Hugo Moreno has been elevated to Chief People Officer at Columbia Hospitality, strengthening the Seattle-based hospitality management company’s leadership team as it continues expanding its national footprint. The appointment marks a natural progression for Moreno, who has spent over five years shaping the organisation’s people strategy across its growing portfolio of more than 80 managed properties.
Moreno brings more than two decades of human resources experience spanning hospitality, food service and lifestyle brands. His career has been defined by building high-performance, people-centric cultures across complex, multi-location operations – expertise that positions him well to lead Columbia Hospitality’s workforce of more than 3,000 team members.
In his previous role as Senior Vice President of People and Culture, Moreno provided strategic direction for engagement initiatives, service excellence, talent acquisition and retention, workplace culture and benefits programmes. He led an 11-member people team whilst overseeing HR operations across Columbia Hospitality’s diverse collection of hotels, resorts, restaurants, golf courses, conference centres and residential communities.
Prior to joining Columbia Hospitality in 2019, Moreno served as Director of Human Resources at MOD Pizza, where he led the People Support Team across more than 400 locations and a workforce exceeding 6,000 employees in the US and UK. His remit encompassed HR strategy, people analytics, benefits, compensation, HRIS and executive leadership coaching for the fast-casual pizza chain.
Moreno’s hospitality career includes progressive leadership roles at Two Roads Hospitality, where he served as Area Director of People Services and Director of People Services at the Motif Seattle property. He also held HR leadership positions at Levy Restaurants at CenturyLink Field, Sage Hospitality Group, Arizona Grand Resort and Troon Golf, building deep expertise in employee relations, learning and development and large-scale workforce engagement.
A graduate of the University of Guadalajara with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Moreno holds a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from National University in San Diego. Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, he is fluent in Spanish and passionate about diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Columbia Hospitality, founded in 1995 by John Oppenheimer, has grown into one of the largest hospitality management companies in the Pacific Northwest. The company’s portfolio spans award-winning hotels and resorts, residential communities, restaurants and bars, private and public golf clubs, conference centres and distinctive venues across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, Arizona and Texas, with recent expansion into New York and Massachusetts.
The appointment comes during a period of significant growth for Columbia Hospitality. The company recently added The Allison Inn and Spa in Oregon’s Willamette Valley to its portfolio and opened The SOMM Hotel and Spa in Woodinville, Washington – a 164-room luxury property that joined Marriott’s Autograph Collection in September 2025. The organisation has also expanded into the northeastern US with properties including Callicoon Hills in New York and The Lenox Collection in Massachusetts.
Columbia Hospitality’s values-first approach – encapsulated in its mission statement “OMG! Own the Values. Make it Fun. Get it Done” – emphasises enthusiasm, respect, creativity, honesty, inclusion and accountability. The company was recognised by Comparably as Best Company for Women in 2023 and ranked as the 11th largest family-owned company in Washington state by Puget Sound Business Journal.
