BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. | Hilton Hotels Corporation ("Hilton") today announced the appointment of Ellen D. Gonda as Senior Vice President, Global Communications and Public Relations. In this newly created position, Ms. Gonda will be responsible for all corporate communications for Hilton and will report to Christopher J. Nassetta, Hilton's President and Chief Executive Officer. She will be based in Beverly Hills and will commence her duties on October 1, 2008.
Ms. Gonda joins Hilton from global private equity firm, The Carlyle Group, where she was the Director of Communications for the Americas, with responsibility for firm-wide communications initiatives in North and South America. Prior to joining Carlyle, Ms. Gonda was a Director at Brunswick Group, the international communications consultancy.
"I am delighted that Ellen is joining the Hilton team at such a dynamic time in the company's evolution," said Christopher J. Nassetta, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Ellen's international experience as a strategic communications counselor to companies with some of the world's most recognized brands will be invaluable as we continue to expand globally and strengthen our leadership position in the hospitality industry."
About Ellen Gonda
A strategic communications professional with significant international experience, Ms. Gonda specializes in counseling companies on a diverse range of communications projects, including corporate positioning and profile raising, mergers and acquisitions, shareholder activism, and issues management. In her time at both Carlyle and Brunswick, Ms. Gonda developed and executed corporate communications campaigns across several industries.
Prior to joining Carlyle in 2007, Ms. Gonda was a Director at the Brunswick Group. Before that, she held positions at Gavin Anderson & Company and Abernathy MacGregor Frank.
A citizen of the U.S., U.K. and Australia, Ms. Gonda earned a B.A. with high honors from the University of California, Berkeley.
About Hilton Hotels Corporation | Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,000 hotels and 500,000 rooms in 74 countries and territories, with more than 135,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises some of the best known and highly regarded hotel brands including Hilton®, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations™, Homewood Suites by Hilton® and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection™.
Hilton Hotels Corporation is an Official Sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, which will extend through the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, the 2010/2012 U.S. Paralympic Team and the 2011 U.S. Pan American Team.
The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton’s philosophy that, “It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company: be hospitable®. The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity. For more information about the company, please visit
www.hiltonfamily.com.
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