I H G Announces Larry Light As Chief Brands Officer

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world's largest hotel companies has appointed former McDonald's Chief Marketing Officer, Larry Light, as Global Chief Brands Officer.

Reporting directly to CEO Richard Solomons, the hiring of Light builds on the company's strategy of developing and nurturing a powerful portfolio of preferred brands including; Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

Larry Light is one of the world's leading brand consultants and author of the book "�Six Rules for Brand Revitalisation"�. He served as Global Chief Marketing Officer for McDonald's during 2002-2005, crucial years in the brand's marketing turnaround and as CEO of Arcature LLC, a brand management consultancy, Larry has also worked with other high profile organisations including Mars, Nissan, 3M and IBM.

Says Richard Solomons, IHG CEO, "I am delighted to welcome Larry to our senior leadership team and look forward to working with him. One of our strategic priorities is to develop our brands and Larry's wealth of experience and brand expertise will help us build a stronger platform for future growth." The arrival of Larry Light to the senior management team at IHG coincides with two major milestones in brand development for the company. Both EVEN Hotels and HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts launched in the first quarter of 2012 "" examples of IHG's strength in creating new brands based on unparalleled consumer insights and understanding.

Larry Light, Chief Brands Officer says, "It is an exciting time for IHG as the portfolio has already grown from seven to nine brands with the launch of EVEN and HUALUXE in the first quarter of 2012. I am very familiar with the franchise model that IHG operates and I look forward to working with the talented leadership team to deliver the best brand experience for our guests and better returns for our owners." EVEN and HUALUXE build on over 50 years of innovation and a track record of industry "�firsts"� for IHG. These include developing Hotel Indigo, the industry's first branded boutique hotel experience, Holiday Inn Express, the fastest growing hotel brand in the industry and Staybridge Suites, an all-suite hotel brand designed to meet the needs of extended-stay guests. As Holiday Inn looks forward to both hosting the Athletes Village at the 2012 Olympics and celebrating its 60th Anniversary later this year, brand growth also remains a strategic priority for IHG.

Formerly Executive Vice-President at BBDO; Chairman and CEO of the international division of Bates Worldwide; and a member of Bates"� Board of Directors, Larry's career has seen him develop breakthrough principles, concepts and processes for nurturing, managing, and building brands for enduring profitable growth. Media contact: Sarah Shilling, IHG Phone: +44 (0) 1895 512 318 Email: [email protected]

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