The Transformational CIO: Leadership and Innovation Strategies for IT Executives in a Rapidly Changing World

A Model for Transformation

Robert Webb is the CIO at Hilton Worldwide, the globally respected hospitality company. Hilton Worldwide spans more than 3,600 hotels and 600,000 rooms in 82 countries. The company includes famous brands such as Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton, and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®.

Staying ahead in a continually evolving global economy requires continual transformation. One of Rob's key responsibilities is guiding a major business integration project that is transforming the company and creating competitive advantages that will serve Hilton for decades into the future. It's a huge responsibility, but I know that Rob can handle the job. I'll let him tell the story in his own words:

We're a very large company, with a full spectrum of hotels and properties across the globe. We have grown significantly over the years, including through the merger of brands and the reuniting of Hilton Hotels Corporation and Hilton International, which had operated separately for more than four decades.

Now we are integrating all the various parts of the company so we can act as one global unified business. We've moved our corporate headquarters from Beverly Hills to McLean, Virginia, and we've undertaken a technology-enabled transformation. ...