Hilton Names Kenneth Svendsen Senior Vice President and Global Head of Sales and Reservations

Hilton Hotels Corporation (Hilton) today announced that Kenneth Svendsen has joined the company as Senior Vice President and Global Head of Sales and Reservations. Svendsen reports to Paul Brown, Hilton President, Global Brands and Commercial Services. As head of Global Sales and Reservations, Svendsen will be responsible for group, corporate and leisure sales, third party distribution, voice reservations and customer care across Hilton Hotels Corporation globally.

Svendsen has an established track record of leading global sales and marketing initiatives for major hospitality industry leaders and most recently held the position of Senior Vice President, Worldwide Travel Operations and Consumer Direct Sales, Disney Destinations for Walt Disney Company. Svendsen drove vacation program development and sales for Disney's owned and operated tour companies and was responsible for the reservations and customer care centers. He also previously held the positions of Vice President, Worldwide Travel Operations and In-Market Sales for Disneyland Resort and General Manager, Walt Disney Travel Company. He also served on The Walt Disney Company's Diversity Leadership Advisory Task Force.

Prior to Disney, Svendsen worked for UK based Airtours Holidays as Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Sunquest and Suntrips Holidays as well as Vice President, Sales and Travel Operations for Tjaereborg, based in Denmark, and Regional Resort Director for the Mediterranean, Asia, North Africa and Middle East Regions.

"We are delighted to welcome Kenneth to our team," stated Paul Brown, President, Global Brands and Commercial Services, for Hilton Hotels Corporation. "His vast global experience and past successes in our industry will serve to further energize our industry leading sales and customer care platforms, helping deliver continued growth opportunities for our brands."

Svendsen is a native of Denmark and has both lived and worked on five continents.

About Hilton Hotels Corporation

Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, based in McLean, VA, with more than 3,300 hotels and 550,000 rooms in 77 countries and more than 130,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises some of the best known and highly regarded hotel brands including Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton, the Waldorf Astoria and the Waldorf Astoria Collection, as well as the recently launched Home2 Suites by Hilton. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors(R).

Hilton Hotels Corporation is an Official Sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, which will extend through the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, the 2010/2012 U.S. Paralympic Team and the 2011 U.S. Pan American Team.

The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton's philosophy that, "It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality." The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company: be hospitable(R). The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity.

For more information about the company, please visit www.hiltonfamily.com.

SOURCE: Hilton Hotels Corporation

Hilton Hotels Corporation 
Katherine Mikesell, 703-883-5806 
katherine.mikesell@hilton.com

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