STAMFORD, CT—Mark Vondrasek has been promoted to the role of SVP of commercial services at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. As the leader of this newly created division, Vondrasek, a 14-year Starwood veteran, will oversee the Starwood sales organization and revenue management globally, in addition to distribution, loyalty and partnerships, according to the company.
“We are fortunate to have a deep bench of talent within Starwood, and we are delighted that Mark will take on additional and critical revenue-generating functions within our company,” said Adam Aron, CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts on an interim basis. “The creation of commercial services allows us to look holistically at the enterprise value of our global sales accounts, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members and new and emerging guests, and customers to create outsized loyalty and drive more high-value business to our hotels.”
Vondrasek will lead an organization of more than 7,500 associates around the globe, responsible for the SPG program, 10 Customer Contact Centers, mobile applications, digital initiatives, business-to-business sales strategy, revenue management and sales.
During his tenure at Starwood, Vondrasek spearheaded initiatives in loyalty such as SPG Keyless, SPGPro, Your24, SPG Lifetime, Delta Crossover Rewards and SPG Preferences. He has also overseen Starwood’s strategic marketing partnerships, including a longstanding, co-branded credit card alliance with American Express, as well as high-profile entertainment partnerships. Across Starwood brands, these partnerships—Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Coca Cola, Mercedes AMG Petronas, and Uber, among others—offer guests access and experiences like no other through SPG Moments.
Joining Starwood in 2001, Vondrasek’s responsibilities have significantly expanded over his tenure. Prior to Starwood, he worked at Fidelity Investments. Vondrasek earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and a masters in business administration from Loyola University in Chicago.
Chris Holdren, SVP of distribution, loyalty and partnerships, who reports to Vondrasek, will now have an expanded role, according to Starwood. Holdren, who began his career with Starwood in 2001, will assume day-to-day leadership of SPG, digital, marketing partnerships and consumer insight and analytics.
“Chris’s enhanced role is a testament to his successful track record at Starwood and plays to his strengths in loyalty and digital, where we continue to innovate and distinguish Starwood from our competitors,” said Vondrasek.