MCLEAN, VA: Hilton has named banking executive Jonathan Witter as its new chief customer officer.
In the newly created role, Witter will oversee Hilton’s global brands, marketing, loyalty and partnerships, and IT and strategy teams. He will also serve as a member of the executive committee and report to Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton.
Witter comes to Hilton after six years at Capital One, where he was president for retail and direct banking. Prior to that, he was COO and head of retail banking group at Morgan Stanley and EVP at Wachovia. Earlier in his career, he was with management consulting firm McKinsey & Co.
Hilton’s communications function has undergone significant change in the past year. In November, Hilton brought on former Obama aide Katie Fallon as SVP and global head of corporate affairs. The company also hired Nigel Glennie as VP of external communications in October. The brand’s EVP of corporate affairs Bill Margaritis also left the company last April after less than one year in the position.
Last year, Hilton announced plans to divide its business into three entities, spinning off its timeshare unit, Hilton Grand Vacations, and creating a real-estate investment trust called Park Hotels & Resorts, which was expected to be finalized early 2017.