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Cendant�s Hotel Group Consolidates Brand Leadership, Increases Field Support Staff
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PARSIPPANY, N.J. (June 22, 2004) � Cendant Corporation�s Hotel Group today announced an initiative to enhance franchisee service by nearly doubling its field support staff by year�s end, thereby increasing the ratio of field representatives to individual properties and providing unprecedented on-site support.

�We are creating a larger and more effective organization that is more property focused and in which management will be closer to our franchisees,� said Tony Berger, Hotel Group chief operating officer.  �The result will be a coordinated infrastructure designed to enhance service delivery to our franchisees and support RevPAR growth systemwide.�

In support of this initiative, the Hotel Group today announced the following senior staff appointments:

Nancy Poor, an 11-year Cendant veteran who most recently served as president of the Travelodge brand, was named senior vice president, Preferred Client Group, reporting to Berger.  The Preferred Client Group represents more than 1,000 Cendant Hotel Group properties and nearly 20 percent of its system revenue.

�In her new role, Nancy Poor will build on her success working with our franchisees and their advisory boards as well as on her extensive past contributions in marketing,� Berger said.  �Her considerable expertise in working with our key customers will help establish the vision that will help take our Preferred Client Group to the next level.�

Prior to her appointment as Travelodge president in August 2002, Poor served as group vice president of marketing, supporting Cendant�s Days Inn, Ramada, Travelodge and Howard Johnson brands.  From 1997 to 2001, she was Days Inn vice president of marketing, responsible for marketing the brand worldwide.  From 1993 to 1997, Poor served the company as vice president, marketing services, responsible for media buying, market research, creative services and marketing support for Cendant�s hospitality and real estate brands.

Ken Greene, who has served as Howard Johnson president since March 2003, has gained the additional responsibility of Travelodge president.  He reports to Bob Weller, group president.

Prior to being named Howard Johnson president, Greene was Hotel Group senior vice president of administration and operations, responsible for overseeing the Property Openings, Design & Development, Franchise Administration, Reporting & Information Services, Quality Assurance, Hotel Technology Operations and Retention Services departments.

From 2001 to 2002, he was the Hotel Group�s chief financial officer, responsible for the Finance, Hotel Information Technology, Business Strategy and Administration, International Services and Human Resources departments. From 1999 to 2001, he served Cendant�s NRT Inc. affiliate as vice president and chief financial officer-New York metro region.  From 1997 to 1999, he was international services director for Cendant�s Coldwell Banker real estate unit.   From 1996 to 1997 he served the company as director of finance.

Patrick Breen was appointed vice president, strategic planning and business development.  Reporting to Group President Keith Pierce, Breen will provide day-to-day support to the Ramada, Wingate Inn and AmeriHost Inn franchisee advisory boards, monitor franchise development and respond to various franchisee issues.

Breen, a 14-year Cendant veteran, formerly served the Hotel Group for six years as vice president, Preferred Client Group.  From 1990 to 1998 he was director of training for the Ramada Management Institute.  In 1996 he led the development team for Ramada's Personal Best initiative, an award-winning employee retention, training and recognition program.

Keith Pierce, a 14-year Cendant veteran who was named group president in April to oversee the Ramada, Wingate Inn and AmeriHost Inn brands, has assumed the duties of Ramada brand president from Paul Hanley, who had served in that role since March 2002.  Pierce additionally holds the titles of Wingate Inn president, which he was named in February 2000, and AmeriHost Inn president, which he gained in November 2001.

Since joining the company in 1990, Pierce has held several positions of increasing responsibility, including vice president of marketing for the Ramada brand from 1998 to 2000.  During his tenure, Pierce orchestrated a rejuvenation strategy to strengthen the Ramada brand in the upper mid-market hotel segment and helped to more than double the chain's national and regional advertising investment.

Pierce was Wingate Inn vice president of marketing from 1995 to 1998. He joined the company in 1990 as director of marketing for Ramada Franchise Systems, responsible for creating and introducing the Ramada Limited product, managing the regional-share funding program and supporting all national efforts.

Mark Young, senior vice president of operations for the Ramada brand, has gained additional operations responsibility for the AmeriHost Inn brand.

Berger said the consolidation of brand leadership will help �build synergies between brands, identify best practices and, most importantly, provide additional support to our franchisees.�

Cendant Corporation�s Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, N.J., franchises 6,369 hotels representing 513,599 rooms on five continents under the Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Travelodge®, Howard Johnson®, Knights Inn®, Villager, Wingate Inn® and AmeriHost Inn® brands.  All hotels are individually owned and operated under franchise agreements with Cendant subsidiaries.

 

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Contact:

Rich Roberts
Vice President, Communications 
Cendant Corporation, Hotel Group 
(973) 496-0750
[email protected]
www.Cendant.com


 
Also See: Anthony Berger Named Chief Operating Officer Cendant's Hotel Group; Other Appointments Made to Improve Franchisee and Company Value / April 2004
Cendant's Project Restore to Purge Substandard Hotels - 300 Properties Put on Notice; Hotel Group Cutting 15 percent of its Hotel-related Employees / Aug 2002


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