One month after CEO Barry Sternlicht announced his resignation as CEO, White Plains, N.Y.-based hotel operator Starwood Resorts & Hotels has named Vasant Prabhu as its new executive vice president and CFO. Prabhu was formerly CFO of West Coast supermarket chain Safeway Inc. Prabhu will remain at Safeway through the end of the year as the grocery chain seeks his successor.
In addition, executive vice president Ron Brown — Starwood’s CFO since 1995 — last month became executive vice president of strategy for the firm, and elevated Robert Cotter to the post of president and COO. Sternlicht’s successor has not yet been named.
Starwood manages, franchises or owns more than 725 hotel properties in 80 countries. Its hotel brand names include Sheraton, St. Regis, Weston and W Hotels.