Another executive specializing in luxury hotels has left Starwood for a rival company.
In September, Tina Edmundson will join Marriott as senior vice president of lifestyle brands and Renaissance operations, a newly created role.
Edmundson comes to Marriott from Starwood Hotels & Resorts, where she most recently served as senior vice president of brand operations for Starwood's luxury group. She was responsible for defining and executing strategies to establish the W brand.
At Marriott, Edmundson will lead brand strategy and operations and help provide marketing oversight for the Renaissance and Renaissance Club Sport brands.
She will also provide strategic oversight and operational direction for Edition, Marriott's new lifestyle brand. Edition is being developed in collaboration with Ian Schrager and plans to open its first hotel in 2009.
In June, Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani left Starwood for Hilton. Klein and Lalvani were instrumental in the development of Starwood's luxury brands (including W). Hilton hired both men to increase the company's presence in the luxury and lifestyle hotel sectors.