Starwood Names Coll North America President

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. -- Hotels, 4/2/2008 8:14:00 AM

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) has promoted Denise Coll to President of its North America Division, the largest of the Company’s operating divisions generating more than $9 billion in revenue.   In her new role, Coll, who most recently served as Senior Vice President of Operations for the Division, will oversee operations, sales and marketing for more than 450 hotels in the U.S., Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas, French Polynesia and British West Indies.  She reports to Matt Ouimet, President Hotel Group

“In addition to her exceptional track record as one of the hotel industry’s most seasoned and successful operators,  Denise has spent most of her career with Starwood and Sheraton, has a deep understanding of the organization and its culture and continues to earn respect and admiration from all with whom she works,” said Ouimet. 

Coll began her career in hospitality 30 years ago with ITT Sheraton Corporation serving as a reservation manager at the Sheraton Boston Hotel in 1977.  She quickly rose through the ranks working in a variety of increasingly senior technology, human resources and operating roles including Director of User Design and Training; Vice President and Area Managing Director; Vice President, Director of Staff Services and Senior Vice President and Area Director of Operations, North America Division.  In 1998, Coll joined Boston’s Seaport Companies, a subsidiary of Fidelity, as Chief Operating Officer and in 2003 was named Senior Vice President/General Manager overseeing the Seaport Hotel & Seaport World Trade Center.  In 2004, Coll joined Starwood Hotels & Resorts as Regional Vice President of Operations for New England and was ultimately promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations for the North America Division in 2005. 

Ms. Coll earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Simmons College. She has served as Chairman of the Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau and currently serves on the advisory boards for the Boston University School of Hotel Administration and the University of Amherst.