Hilton has announced the appointment of Katherine Lugar to the role of Executive Vice-President of Corporate Affairs. She will take up the position starting April 2023.
Katherine Lugar will report directly to Christopher J. Nassetta, the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and sit on the Executive Committee. In her role, she will oversee Hilton’s Corporate Affairs department, which englobes communications, government affairs, and ESG.
A graduate of University of Colorado Boulder, Lugar began her career as a Legislative Aide in the US House of Representatives in 1994. Three years later, she was appointed Vice-President, Legislative and Political Affairs of the National Retail Federation (NRF). She held this post for eight years before becoming Vice-President, Government Affairs of Travelers.
Between 2007 and 2013, she served as Executive Vice-President, Public Affairs at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). In this role, Lugar successfully ran several high-profile issue campaigns. Following this, she joined the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) as its President and CEO from 2013 to 2019.
Her most recent role prior to Hilton was that of CEO of the American Beverage Association (ABA). As CEO of the lead trade association for the U.S. non-alcoholic beverage industry, her decisions had a direct economic impact on companies such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
In addition to her new position, Lugar serves on the boards of the Bipartisan Policy Center, the US Chamber of Commerce, and So Others Might Eat (SOME).
I’ve known Katherine for many years and long admired her unique ability to drive business results through effective policy dialogue and storytelling. As we look ahead to the next golden age of travel, Katherine will play a pivotal role in shaping our narrative with our most critical constituencies and advocating for what is in the best interest of our guests, team members, owners, and communities. She’s a seasoned industry leader and widely respected on Capitol Hill and around the world. I have no doubt she will continue her track record of creating meaningful impact in her new role with Hilton.
Christopher J. Nassetta, President & CEO of Hilton
I am honoured to join the Hilton team, a company I have long respected for its guest-centric approach to creating exceptional travel experiences and award-winning workplace culture. As both a veteran of the industry and proud Hilton Honors member, I believe deeply in the transformative power travel can have on the world and look forward to building on the profound impact Hilton has already had over its more than 100-year history. There has never been a better time to work with this world class team as we elevate Hilton’s role in defining the future of travel.
Katherine Lugar, Executive Vice-President of Corporate Affairs at Hilton
