Julienne Smith is Head of Americas Growth at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, where she leads the strategic expansion of Hyatt\u2019s portfolio across North, Central, and South America. In this role, she oversees development initiatives for Hyatt\u2019s Luxury, Lifestyle, Classics, and Essentials brands and works closely with hotel owners, investors, and development partners to accelerate the company\u2019s long-term growth strategy across the region.<\/p>\n
Smith brings more than two decades of hospitality industry experience, with deep expertise
\nin hotel development, market strategy, owner relations, and brand expansion. She has built
\nand led large, high-performing teams responsible for development pipelines spanning
\nmultiple countries and market segments.<\/p>\n
Prior to joining Hyatt in her current role, Smith served as Chief Development Officer for the
\nAmericas at IHG Hotels & Resorts. There, she led a team of more than 70 development
\nprofessionals responsible for franchise sales, hotel management agreement negotiations,
\nasset retention, market planning, and owner marketing across the region. During her
\ntenure, she played a key role in strengthening IHG\u2019s owner community and bringing several
\nnew brands to market across the Americas.<\/p>\n
Earlier in her career, Smith spent 14 years with Hyatt Hotels Corporation, most recently
\nserving as Senior Vice President of Development and Owner Relations. She played a
\nsignificant role in expanding Hyatt\u2019s select-service hotel portfolio, identifying and
\ncultivating new ownership relationships while negotiating agreements across the United
\nStates and Canada.
\nSmith began her career with Marriott International in development planning and franchise
\nsales, supporting new hotel projects and evaluating market opportunities across North
\nAmerica.<\/p>\n
Beyond her corporate leadership, Smith is actively involved in the hospitality and real
\nestate communities. She serves on the Dean\u2019s Advisory Board for Boston University\u2019s Schoolof Hospitality and participates in the Urban Land Institute\u2019s Hotel Development Council. She
\nis also a frequent speaker at major industry conferences, including the Hunter Hotel
\nConference, the Americas Lodging Investment Summit, and the NYU Hospitality Investment
\nConference. She is also recently joined the board of Procure Impact, a social impact
\nprocurement company.<\/p>\n
Smith has also dedicated significant time to nonprofit leadership. She previously served as
\nChair of the AHLA Foundation, which supports scholarships and career opportunities for
\nthe hospitality workforce, and has held board roles with SafeHouse Outreach and
\nKaleidoscope, Inc., organizations focused on community and social services. She is
\ncurrently an active volunteer with Passion City Church.
\nSmith holds a Bachelor of Arts from Boston University and completed post-secondary
\nstudies in Mainz, Germany. She is based in Atlanta, Georgia.<\/p>\n
Connect on Linkedin<\/a><\/p>\nTune in to Julienne Smith’s Distinguished Podcast Episode<\/h4>\n