Preferred Hotels & Resorts – the world’s largest independent hotel brand – has announced the appointment of Cheryl Williams as Chief Revenue Officer. In this newly created executive position, Williams will lead the brand’s commercial efforts, working with department leaders to drive revenue to its expanding global portfolio, which encompasses more than 700 hotels, resorts, and residences across 80 countries. Based out of the company’s corporate headquarters in Newport Beach, California, she reports to Michelle Woodley, president of Preferred Hotels & Resorts.
“As we continue to embrace all the opportunities that industry changes have sparked, we are excited to welcome Cheryl to our global leadership team through this strategic new position designed with her commercial skillset in mind,” said Woodley. “Cheryl has been a much-valued extension of the Preferred family as a hotel partner for several years, and her multi-disciplinary expertise will strengthen our position and provide a fresh, solutions-focused approach to optimizing business and routes to market for our hotels globally as they recover from recent setbacks.”
Williams’ dynamic, creative leadership style, coupled with a consistent record of accomplishment, has been developed over more than 20 years of varied and progressive industry experience, both on-property and in group executive positions. In her role at Preferred, she is tasked with overseeing and fine-tuning the group’s sales, revenue optimization, marketing, e-commerce, loyalty, distribution, events, and customer relations teams, working with departmental and regional leaders already in place to ensure global alignment and to support the successful execution and evolution of the company’s growth plans.
Prior to joining Preferred, Williams served as Regional Vice President of Sales & Marketing in Hawaii for Highgate, leading an integrated sales, marketing, and revenue organization while overseeing the company’s expanding portfolio of properties in the state, which includes Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Lifestyle Collection. She also held several progressive sales and marketing leadership positions for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. These included Divisional Director of Leisure Sales & Distribution, leading new business efforts with a particular focus on development in Brazil, Russia, India, and China; Regional Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Hawaii and Tahiti, having oversight of several iconic properties such as the St. Regis Bora Bora, the Moana Surfrider – a Westin Resort, The Sheraton Waikiki Resort; and General Manager of The Royal Hawaiian – a Luxury Collection Resort.
In 2007, Williams was named by HSMAI (Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International) as one of the world’s “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality & Travel Sales & Marketing.” She was also integral to the launch of the Aloha Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and was honored with the MPI Aloha Chapter Founders Award. In 2014, she was a Pacific Business News Businesswoman of the Year finalist and in 2018, she was honored by Pacific Edge Magazine for her contributions to Hawaii’s visitor industry.
