Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Appoints Amit Sripathi as Chief Financial Officer and Elevates David Wilner to Lead North American Development

(IN SHORT) Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has appointed Amit Sripathi as Chief Financial Officer and named David Wilner as Chief Development Officer – North America, with both reporting to President and CEO Geoff Ballotti. Sripathi, who previously served as Chief Development Officer – North America, played a key role in delivering 20 consecutive quarters of organic net room growth and overseeing the divestiture of the company’s owned hotels, strengthening its asset-light model. Wilner, a veteran franchise sales leader, will lead North American franchise sales and design and construction teams, building on his success launching ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham and expanding several prototype brands. The company also reaffirmed its full-year 2026 financial outlook, underscoring its continued focus on disciplined capital allocation, FeePAR-accretive growth, and long-term value creation for franchisees and shareholders.

(PRESS RELEASE) PARSIPPANY, N.J., 2026-Mar-3 — /Travel PR News/ — Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has announced a leadership transition that strengthens its executive team and underscores its long-term growth strategy. Amit Sripathi has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately, following a comprehensive search process. He succeeds Kurt Albert, who had been serving as Interim CFO since November. At the same time, the company named David Wilner as Chief Development Officer – North America. Both executives will report directly to Geoff Ballotti, President and Chief Executive Officer.

The appointments are designed to reinforce Wyndham’s focus on driving FeePAR-accretive net room growth while delivering sustained value to franchisees, guests, and shareholders. The company also reaffirmed its full-year 2026 outlook previously outlined in its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings release.

Sripathi joined Wyndham in 2021 and most recently served as Chief Development Officer – North America. During his tenure, he played a central role in shaping the company’s growth and capital allocation strategy, contributing to 20 consecutive quarters of organic net room growth. He also oversaw the divestiture of Wyndham’s owned hotel portfolio, further advancing its asset-light, franchise-driven business model.

Before joining Wyndham, Sripathi held leadership roles at RLJ Lodging Trust, overseeing Capital Markets and Corporate Finance, and previously worked within the Real Estate, Lodging and Gaming investment banking group at Deutsche Bank. His background combines operational insight with financial and capital markets expertise, positioning him to lead Wyndham’s global finance organization at a time of continued expansion.

In his remarks, Ballotti highlighted Sripathi’s track record in development and capital strategy, noting his experience supporting franchise owners and executing large-scale initiatives both domestically and internationally. Sripathi emphasized maintaining disciplined financial management and a consistent capital allocation approach, while continuing to maximize long-term shareholder returns and build on Wyndham’s “Count on Me” culture.

David Wilner steps into the Chief Development Officer – North America role with three decades of franchise sales experience. In his new position, he will oversee North American franchise sales as well as the company’s architecture, design, and construction teams. Over nearly eight years at Wyndham, Wilner has worked closely with franchisees across the brand portfolio, helping drive domestic net room growth.

Under his leadership, Wyndham developed and launched ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham, now recognized as one of the fastest-growing extended stay brands in the industry. His experience also spans development leadership at La Quinta prior to its acquisition by Wyndham. Wilner has played a key role in expanding new construction prototype brands including La Quinta, WaterWalk, Hawthorn Suites, ECHO Suites, and Microtel, translating owner priorities into strategic brand growth.

Ballotti described Wilner as a trusted partner to franchise owners and team members, citing his ability to align development initiatives with owner success while accelerating domestic expansion across Wyndham’s portfolio.

With these leadership changes, Wyndham reinforces its commitment to disciplined growth, owner-focused development, and shareholder value creation as it advances its strategic objectives through 2026 and beyond.

About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of franchised properties, with over 8,300 hotels across approximately 100 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 869,000 franchised and affiliated rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 25 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, ECHO Suites®, Registry Collection Hotels®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards® loyalty program offers over 122 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements related to Wyndham’s current views and expectations with respect to its future performance, growth and shareholder value. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact, including those that convey management’s expectations as to the future based on plans, estimates and projections at the time Wyndham makes the statements and may be identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “intend,” “goal,” “future,” “forward,” “remain,” “confident,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “target,” “objective,” “estimate,” “projection” and similar words or expressions, including the negative version of such words and expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Wyndham to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, general economic conditions, including inflation, higher interest rates and potential recessionary pressures, which may impact decisions by consumers and businesses to use travel accommodations; global trade disputes, including with China; the performance of the financial and credit markets; the economic environment for the hospitality industry; operating risks associated with the hotel franchising business; Wyndham’s relationships with franchisees; the ability of franchisees to pay back loans owed to Wyndham; the impact of prior or any future impairment charges related to the credit Wyndham extends to its franchisees; the impact of war, terrorist activity, political instability or political strife; global or regional health crises or pandemics including the resulting impact on Wyndham’s business, operations, financial results, cash flows and liquidity, as well as the impact on its franchisees, guests and team members, the hospitality industry and overall demand for and restrictions on travel; Wyndham’s ability to satisfy obligations and agreements under its outstanding indebtedness, including the payment of principal and interest and compliance with the covenants thereunder; risks related to Wyndham’s ability to obtain financing and the terms of such financing, including access to liquidity and capital; and Wyndham’s ability to make or pay, plans for and the timing and amount of any future share repurchases and/or dividends, as well as the risks described in Wyndham’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties are not the only ones Wyndham may face and additional risks may arise or become material in the future. Wyndham undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc.