Hilton Worldwide Appoints New Area President, Operations, Middle East and Africa

MCLEAN, Va. & DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hilton Worldwide today announced that Rudi Jagersbacher will become Area President, Operations, Middle East and Africa, for the hospitality company, effective January 1, 2011. Jagersbacher will replace Jean-Paul Herzog, who will retire from Hilton Worldwide at the end of the year after 40 years of service.

Ian Carter, President, Global Operations and Development, said, “Jean-Paul has been an important part of the success of our company for the last four decades and we wish him well in his retirement. We are delighted that someone of Rudi’s talent, depth of experience and knowledge of the market will be stepping into the role. I am confident that he will build upon Jean-Paul’s legacy of accomplishments in the Middle East and Africa as we advance our business in the region in the years to come.”

Jagersbacher is currently Area Vice President for operations in the Benelux, Nordic and Italy. He joined the company in 1974 after holding senior leadership positions at the Savoy and Claridges in London. He was appointed to General Manager positions in flagship properties such as the Langham Hilton and the Park Lane Hilton followed by Vice President roles in London and Dubai. He is also a founding member of the Hilton in the Community Foundation, which is a grant-making organization that fundraises throughout Hilton Worldwide properties in Europe to support disadvantaged children and young people.

Jagersbacher will remain in his current post until he assumes the new position as Area President, Operations, Middle East and Africa on January 1, 2011.

About Hilton Worldwide

Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 91 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,600 hotels and 600,000 rooms in 81 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®.

The company currently operates 44 hotels in Middle East & Africa – 16 hotels in Egypt, nine hotels in the UAE, six in Saudi Arabia and one each in Oman and Kuwait, plus another 11 hotels in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Hilton Worldwide has a signed development pipeline of an additional 27 properties across Middle East & Africa in the U.A.E., Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Namibia, Nigeria and Cape Verde.

For more information about the company, please visit www.hiltonworldwide.com and www.hiltondevelopment.com.

The Hilton Reservations and Customer Care telephone numbers in the Middle East are as follows:
UAE	- 8000 20000 11	Qatar	- 800 20 222
KSA	- 800 82000 10	Egypt	- 19009
Bahrain	- 8000 4058	Jordan	- 00202 25805927
Kuwait	- 222 56 200	Lebanon	- 00202 25805928
Oman	- 800 78 788	Syria	- 00202 25805926