LONDON -- Hilton
Group appointed Ian Carter, currently president of Black &
Decker Corp.s Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia division, as
chief executive of Hilton International Hotels.
Hilton
International operates 405 hotels, with 263 branded Hilton, 47 in
the Hilton Worldwide Resorts brand, plus 142 under the mid-market
Scandic brand.
Carters
background includes stints with General Electric (working both in
Europe and the U.S.) and Low & Bonar, a London-based company
that manufactures plastics and other materials.
Carter, who also
will have a seat on the Hilton Groups board of directors, assumes
his position on Feb. 1. He succeeds Anthony Harris, who passed
away. Carter will report to David Michels, the Hilton Groups chief
executive.
Like other hotel
chains, the Hilton Group has been buffeted the soft economy and the
lingering effects of the travel slump that occurred in the wake of
9/11.
I am confident
that his particular strengths and objectivity will play an
important role as the recovery of our sector continues, said
Michels in a statement.
Clearly, the
industry has faced some real challenges in the past few years but I
hope to be able to bring a fresh look to the business while at the
same time continuing to build upon the strengths already in place,
Carter said.
Hilton
International is an operating division of the U.K. based Hilton
Group, which owns the rights to the Hilton brand name throughout
the world, with the exception of the U.S. where the Hilton brand is
owned and managed by Hilton Hotels Corp.
To contact
the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to Michael
Milligan at [email protected].