ROCKVILLE, Maryland—Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced executive appointments that position the company for future growth following its acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas and the integration of its nine brands onto Choice’s central reservation system.
“Choice has always been a growth company, and that growth is now accelerating,” said Choice Hotels International President and CEO Patrick Pacious. “We are a stronger company than we were just a year ago. Choice’s increased scope and the breadth of our portfolio give us new avenues for growth and an opportunity to expand and improve the services we provide to our franchisees, our guests, and our travel partners.”
As part of an evolution to a more flexible organizational structure, Dominic Dragisich, who joined the company as chief financial officer in 2017, will be promoted to executive vice president, operations, and chief global brand officer. Dragisich will oversee all of Choice’s brand segments, brand development, segment services, and corporate development. During his tenure as CFO, Dragisich streamlined the company’s budgeting, forecasting, and capital allocation processes and led several initiatives to support the company’s growth. Recently, he worked in the acquisition of the Radisson Americas business and will continue to lead corporate development efforts.
Scott Oaksmith will be promoted from senior vice president and deputy chief financial officer to chief financial officer. In this role, he will lead Choice’s overall financial strategy and corporate growth initiatives to drive expansion across markets and maximize shareholder value. Oaksmith has worked closely with stakeholders to identify opportunities to grow the company’s business, financial operations, and capital allocation strategies, and used analytics to drive strategic decisions in support of the company’s goals.
Raul Ramirez will be promoted from chief strategy and international operations officer to chief segment and international operations officer with responsibility for Choice’s upscale, extended-stay, and core midscale and economy brands as well as the International Division. Since he joined Choice in 2017, Ramirez has led the integration of the Radisson Americas brands and WoodSpring Suites, launched an enterprise planning process to help define and support long-term business and financial goals, and spearheaded the transformation and expansion of the company’s International Division.
Anna Scozzafava will be promoted from senior vice president and general manager, extended-stay brands to chief strategy officer and senior vice president, technology, overseeing Choice’s corporate strategy, business analytics, and technology functions. Scozzafava has been with the company since 2012 and, most recently, drove the growth and expansion of Choice’s extended-stay portfolio. She will continue to lead the segment through a transition period.
