Exhibit 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Global Hospitality Industry Leader Appointed President and CEO of Group RCI
Parsippany, N.J. (March 11, 2008) — Geoffrey A. Ballotti, former president of the North American
Division of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, has been named president and CEO of Group RCI, the
worldwide leader in the vacation exchange and rental business, a part of Wyndham Worldwide,
(NYSE:WYN).
“Geoff is a highly qualified hospitality executive with a sterling
reputation and an impressive track record of accomplishment,” said
Stephen P. Holmes, chairman and CEO, Wyndham Worldwide. “He is a
customer-driven brand builder who is a natural and dynamic leader.
His financial acumen, international management and operations
experience and his knowledge of travel distribution make him the
ideal candidate to lead our global vacation rental and exchange
business.”
Over the past 19 years, Ballotti has served in senior leadership roles in real estate
development, call center and travel distribution management, marketing, sales and regional
multi-brand hotel operations. He lived overseas in Milan, Brussels and Rome for eight years as
senior vice president for Operations in Europe with Starwood, and speaks both French and Italian.
As head of North American operations, Ballotti led operations for a portfolio of 450 hotels with
65,000 associates across multiple brands which generated system-wide owned, managed and franchise
revenues in excess of $10 billion.
Before entering the hospitality industry, Ballotti earned his MBA from Harvard and worked for
the Bank of New England in corporate and commercial real estate finance.
“I am extremely excited about helping to lead and continue to grow Group RCI’s business and
phenomenal portfolio of over 30 brands,” commented Ballotti. “But most importantly it was the
people and leadership reputation of both Group RCI and Wyndham Worldwide that attracted me to the
company. The diversity of the Wyndham Worldwide business model is exciting and I am really looking
forward to being part of the high-energy senior management team.”
Ballotti will be relocating to the Parsippany area immediately and will start work on March
31.