Aimbridge Hospitality announced yesterday that Craig S. Smith will assume the role of chief executive officer at the global hospitality management company starting March 18, 2024.
With a rich background in operational expertise and successful leadership at Marriott International, Smith, the third CEO in Aimbridge's lineage, is expected to further enhance Aimbridge's dominance in delivering quality hotel operations.
Smith began in the hospitality industry in hotel operations, achieving multiple accolades as a distinguished general manager before assuming top executive roles across various global markets. His journey culminated in leading the entire international business before retiring from the brand.
As group president and managing director, Smith oversaw the fastest-growing division of the world's largest hospitality company while leading a workforce of more than 230,000 hotel and regional support center associates. His responsibilities included managing a vast portfolio of over 2,500 hotels worldwide, with two-thirds of them being brand-managed. These hotels spanned 28 renowned brands and were situated in 136 countries and territories.
"Aimbridge's reputation as a trusted global hotel operator and the team's desire to outperform at every turn is what excites me about taking on the CEO role," Smith said in a statement. "There is still tremendous opportunity to enhance our service offering to consistently deliver outstanding results for our owners and further drive brand expansion across all verticals domestically and abroad.”
The company also disclosed adjustments to its board of managers to offer support to Smith, alongside introducing further CEO-level hospitality expertise.
Effective immediately, Steve Joyce, who became a member of the Aimbridge board in November 2023, will transition into the role of executive chairman. Joyce takes over from Glenn Murphy, who has held the position of chairman since 2019 and will continue to serve on the board.
Don't miss anything Local. Sign up for our free newsletter.
