MINNEAPOLIS, December, 2010 - Carlson, a privately held, global hospitality and travel company, today announced three senior-level appointments for Carlson Hotels, Americas in support of its Ambition 2015 strategy. The executive appointments were made in the areas of owned and managed hotel operations, technical services and development in Latin America. All three leaders will report to Thorsten Kirschke, president, Carlson Hotels, Americas.

"These organizational changes are being made to strengthen our emphasis on operational excellence across our owned, managed and franchised hotels and further accelerate our growth," said Kirschke.  "All the appointed leaders have extensive experience and impressive accomplishments in their respective areas of expertise, which will further enhance our momentum in the region."

Javier Rosenberg is joining Carlson as vice president, owned and managed operations, effective on Jan. 3, 2011. His mission will be to drive operational excellence in Carlson's owned and managed portfolio in the U.S., in support of the company's brand-building efforts and real estate value creation.  He most recently served as partner and managing director of Hospitality Knightsbridge Partners in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he led the creation of the hospitality division and assisted in growth and development in Latin America. Prior to that, he was regional director of operations for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in Mexico where he was responsible for the Caribbean region. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality from Boston University in Boston.

Christian Urbat is joining Carlson as senior vice president, Technical Services, Carlson Hotels, Americas, effective Jan. 17, 2011. Urbat will be responsible for translating brand standards into technical standards and providing technical leadership for the owned and managed hotels with a heightened focus on the key flagship hotels under development.  He will also oversee compliance of franchised properties with the agreed upon technical standards, property improvement plans and other strategic investments.  He will provide consultation to owners to ensure alignment with the strategic direction of the brands. Formerly at Hyatt International, he was vice president of Technical Services for Europe, Middle East and Africa in Zurich, Switzerland, responsible for all building- and site-related pre- and post-development activities as well as renovations. Prior to that, he worked for Hyatt in various positions in operations and food & beverage across the U.S., China and Germany. He has a master's degree in Culinary Art and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hotel Management from Hotel Management College in Altotting, Germany.

Jean-Marc Busato, former managing director of Carlson Hotels, Asia Pacific, will immediately assume the role of area vice president, Carlson Hotels, Latin America, based in Mexico City. He will relocate to Mexico City in the first quarter of 2011 and will support the development of Carlson's hotel brands in Latin America and work closely with the company's strategic development partners in the region, including Radisson Hotels Latin America (RHILA) and Atlantica.

About Carlson
Carlson is a privately held, global hospitality and travel company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. Carlson encompasses more than 1,075 hotels, including Radisson®, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson(SM), Park Inn® and Park Plaza®; more than 1,000 restaurants, including T.G.I. Friday's® and Pick Up Stix®; and a majority stake in Carlson Wagonlit Travel®, the global leader in business travel management. Carlson operates in more than 150 countries and its brands employ about 150,000 people.  http://www.carlson.com