Eva Ziegler, the global brand leader of W Hotels and Le Méridien, is leaving Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc.

Ziegler will stay on with Starwood through early next year to help identify and train her successor.Starwood has already begun searching for her replacement.She has served as head of Le Méridien brand since its 2005 acquisition by Starwood. Ziegler has led the repositioning of Le Méridien as a culture-heavy hotel brand targeting the creative class. She added the role of W Hotels chief in 2009.Starwood has already begun searching for her replacement.