HOTELIER OF THE WORLD
CORPORATE
MARK
HOPLAMAZIAN
PRESIDENT AND CEO , HYATT HOTELS CORP ., CHICAGO
Mark Hoplamazian joined Hyatt
Hotels Corp . as president and chief executive officer in 2006 . Almost 15 years into his role , Hoplamazian has been the driving force in realizing Hyatt ’ s purpose — to care for people so they can be their best — with a focus on listening to guests , colleagues , customers and owners , and with empathy at the center of all interactions and business decisions .
His role as Hyatt president and chief executive officer is only Hoplamazian ’ s second job in hospitality — his first was as a night auditor at a London hotel in the 1980s . Under Hoplamazian ’ s leadership , Hyatt grew from 217 hotels to today ’ s portfolio of almost 1,000 properties . He led Hyatt through its IPO in 2009 as well as significant acquisitions including Miraval and Two Roads Hospitality . Hoplamazian steered Hyatt through e COVID-19 pandemic with quick , isive actions , including implementatt ’ s Global Care & Cleanliness ent ; providing financial support to Hyatt colleagues most impacted by the pandemic through the Hyatt Care Fund ; and partnering with the American Hotel & Lodging Association ( AHLA ) and his industry peers to lobby for greater federal aid . In January 2021 , Hoplamazian was named chair of the AHLA board of directors , a role in which he continues to lead the industry as it recovers and rebuilds from the pandemic .
Hoplamazian is a steadfast champion of diversity , equity and inclusion ( DE & I ), serving as co-chair of Hyatt ’ s Global DE & I Council . In June 2020 , he reaffirmed and recharged Hyatt ’ s focus on DE & I by launching the company ’ s Change Starts Here commitments , accelerating Hyatt ’ s efforts to enact meaningful change for people of color , especially the Black community and women . Hoplamazian is passionate about connecting young people from underserved communities with employment opportunities and champions this work as the board chair for Skills for Chicagoland ’ s
Future , a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping unemployed and underemployed job seekers find jobs .
A practitioner of meditation and keen believer in the power of mindfulness , Hoplamazian has led Hyatt to a holistic well-being strategy , which extends to colleagues , guests , customers and owners . Most recently , Hoplamazian introduced Hyatt Well-Check , a mental well-being tracker , to help Hyatt ’ s global colleagues prioritize and track their mental well-being as they navigate through the pandemic and beyond .
Prior to his CEO role at Hyatt , Hoplamazian served as president of The Pritzker Organization ( TPO ), the principal financial and investment adviser for Pritzker family business interests . During his 17-year tenure with TPO , he served as adviser to various Pritzker family-owned companies , including Hyatt Hotels Corp . and its predecessors . He previously worked in international mergers and acquisitions at The First Boston Corp .