Wyndham Hotel Group appoints Tom Monahan as Executive Vice President, International Development

Wyndham Hotel Group has appointed lodging industry veteran Tom Monahan as executive vice president, international development.

Based in the company’s Hong Kong offices and reporting to Steven A. Rudnitsky, president and chief executive officer, Monahan will lead an international team charged with developing the Wyndham, Ramada, Days Inn, Howard Johnson and Super 8 brands in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific regions.

His responsibilities will include securing management contracts and franchise agreements with developers, master franchisors and joint-venture partners. He also will oversee due diligence on international transactions involving new-construction and conversion properties.

Reporting to him will be Olivier Dupont, senior vice president, international development, EMEA; Stephen Young, senior vice president, international development, China, Japan and Korea; and David Kuperberg, vice president, international development and strategy.

Monahan formerly served Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide for the last 12 years, most recently as senior vice president, acquisitions and development, Asia Pacific. From 2001 to 2004, he was senior vice president, finance, acquisitions & development, Asia Pacific, during which time he led the company’s acquisition & development and finance teams. From 1996 to 2001 he was vice president, financial management, Asia Pacific.

During his Starwood career, Monahan negotiated joint-venture and related agreements to develop the award-winning W Retreat in the Maldives, the first W-branded resort worldwide. In 1996 and 1997, he led the company’s effort to introduce the aloft brand into the Asia Pacific region, resulting the development of seven management and franchise agreements for new-build hotels.

He also led the introduction of the Westin brand into India and New Zealand. In 2007, his team partnered with Morgan Stanley to acquire the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel at Tokyo Disneyland.

From 1994 to 1996, Monahan served Forte plc as financial director, Exclusive Hotels, where he was chief financial officer of a division encompassing 19 deluxe hotels. He began his career at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, where he served in various financial roles.

Monahan earned a master of business administration degree in financial management from Pace University, New York, and a bachelor of science degree in accounting from the University at Albany, New York.

Wyndham Hotel Group, one of three principal components of Wyndham Worldwide, encompasses more than 6,550 hotels and 551,000 rooms in 59 countries on six continents under the Wyndham, Wingate by Wyndham, Ramada, Super 8, Days Inn, Travelodge, Howard Johnson, Baymont Inn, Knights Inn and AmeriHost Inn brands.

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