Patrick Pacious to succeed Stephen Joyce as chief exec of Choice Hotels
Patrick Pacious is to take over as chief executive of Choice Hotels from 1 January 2018.
He will move up from president and chief operating officer of the US-based hospitality company to president and chief executive, succeeding current chief executive Stephen Joyce.
Joyce will continue in his role until the end of the year, after which he will assume the role of vice chairman of the board. Pacious is expected to join the board of directors in September.
Pacious joined Choice in 2005 and has led strategies and innovative growth initiatives around brand, marketing, development, franchise services, revenue management and performance analytics. This includes the company's growth in the upscale segment with both its Cambria brand and the Ascend Hotel Collection, as well as the transformation of the Comfort brand.
He was appointed chief operating officer in January 2014 and became president in May 2016. Previously, he held senior management consulting positions with business consulting firm BearingPoint and accounting firm Arthur Andersen, during which time he was engaged on several projects for Choice.
Choice Hotels is one of the world's largest hotel companies with more than 6,500 hotels franchised in more than 40 countries and territories. The company operates 30 properties across four brands in the UK: the Ascend Hotel Collection, Clarion Collection, Quality and Comfort.
Pacious said: "This is an exciting time at Choice. I am honoured by the confidence that the board and Steve have placed in me, and I look forward to strengthening Choice Hotels' position as an industry leader."
Stewart Bainum Jr, chairman of the board of directors, said: "We are grateful for Steve's leadership, passion for talent development, and his legacy of innovation and growth over the better part of a decade. Pat demonstrates exceptional vision, and has spearheaded innovations that cement our position as a hospitality and technology leader and pioneer, while further strengthening our strategic differentiation and our core values."
Joyce added: "Choice is in a great position with an amazing leadership team, and I am proud of the outstanding achievements that we have accomplished during my tenure. I expect the company will continue to lead the industry with innovations and technology with Pat as CEO."
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