Above: Starwood’s St Regis Bahia Beach in Puerto Rico

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has named Martha Poulter its new executive vice president and chief information officer.

Poulter, the former Chief Information Officer of GE Capital, will officially begin work on June 23.

She will be a member of Starwood’s Senior Leadership Team and report to Starwood Hotels and Resorts President and CEO Frits van Paasschen.

She succeeds Roger Berry, who will be retiring at the end of next month.

“As we transform the way we use technology to keep pace with the fast-changing expectations of our guests, we are delighted to welcome Martha to our team in this key leadership role,” van Paasschen said. “In addition to her significant experience leading a large global IT organization, Martha impressed us with her ability to connect legacy platforms with new world technologies. Her innovative approach is exactly what we were looking for as we continue to significantly invest in technology and talent.”

Poulter, a 25-veteran of the technology industry, had the global responsibility for IT strategy and operations at GE Capital; she had worked with General Electric since 1995.

“Martha will lead a seasoned global IT team that is well integrated into virtually every aspect of our business including brands and global operations,” van Paasschen said. “I would like to thank Roger for his leadership over the last three years and the critical role he has played in upgrading our IT systems, making them scalable, flexible and secure, and building a strong and agile team to support our ambitious technology agenda. We wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”