Hilton announced the appointment of John Donaldson as Senior Vice President, Business Development & Strategy. Donaldson will lead the company’s business development strategy, which includes developing and managing new, customer-focused enterprise partner relationships.
“John is an accomplished senior business strategist and corporate development leader and will bring to Hilton a wealth of experience across different cultures, businesses and markets,” said Jon Witter, Chief Customer Officer. “His insight will be invaluable as we build out our business development capability and explore the initiatives and new enterprise partnerships that can deliver greater value for our guests.”
Donaldson joins Hilton from Pandora Media, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Development. In this role, he championed the company’s evolution from a U.S.-focused internet radio service to a global music platform and was responsible for standardizing and improving the effectiveness of business development efforts. Prior to Pandora Media, Donaldson spent eight years at Microsoft Corporation, where he spearheaded business development and was responsible for high-value deals.
“At 100 years young, Hilton continues to pioneer the way for the hospitality industry,” said Donaldson. “I am thrilled to be a part of the company’s next century as we continue to develop and implement enterprise-wide strategies that fuel continued growth and innovation.”
Donaldson holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. He begins today, will be based in Hilton’s global headquarters in McLean, Virginia, and reports to Jon Witter, Chief Customer Officer.
