CHICAGO—As a result of growth in the Americas region, Hyatt announced new senior leadership appointments and organizational structures designed to support the company’s focus on growth, operations, and performance within the region. With the organizational structure, Hyatt’s Americas region is now comprised of two subregions—United States and Canada and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)—led by two newly appointed subregional presidents, respectively: Susan Santiago and Gabriel Felip who both report to Pete Sears, group president, Americas, effective January 2024.
In her new role as president, United States and Canada, Santiago is responsible for the growth and performance optimization of Hyatt’s owned and managed portfolio. She is in her 32nd year with Hyatt and has held numerous positions leading operations, most recently as senior vice president of Hyatt’s Lifestyle Division and Miraval brand.
As president, Latin America & Caribbean, Felip leads operational performance for all managed and owned Hyatt hotels in the region across all brands, including Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection. Felip has more than 30 years of hospitality and tourism experience and previously served as Hyatt’s group president of iIclusive Collection global operations.
“Our new Americas structure enables us to further support our hotel teams and owners in more customized, regionalized ways—and this is designed to help us continue driving strong results through intentional and sustainable growth for the region,” said Sears. “With these changes, we continue our momentum in positioning Hyatt as the preferred hospitality brand, delivering meaningful and memorable experiences for guests and driving results for our owners.”
Included in the Americas’ new subregional structure are three newly created roles within the operations, commercial services, and finance functions, respectively: Yvette Martinez-Edwards has been promoted to senior vice president, field operations, Luxury and Miraval, reporting to Santiago; Shyla Gardner re-joins Hyatt as vice president, commercial services, Latin America and the Caribbean, reporting to Asad Ahmed, senior vice president, commercial services, Americas; and Juan Pablo Puerta now serves as senior vice president, finance, Latin America and the Caribbean, reporting to Liz Bauer, senior vice president, finance, Americas.
With a focus on driving operations within Hyatt’s luxury brands, Martinez-Edwards oversees Hyatt’s managed luxury and Miraval hotel portfolio for the Americas region. Most recently, Martinez-Edwards served as vice president of field operations where she led a group of full-service Timeless Collection properties in the East region. She also previously led Hyatt’s sales strategy in Latin America and the Caribbean and for the Miraval brand.
Gardner leads a cross-functional LAC Commercial Services team that provides a commercial strategy for the LAC market and further develops brand stories that show Hyatt’s culture and differentiators for Hyatt’s full LAC portfolio, including the Inclusive Collection. Before this role, Gardner acted as vice president of sales and marketing for Playa Resorts and previously served as an area director of sales and marketing in Mexico for Hyatt.
To further support Hyatt’s intentional long-term growth strategy, Puerta is responsible for leading the finance function and driving property performance optimization throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Puerta also continues to lead the region’s function for Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection. Before this role, Puerta served as the CFO of Apple Leisure Group.
