Company Management

Christopher J. Nassetta*

President and Chief Executive Officer

Christopher J. Nassetta is President and Chief Executive Officer for Hilton. In this role, he is responsible for leading the company’s brand-led, network-driven, and platform-enabled strategy for sustainable growth while furthering its founding vision “to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” Under his direction since 2007, Hilton has expanded to nearly 140 countries and territories while more than doubling its brand portfolio, global property, and room counts.

Previously, Chris was President and Chief Executive Officer of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., a position he held since 2000. He joined Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. in 1995 as Executive Vice President and was elected Chief Operating Officer in 1997.

Before joining Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., Chris co-founded Bailey Capital Corporation in 1991, where he was responsible for the operations of the real estate investment and advisory firm.

Prior to founding Bailey Capital Corporation, he spent seven years at The Oliver Carr Company, ultimately serving as Chief Development Officer. In this role, he was responsible for all development and related activities for one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Chris serves on multiple boards and organizations including:

U.S. Travel Association – Former Chairman of the organization representing the travel industry nationally, advocating for policies to increase travel to and within the United States.
World Travel & Tourism Council – Former Chairman for the organization that works to raise awareness of travel and tourism as one of the world’s largest industries.
Business Roundtable - At-large Director of the nonprofit whose members develop and advocate directly for policies to promote a thriving U.S. economy and expanded opportunity for all Americans.
Federal City Council – Member of the non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the improvement of the nation’s capital.
The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. – Member of the nonprofit that promotes collaboration among business leaders, government officials, and members of the diplomatic corps and creates a forum for them to express their views on the most important economic issues of the day.
Arlington Free Clinic – Supporter of the non-profit, community-based, volunteer-driven organization that is committed to providing access to quality health care services to low-income, uninsured county residents.
The Real Estate Roundtable – Former Chairman and member of the organization that brings together leaders of the nation’s top public and privately held real estate ownership, development, lending, and management firms with the leaders of major national real estate trade associations to jointly address key national policy issues relating to real estate and the overall economy.

Chris graduated from the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce with a degree in finance. He currently serves on the McIntire School of Commerce Advisory Board.

Christian Charnaux*

Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer

Christian Charnaux is Chief Development Officer for Hilton, where he leads the company’s development, architecture, and design & construction functions globally. Christian rejoined Hilton in July 2025. He previously held various leadership positions with the company in the areas of brand management, commercial services, and finance from 2009 to 2018. As Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance, Christian oversaw Hilton’s capital markets, mergers & acquisitions, and investor relations functions.

Prior to rejoining Hilton, Christian served as Chief Growth Officer for Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,000 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide. In this role, Christian led Inspire’s inorganic growth and integration efforts, including over $18 billon of acquisitions, and oversaw the company’s restaurant development, international, supply chain, government affairs & impact, and foundation teams.

Previously, Christian was with the Boston Consulting Group where he focused on the travel and consumer product sectors. He also worked for J.P. Morgan in the technology and mergers & acquisitions investment banking groups.

Christian is an alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a Morehead-Cain Scholar and later received an MBA from Harvard Business School. Christian currently serves as Vice Chair of Georgia’s Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, on the Board of Carolina Alumni, and on the University of North Carolina Board of Visitors.

Laura Fuentes*

Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

As Hilton’s Chief Human Resources Officer and head of Hilton Supply Management, Laura Fuentes is responsible for human resources and leading the world's largest hospitality supply chain organization.

She joined Hilton in 2013 and became the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer in 2020. Since then, she has spearheaded the company’s efforts to build an award-winning culture for its nearly half a million team members across corporate offices and hotels globally. The work has led to Hilton being named by Great Place to Work and Fortune as the #1 World’s Best Workplace and #1 Best Company to Work For in the U.S.

Prior to joining Hilton, Laura spent six years at Capital One Financial in various corporate strategy and human resources roles, including leading workforce analytics, recruitment, and compensation functions for the organization. Before Capital One, she worked at McKinsey & Company in their Madrid, New York, and Washington D.C offices, where she served clients across financial services and non-profit sectors.

Laura serves on the boards of directors of Chipotle Mexican Grill, University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce, and Make-a-Wish Mid-Atlantic. She also is a member of the Community Council for the Arlington Free Clinic. Originally from Spain, she holds a B.S. from the University of Virginia, a M.S. in Structural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. She lives outside Washington D.C., with her husband and two sons.

