With the acquisition of WorldHotels in 2019, BWH Hotel Group expanded the company's global offerings and reach, adding brands in the upper upscale and luxury segments in key destinations. WorldHotels is comprised of four unique collections, each with its own personality and style to appeal to the needs of the modern traveler. The collections include: WorldHotels™ Luxury, WorldHotels™ Elite, WorldHotels™ Distinctive and WorldHotels™ Crafted. As President of WorldHotels, Ron will be responsible for ensuring the organizations strategic goals are met to include increasing scale, driving exceptional revenue to hoteliers, and enhancing the brand's image.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to take on this new and expanded role aimed at further growing and strengthening our brand across the globe," said Pohl. "We have made tremendous progress in recent years diversifying our portfolio and offering new and exciting brands that exceed developer and guest expectations. I look forward to working collaboratively with our hoteliers, global partners, company leadership and corporate staff to build upon our track record of success."
Prior to joining Best Western, Pohl spent 25 years with Boykin Management Company and Marriott Corporation. With Boykin, he served in a number of senior-level positions and, ultimately, Senior Vice President of Operations. He currently serves on the American Hotel & Lodging Association's Board of Directors, the Advisory Board for Grand Canyon University and previously served on the board of directors for the Convention & Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland.
Throughout his career, Pohl has earned a number of awards. In 2017, he was named a silver winner in the Executive of the Year – Large Companies category by the Best in Biz Awards. Pohl received the award as result of his commitment to excellence, innovative vision, and investment in employees' professional development. Pohl was also named the 2017 gold winner in the Executive of the Year category by One Planet Awards, the world's premier awards program honoring the best in business and professional excellence in every industry from around the globe. Finally, Pohl received the prestigious American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute Arthur Landstreet Award in 2016.