NEW YORK— HOTEL BUSINESS® has learned that Sam Katz, Cendant’s Chief Strategic Officer, has been promoted to CEO of the company’s Travel Distribution Division, effective immediately. Katz will retain both titles within Cendant as he heads the company’s focus on online distribution, namely the launch of its new travel portal— Trip.com. His appointment falls on the heels of Cendant’s recently announced acquisition of Cheap Tickets, a deeply-discounted online travel distributor. If everything goes as planned, Cendant’s travel distribution division will include the management of all of Cendant’s inventory, including hotel, resort, and car rental, as well as inventory from Galileo, Trip.com, and Cheap Tickets. “My job is to make sure they all work together,” said Katz. Despite a delay in Europe over the relationship between Cendant and Avis Europe, the company expects the acquisition of Galileo to close, on schedule, on September 11. This is contingent upon Cendant receiving European regulatory approval during the designated 30-day period. Katz expects the redesigned Trip.com travel portal to launch during the fourth quarter, with the integration of Cheap Tickets inventory to follow shortly thereafter. —Diana M. Rodriguez
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