Hilton named Jonathan (Jon) Witter as chief customer officer. In this newly created role, Witter will oversee Hilton's global brands, marketing, loyalty and partnerships, IT and strategy teams.
Witter has extensive background in these functional areas, most recently serving as president of retail and direct banking at Capital One Financial Corporation. He will report to Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton, and serve as a member of the executive committee.
"Jon has built an incredibly strong reputation throughout his career for constantly driving innovation, being a deeply strategic thinker and keeping the customer front and center at all times," Nassetta said in a statement. "He will be integral to ensuring that at every stage of our customers' journey, from the time they start planning a trip to when they arrive back home, we exceed their expectations at every turn."
"I am thrilled to be joining Hilton at this very exciting time in their history," Witter said in a statement. "Over nearly 100 years, Hilton has become one of the most iconic brands in the world, and it is greatly admired for delivering exceptional guest experiences and pioneering the industry's latest innovations. I look forward to working with the team to build even further on that extraordinary reputation."
Before Capital One, Witter served as president and COO at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and EVP, head of general bank distribution at Wachovia Corporation. Earlier in his career, he worked in consulting at McKinsey & Co. and Deloitte & Touche.
Witter received a master's degree in business administration with distinction from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor's degree in economics.