Ron Pohl has been promoted to senior vice president and COO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts. A member of the company’s executive committee and the leader of the brand’s operations and development efforts in North America and Asia, Pohl will oversee key departments, from customer care to global quality assurance.
Pohl, who received the 2016 American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute’s Arthur Landstreet Award, was pivotal in the repositioning of the company’s three core brands: Best Western, Best Western Plus, and Best Western Premier; and launching its newest brands: Vib, Glo, BW Premier Collection, and the SureStay Hotel Group. He also created Best Western’s online education hub Best Western International University, a resource for hotel staff and corporate employees. In 2016 alone the program—which includes a partnership featuring AHLEI courses and certifications—provided 1,953 Best Western employees with Certified Front Desk Manager designations.
“Since joining Best Western in early 2007, as a leader with strategic vision, Ron has tremendously improved the member services and brand management functions of Best Western,” says company president and CEO David Kong. “His many accomplishments include achieving record-high RevPAR Index, the brand’s best Net Promoter Scores, as well as the highest Medallia scores in the areas of breakfast, service, and overall experience. He is an integral member of the executive committee who has helped lead this company to previously unimaginable achievements on a global level.”
Best Western celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2016, a year which also saw record-breaking RevPAR results and the introduction of new breakfast programming and a globally responsive website.
