Sweetwood, Saligram Out Of 6C; Porter Takes Americas Helm

ATLANTA— John Sweetwood resigned last week as president of Six Continents Hotels-The Americas, “to pursue other interests.” Stepping quickly into Sweetwood’s spot is COO Stevan Porter, who joined 6C last year as a 12-year Hilton Hotels Corp. veteran where he had most recently served as senior vice president of the company and executive vice president/hotel operations. HOTEL BUSINESS® was at 6C’s offices in Atlanta yesterday just after Chairman Tom Oliver— in from his home-base London office— made the announcement to the company’s entire staff. In an exclusive interview, Oliver told HOTEL BUSINESS® that he was pleased that in the wake of Sweetwood’s resignation, 6C’s “back-up generator had clicked in right away” in the form of Porter. “We have great bench strength,” said Oliver. HOTEL BUSINESS® has also learned that Ravi Saligram, brand president/the Americas, resigned 6C last week, although a spokesperson said the two moves were unrelated. It’s no secret 6C has been restructuring its upper management forces. Last November, 6C set out to develop “an executive team as strong as any other in the hotel industry, maybe even stronger,” Sweetwood told HOTEL BUSINESS® earlier this year. (HOTEL BUSINESS®, May 21, 2002). It was during this time that Porter was hired as an executive who could shake things up in the hotel operating division. Porter then set about assembling a team aimed at rejuvenating the company’s midscale growth in the Americas, and strengthening the positioning of the upscale Crowne Plaza and Inter-Continental brands. After Sweetwood’s resignation, 6C quietly got Porter on the road to introduce him in his new capacity to the IAHI franchisee board at its annual meeting, which took place in Napa, CA, last Thursday and Friday. Oliver said Porter was greatly received by the board. Porter also spent yesterday morning on a conference call with the company’s general managers. Oliver said that no broader management changes are planned, “but Steve will look at his organization over the next two to four weeks.” Porter will also have to find a replacement for his role as COO, and will likely have to find a replacement for Saligram. Oliver, meanwhile, spoke highly of Sweetwood, who was promoted to the newly created role of president of the Americas division after serving as president of the company’s midscale Hotel Group – North America, which includes Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn. “John Sweetwood made enormous contributions to this organization,” said Oliver. “He was here when I got here five years ago and he has done a great job.”