Singapore, May 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) recently announced the appointment of Shannon as Senior Vice President, responsible for investment development in Greater China. Shannon will be based at Starwood’s Greater China headquarters in Shanghai, leading the company’s expansion efforts in the region to further grow its footprint.
Shannon – Senior Vice President, Investment Development in Greater China
Prior to joining Starwood, Shannon worked for 14 years at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, where he served as Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development. He was responsible for business development in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Mongolia. With strong leadership and collaboration skills, Shannon successfully led the development of 65 new Hyatt projects and played a pivotal role in building out the development team. He also successfully launched Hyatt’s select-service brands in the Chinese market.
“Greater China is one of Starwood’s most important and fastest-growing markets, and trends show that both domestic and outbound travel continue to rise rapidly. Shannon is an outstanding leader and the ideal person to head up our efforts in the region,” said Henrik Elmqvist, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific. “Although Starwood is close to reaching the milestone of 150 operating hotels in Greater China, we still have a long way to go. Shannon’s impressive industry credentials and well-regarded track record will contribute significantly to Starwood’s robust growth in the region.”
Senior Vice President, Global Development Matthew Fry said: “Expansion is a key focus for Starwood in 2015. Shannon brings deep expertise, a stellar track record, and strong relationships with hotel owners and developers, which will help us continue to grow in this fast-developing region.”
Shannon’s contributions to Hyatt are particularly well known within the industry, earning him accolades such as “Best Investment & Development President in Asian Hospitality,” “Top 10 Most Influential People in Global Hospitality,” and “Top 10 Hoteliers of the Year.” Before joining Hyatt, Shannon worked at Nomura Securities, where he gained valuable experience in the financial sector. Mr. Shannon graduated from Keio University in Tokyo with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and later earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.