Danny Hughes

Executive Vice President and President, Americas

Danny Hughes is President of the Americas for Hilton where he is responsible for the company’s interests in its largest operating region, spanning more than 6,600 hotels, 24 brands, and 43 countries and territories across North, Central and South America. Danny is directly responsible for hotel operations and the coordination of functional leaders across development, brand management, revenue generation, human resources, communications, finance and owner relations in the region.

A 35-year hospitality industry veteran, Danny brings deep knowledge of the region and the business functions supporting it. His most recent role was SVP and Commercial Director in the Americas, where he led more than 4,000 team members and drove growth for Hilton’s portfolio of industry-leading brands. His leadership was central to strengthening the company’s revenue and distribution strategies, while delivering outstanding experiences for Hilton’s guests.

Danny also served as SVP, Caribbean and Latin America, where he was responsible for the operations of all Hilton-managed properties throughout the region. Additionally, he held the role of Area Vice President, Caribbean, Central America and Cancun, and worked in several management positions with Hilton across the globe.

Danny currently serves on the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Board of Directors and HotelPAC Advisory Committee, the D.C. Policy Center’s Board of Directors, and Brand USA’s Board of Directors.

He received a degree in Hotel and Food Services Management from Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom.

Kevin J. Jacobs*

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Kevin Jacobs is Chief Financial Officer for Hilton, where he leads the company's finance, real estate, and corporate strategy functions globally.

Kevin joined the company in 2008 as Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and was elected Treasurer in 2009. In 2012 he was appointed Executive Vice President & Chief of Staff before assuming the role of Chief Financial Officer in 2013. From 2020 to 2025, Kevin also served as President, Global Development where he led the company’s development and architecture, design & construction functions.

Prior to Hilton, Kevin was Senior Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions and Treasurer of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. Prior to Fairmont Raffles, he spent seven years with Host Hotels & Resorts, ultimately serving as Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations. Prior to Host, he held various roles in the Hospitality Consulting Practice of PwC and the Hospitality Valuation Group of Cushman & Wakefield.

Kevin is a member of the Board of Directors of Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc., a triple-net, equity REIT (NYSE: OHI) that supports the goals of skilled nursing facility and assisted living facility operators with financing and capital. He is also a Trustee of Cornell University and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Additionally, he is Chair of the Board of Directors of Goodwill of Greater Washington and serves as Immediate Past Chair and an Executive Board Member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Kevin is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

Caroline Krass*

Executive Vice President and General Counsel

Caroline Krass joined Hilton in March 2025 as General Counsel, leading the company’s global legal and compliance functions.

Prior to Hilton, Caroline was appointed by President Biden and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate to serve as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense, where from 2021 to 2025 she was the chief legal officer of the Department and the principal legal advisor to the Secretary of Defense. She also served as the Director of the Defense Legal Services Agency, comprised of the legal staffs assigned to the Defense Agencies and Department of Defense Field Activities.

From 2018 to 2021, Caroline served as Senior Vice President & General Counsel, General Insurance and Deputy General Counsel of American International Group (AIG), where she led a global legal team supporting the primary business unit, as well as the cybersecurity and privacy, technology, and innovation teams across AIG. Before that, she was a partner and Chair of the National Security Practice Group at Gibson Dunn.

In 2014, Caroline was the first woman to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate as General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), where she served as the chief legal officer and primary legal advisor to the CIA Director until 2017. Previously, she served as the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in the Department of Justice, advising the President, Attorney General, and other Executive Branch leaders on complex questions of constitutional and statutory law. That role was the culmination of thirteen years at the Department, primarily as a career lawyer in OLC and as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney within the National Security Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

In 2009, Caroline was appointed Special Assistant and Special Counsel for National Security Affairs to President Obama and Principal Deputy Legal Adviser to the National Security Council (NSC), where she advised officials on a range of legal issues related to national security and foreign policy.

Earlier in her career, Caroline served as Deputy Legal Adviser to the NSC, as Special Assistant to the General Counsel of the Department of the Treasury, and as a lawyer at the Department of State. She clerked for the Honorable Patricia M. Wald on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Caroline graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a B.A. in International Relations and received her J.D from Yale Law School.

Katherine Lugar

Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs

Katherine Lugar joined Hilton in 2023 as Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, overseeing the company’s global communications, government affairs, sustainability and community impact functions.

Prior to Hilton, Katherine served as the President and CEO of the American Beverage Association (ABA), where she was responsible for setting and executing the strategic vision for ABA and representing the industry’s voice on Capitol Hill, with the Administration and across the country.

