Hyatt Hotels Corporation has appointed Mark S. Hoplamazian as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, effective 16 February 2026. The appointment consolidates leadership at one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, with Hoplamazian adding the chairmanship to the CEO and President roles he has held since December 2006.
The move follows the retirement of Thomas J. Pritzker as Executive Chairman – a position he held since 2004. Pritzker, whose father Jay Pritzker founded the hotel chain, oversaw more than four decades of senior leadership at Hyatt, including the company’s international expansion and its transition to an asset-light business model. He will serve out his current term as a director but will not seek re-election at Hyatt’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The company confirmed his exit was not the result of any disagreement over operations or company policy.
Hoplamazian brings nearly two decades of leadership at Hyatt, having steered the company through significant transformation since taking the helm in 2006. Before joining Hyatt, he spent 17 years at The Pritzker Organization (TPO), the principal financial and investment advisory arm for certain Pritzker family business interests, where he advised on various family-owned companies including Hyatt and its predecessors. Earlier in his career, he worked in international mergers and acquisitions at The First Boston Corporation in New York.
Under his tenure as CEO, Hyatt has evolved into a fee-driven, asset-light operator with more than 1,500 hotels and all-inclusive properties across 83 countries as of December 2025. Its portfolio spans luxury, lifestyle, inclusive, classic and essential segments through brands such as Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Andaz, Thompson Hotels, Hyatt Place and Hyatt House. The company employs over 220,000 people worldwide and runs the World of Hyatt loyalty programme, which underpins its growth and guest retention strategy.
The leadership change comes as Hyatt navigates a critical financial inflection point. The company reported a net loss of US$52 million in 2025 but has issued guidance projecting a return to positive net income of US$235–320 million in 2026, supported by projected system-wide RevPAR growth of 1–3% and continued net rooms expansion. Management has also signalled EBITDA and fee growth alongside ongoing capital returns through dividends and share repurchases.
Beyond Hyatt, Hoplamazian serves on the board of VF Corporation and holds roles on the executive committees of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the World Travel & Tourism Council. He also serves on the board of Brand USA, is a member of the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, and chairs Skills for Chicagoland’s Future. He is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Aspen Institute and a member of the Discovery Class of the Henry Crown Fellow.
With Pritzker’s family voting provisions over approximately 2.27 million Class B shares – roughly 4% of total voting power – now terminated under a 2007 stockholders’ agreement, Hyatt’s governance structure shifts modestly while its dual-class ownership structure remains intact. Hoplamazian’s elevation to Chairman signals the board’s commitment to continuity and positions one of hospitality’s most experienced operators to lead the company through its next phase of growth.
