In her new role, Ms. Hatch will oversee all aspects of Starwood's ultra-luxe St. Regis brand and The Luxury Collection, comprised of some of the world's most revered and celebrated hotels. With overall P&L responsibility for the two brands, Hatch will oversee operations, marketing, development and brand-building among other responsibilities. 

"Kerry is that rare executive who is both an exceptional operator and marketer. I'm delighted to have her at the helm of our luxury products, which have huge upside potential for the company, as we further define and differentiate our brands and rapidly grow our footprint around the globe," said Mr. Heyer. "During her more than two decades at American Express, Kerry took her business units and made them market leaders and important contributors to American Express. Kerry knows how to work in a large organization yet possesses an entrepreneurial drive and a passion for winning which is culturally on point with the Starwood we are building." 

Most recently Ms. Hatch was Chief Executive Officer of GoodTimes Entertainment, one of the largest independent home video distribution companies in America. Prior to joining GoodTimes in 2004, Ms. Hatch spent 22 years with American Express. In her last role there, she was President of OPEN: The Small Business Network from American Express, serving as the leader behind what was the first sub-brand in the history of American Express. Prior to joining the small business division, Ms. Hatch was Senior Vice President of customer acquisition for consumer cards and co-head of US Consumer Card Marketing. During her tenure she also served in the Establishment Services Group where she was Senior Vice President for business development. She joined American Express in 1982 as a member of the company's Travel unit. 

Ms. Hatch, who lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband Edward and two sons, received a MBA from the Columbia University School of Business and a BA in Economics from the University of Colorado. She has received numerous honors during her career including a "STAR" award from the New York Woman's Agenda in 2003. In 2002, the U.S. Small Business Administration New York District Office named Ms. Hatch "Women in Business Advocate of the Year" and she also received the 2002 B2B Marketer of the Year from B2B Magazine. 

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts includes the world's most celebrated and honored hotels and resorts. As its landmark St. Regis Hotel, New York celebrates its 100th anniversary, the company will unveil highly anticipated St. Regis properties in San Francisco (November, 2005), Fort Lauderdale (December 2005), Anguilla (2007), Deer Valley (2007), Singapore (2007), Bali (2007) and Bal Harbour (2008) that will further extend the brand's legacy as the preeminent hotel group. The Luxury Collection is an elite group of 74 of the world's finest hotels and resorts in 27 countries featuring revered properties including The Phoenician, The Hotel Grand Bretagne and The Hotel Imperial. 

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 750 properties in more than 80 countries and 120,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood® corporation is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton®, Westin®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and W®, Hotels and Resorts as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc
     K.C. Kavanagh, 914-640-8339
     [email protected]