During her tenure with ABA, she led comprehensive private sector and policy solutions to lessen the industry’s plastic footprint and reduce sugar from beverages in the American diet. In this capacity, she worked collaboratively with elected officials, NGOs and a broad array of stakeholders to drive the industry’s commitments. Katherine also served as President of the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America.

Prior to joining ABA, she served as President and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. In this role, she revamped the association, leading to record membership, tripling revenue, sharply increasing the focus on advocacy and ensuring greater industry alignment and engagement.

Katherine began her career in Washington, D.C., as a legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives. She also has held positions as Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, Vice President of Government Relations for Travelers Insurance, and Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs for the National Retail Federation.

Katherine is the President of the Hilton Global Foundation and sits on the boards of directors for the Bipartisan Policy Center Action and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She is also a Corporate Advisory Board member of So Others Might Eat (SOME). She previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest private sector funder of pediatric cancer research, and on the Board of Directors for Watermark Lodging Trust (Chair, Compensation Committee).

Katherine has been recognized as a “Leader to Watch” by the Washington Post, a top lobbyist by The Hill, and one of Washington, D.C.’s “Most Influential People” and “Washington’s Most Powerful Women” by Washingtonian.

Chris Silcock*

President, Global Brands and Commercial Services

Chris Silcock is President, Global Brands and Commercial Services for Hilton, spearheading the company’s efforts to deliver market-leading performance and innovation across its global portfolio.

In this role, Chris leads the positioning of Hilton’s world-class brands and industry-leading commercial engine. This includes performance support, owner relations, and global brand strategy and management, as well as technology, sales, revenue management, distribution, enterprise data and analytics, customer engagement, marketing, and loyalty.

Prior to this role, Chris served as Chief Commercial Officer, where he led the company’s global sales modernization process, established Hilton’s first Enterprise Data and Analytics team, and delivered consistent and meaningful market outperformance by transitioning revenue management to a data-driven discipline.

Chris has held various leadership positions in his nearly 30 years at Hilton, including Head of Revenue Management and Online & Regional Marketing, as well as positions at the company’s properties. He began his career with Hilton as a catering and banquet waiter at Hilton Watford in the U.K.

In addition to his time at Hilton, Chris consulted with several hospitality companies, including large international chains, smaller operators, and independent hotels across Europe. He has also served on the board of Groups360, a leading online marketplace for meetings, as well as Roomkey, a joint venture of six global hospitality companies.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Studies from the University of Essex and studied music before his hospitality career.

Simon Vincent

Executive Vice President and President, Europe, Middle East & Africa

Simon Vincent is President, Europe, Middle East & Africa for Hilton. In this role, he is responsible for more than 1,500 hotels and 250,000 rooms across 96 countries (operating and pipeline).

Since joining Hilton in 2007 Simon has overseen a period of significant growth and expansion for Hilton in EMEA. He has more than three decades of experience in hospitality and tourism and previously served as CEO of Opodo, the pan-European online travel agency, and as COO of Thomas Cook Travel. He spent the early part of his career in International Banking with HSBC and has extensive international experience having also worked in North America and Japan. From 2014-2023 he served as non-executive director at iconic London based British retailer Fortnum & Mason.

He is a Trustee of Jigsaw School, an independent school for children with an autism spectrum disorder and a Trustee of Amber Trust, a charity providing musical opportunities for blind and partially sighted children.

In June 2023 Simon received a Commander of the Most Excellent order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to the hospitality and tourism industries, following his appointment as Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2014.

Alan Watts

Executive Vice President and President, Asia Pacific

Alan Watts is President, Asia Pacific for Hilton. He oversees more than 2,100 hotels – both operational and in the pipeline – across 13 of the company’s globally recognized brands.

Since joining Hilton in 2018, Alan has led the Asia Pacific region, maintaining its position as the fastest-growing hotel company in the region, with almost one in four hotel rooms under construction bearing the Hilton flag. In 2024, the company celebrated a record number of signings, added more rooms than in any year in the region’s history and surpassed 1,000 trading hotels in Asia Pacific - a year ahead of target.

Testament to its unique culture, Hilton has been ranked as the #1 hospitality company to work for in Great Place to Work®’s “Best Workplaces in Asia™” list for eight consecutive years.

Alan studied Organizational Leadership and International Management at INSEAD.

* Executive officer as defined under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Company Management

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