel Management.