PARSIPPANY, N.J. (Feb. 19, 2007) � Joseph R. Kane Jr., CHA , a 42-year
lodging veteran who served Wyndham Hotel Group as a group president for
the last two years and president of Days Inns Worldwide for 11 years, has
announced that he will retire from those positions at the end of
the month and continue his service to the company in a part-time role on
specific projects.
Kane told the more than 1,800 Days Inn® owners and managers attending
their international conference in Las Vegas last week that he will be succeeded
as group president of the Days Inn, Howard Johnson® and Travelodge®
brands by Ken Greene, a 14-year company veteran who currently serves as
president of the Howard Johnson and Travelodge brands.
Kane had advised the company six months ago of his intention to retire
from his current responsibilities this month for a number of the reasons,
including the desire to devote more time to his family and ailing parents.
Joseph R. Kane Jr.
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Ken Greene
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Steven A. Rudnitsky, Wyndham Hotel Group president and chief executive
officer, paid tribute to Kane during the conference by calling him a �consummate
team player� and a �tireless, hard worker� who established and followed
a set of personal core values. �Joe truly loves what he does and,
in return, he is loved and supported by many,� he said.
During Kane�s tenure as Days Inn president, the chain grew into one
of the world�s largest economy lodging brands with nearly 1,900 hotels
representing more than 151,000 rooms on five continents.
He served as 2006 chairman of the board of the American Hotel &
Lodging Association, a 96-year-old dual membership association of state
and city lodging associations throughout the United States, representing
approximately 10,000 property members nationwide, representing more than
1.4 million guest rooms. He will continue to serve AH&LA as its immediate
past chairman.
Anthony L. Berger, Wyndham Hotel Group chief operating officer, said
Greene brings �valuable leadership depth and breadth to his new role,�
adding, �Under Ken�s leadership for the past three years, the Howard Johnson
and Travelodge brands have experienced significant revenue growth and increased
participation in brand initiatives.�
Greene was named president of Howard Johnson International in March
2003 and president of Travelodge Hotels in June 2004. In that role,
he was responsible for the growth and performance of both brands, establishing
the strategic direction, defining brand standards, guiding operations and
overseeing overall management of the brands.
Greene previously served as senior vice president of administration
and operations for Cendant Corporation�s Hotel Group, now Wyndham Hotel
Group, responsible for overseeing its Property Openings, Design and Development,
Franchise Administration, Reporting and Information Services, Quality Assurance,
Hotel Technology Operations and Retention Services departments. Among
his accomplishments, he played a pivotal role implementing Project Restore
and Project De-ID, two critical components of the Hotel Group�s strategic
business plan designed to restore its value proposition.
Wyndham Hotel Group, one of three principal components of Wyndham Worldwide
(NYSE:WYN), encompasses nearly 6,500 franchised hotels and more than 543,000
hotel rooms on six continents under the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®,
Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Wingate Inn®, Travelodge®,
Howard Johnson®, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Knights Inn® and
AmeriHost Inn® brands. All hotels are owned individually and operated
independently or by a Wyndham Hotel Group subsidiary, Wyndham Hotel Management.
Wyndham Hotel Group�s TripRewards® loyalty program is the largest
in the lodging industry based on the number of participating hotels.
The company, based in Parsippany, N.J., employs 1,500 worldwide.
Additional information is available at www.wyndhamworldwide.com.
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