Colleagues,

It is with great sadness that I have to tell you Steve Porter, President of the Americas region for IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) passed away peacefully at home last night, in Los Angeles.  

Our thoughts are with his wife Francey, his two sons Steve Jr. and Charlie and the whole family.

Steve was an outstanding individual. A man of complete integrity and one of the leading hoteliers of his generation, he was enthusiastic and passionate in everything he did. He was, in every sense, a real �people person� and felt as comfortable in the break room as he did in the boardroom. 

A 32-year veteran of the hospitality industry and graduate of Miami University (Ohio), he received his Master of Business Administration degree from Xavier University. He began his career in the hospitality industry in 1976 with Stouffer Hotels. From 1990 to 2001, he worked for Hilton Hotels Corporation in a number of senior management roles.

Steve joined IHG in 2001 as Chief Operating Officerfor the Americas. In 2002 he assumed the role of President. During his time at IHG, he led a fantastic team who together have built IHG�s Americas operation into a dominant force in the region. Under his leadership, IHG acquired its sixth brand, Candlewood Suites, and launched its seventh brand, Hotel Indigo, the industry�s first branded boutique hotel.

A big believer in making a difference both professionally and personally, Steve served as an industry expert at various conferences and was very active with many philanthropic organisations. His popularity and innovative thinking meant he was constantly in demand to appear at events across IHG�s  Americas region. 

He was on the Board of Directors of the IAHI Owner�s Association and was a member and past Chairman of the Business Advisory Council for the Richard T. Farmer School of Business at Miami University. He was immediate past Chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association Government Affairs Committee and served as Executive-in-Residence at the University of Tennessee. 

In 2006, Steve was named Chairman of the Discover America Partnership, an effort led by some of America's foremost business leaders to strengthen the country's image around the globe. He was also named Vice Chairman of the Travel Business Roundtable, whose mission it is to educate elected officials about the important economic and social contributions of the travel and tourism industry. Steve was also very active with UNICEF, the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, the United Way and the Center for Elimination of Violence in the Family. 

In 2005, he was awarded the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Corporate Responsibility Award, which honours the company, and in this instance also an individual, that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to philanthropic activity benefiting children. In 2004, he was awarded the B'nai B'rith Community Service Award, and in 2003, he received the prestigious Oglethorpe Sword on behalf of the British American Business Group in recognition of his actions to promote the growth of business between the United Kingdom and State of Georgia. 

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Steve was a graduate of Miami University and received his Master of Business Administration from Xavier University.

A devoted family man, he was a keen singer and loved music. His otherrecreational interests included being, in his words, �a casual jogger, a big swimmer and a miserable golfer.� 

He will be deeply missed by everyone that knew him both professionally and personally. We are working on how to appropriately honour Steve and his legacy and will share those plans with you as we know more. 

If you would like to contribute to honour Steve�s memory, the family has asked any donations in lieu of flowers be donated to the American Cancer Society or Miami University. To donate to the American Cancer Society in honour of Steve, visit http://main.acsevents.org/goto/Steve.Porter 

Donations to Miami University, Steve�s alma mater, can be made online at https://www.pay.onlinecommunity.com/cgi-bin/payment.dll/paycontrib?sitename=MIAMC&htmlfile=contribution.htm

Messages of condolence may be sent through to Steve�s office in Atlanta, or via email to [email protected]. 

Steve built a great team and we can be confident that the region will continue to prosper. We will support each other and work hard to see through his vision and dreams

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
http://www.ihgplc.com