Press Release
March 13, 2001
DALLAS, TX -- Wyndham International, Inc. (NYSE:WYN) yesterday named Joseph H. Champ, a 19-year veteran of the
hotel and resort industry, as executive vice president-business development and chief investment officer. He will
oversee Wyndham's hotel and resort development, acquisition and disposition activities.
``We are very pleased to have one of the hotel industry's leading development executives join our company. Joe
is highly regarded as an expert in the area of hotel and resort development and he will play a key role in our
strategy to become a leading branded hotel operating company,'' said Fred J. Kleisner, chairman and chief executive
officer of Wyndham. ``His knowledge of the industry will enable us to further intensify our efforts to position
Wyndham as an operator and franchiser of upscale hotels and resorts, as well as assist us in our plans to sell
non-strategic assets.''
In his new capacity, Champ will help guide Wyndham's strategy to become a branded hotel operating company by obtaining
and investing in management contracts, expanding its franchising program, and selling or swapping non-strategic
assets. Wyndham sold more than $400 million in non-strategic assets in 2000, the first year of its three-year plan
to sell or swap all non-strategic assets in order to concentrate on its core Wyndham-branded products.
Throughout his career, Champ, age 43, has served in senior management capacities with leading hotel, resort and
golf development companies. Most recently, he was with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., where he
was senior vice president, acquisitions and development. He was vice president of development for Westin Hotels
when Starwood acquired that company in 1998. Previously, he was a principal at Cobblestone Golf Group in San Diego,
where he was responsible for overseeing the acquisition of Cobblestone's portfolio of owned and managed golf and
country clubs. Earlier in his career, Champ worked in acquisitions for American Golf Corporation and National Golf
Properties, and was vice president of real estate for Interstate Hotels.
He earned his undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and his M.B.A. from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management
at Northwestern University.
Wyndham International, Inc. (NYSE:WYN) offers upscale and luxury hotel and resort accommodations through proprietary
lodging brands and a management services division. Based in Dallas, Wyndham International owns, leases, manages
and franchises hotels and resorts in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. For more information,
visit www.wyndham.com. For reservations, call 800-Wyndham.
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Contact:
Wyndham International, Inc., Dallas
Fred Stern, 214/863-1258