Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced a series of leadership changes align with Hyatt’s strategy to enhance its brand positioning, streamline operations, and drive global expansion.
Marc Jacheet’s appointment as Group President for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East (EAME) signals Hyatt’s commitment to strengthening its presence in these key regions. His leadership is expected to play a crucial role in the company’s strategic growth and brand positioning.
With a background spanning luxury and premium consumer brands like De Beers, Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon, and Evian, Marc Jacheet brings a wealth of expertise in brand strategy, customer experience, and market expansion. His appointment aligns with Hyatt’s focus on enhancing its brand-driven approach and strengthening its presence across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Javier Águila’s appointment as Chief Growth Officer marks a strategic move for Hyatt, leveraging his success in leading the EAME region to drive the company’s global expansion. His dual role, which includes heading Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection, positions him at the forefront of the company’s development strategy, transactions, and brand growth efforts worldwide.
Águila will maintain his leadership responsibilities in the EAME region during the transition period, working closely with Marc Jacheet to ensure a smooth handover. From July 1, 2025, Águila will fully step into his new global roles, continuing to report to Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian as he leads the company’s growth strategy and Inclusive Collection.
Jim Chu, who has been Hyatt’s Chief Growth Officer since 2022, will transition to the role of Head of Owner Relations on July 1, 2025. In this new position, he will focus on strengthening relationships with Hyatt’s ownership partners. Chu will continue to report to CEO Mark Hoplamazian.
Hyatt’s leadership changes reinforce its commitment to a brand-focused approach, aligning with its strategy to cater to the distinct needs of guests, owners, and developers across its five key brand portfolios: Lifestyle, Luxury, Inclusive, Classics, and Essentials.
“Today’s announcements highlight two key points for Hyatt,” said Mark Hoplamazian, President & CEO, Hyatt: “First, bringing in top business leaders with deep brand and operating expertise like Marc Jacheet will lead to building EAME’s momentum in performance and growth and accelerate our evolution toward a more brand-focused, high-performance enterprise. Second, assigning new strategic roles to Hyatt leaders like Javier Águila and Jim Chu demonstrates the agile leadership capabilities we are developing for the future.”
Hoplamazian continues: “I am delighted to welcome Marc to the Hyatt family. He brings extensive global operations experience from leading consumer brands, a fresh perspective on our industry, and importantly, aligns closely with our culture. Javier’s expertise in organic and inorganic growth as well as extensive M&A and strategic investments experience derives from his time at private equity firms in Europe. Considering the growth momentum the EAME region has experienced under his leadership since 2022, I am confident he will expertly guide the next chapter of Hyatt’s global growth journey across all five brand portfolios. Jim’s 20 years in owner- and operator-focused roles at Hyatt perfectly position him to drive innovation and deliver exceptional value to this key stakeholder group in a more focused way.”
