Wyndham International, Inc. (NYSE:WYN) today announced the appointment of two rising stars in the hospitality industry to key senior management positions. Richard A. Smith has been appointed executive vice president and chief financial officer. Mark F. Hedley joins Wyndham as senior vice president and chief technology officer.

“The appointments we are announcing today significantly strengthen our senior management team as we enter the next phase in Wyndham`s transformation into a branded hotel operating company,” Fred J. Kleisner, president and chief executive officer, said. “Having completed an excellent first quarter, we are confident that we have the elements we need to succeed: the right strategy, the right assets, and with these appointments, the right leadership team.”

Smith, 37, was previously senior vice president and treasurer of Wyndham International. Hedley, 36, joins the company from Sun International Inc. where he was vice president, information technology.

“Rick Smith has earned a reputation as one of the industry`s rising stars. Rick has experience in virtually every area of finance—capital markets, risk management, cash management, debt compliance, and treasury, among others. He`s the right executive to lead Wyndham`s finance organization through this transformation,” said Kleisner.

“We are delighted that Mark Hedley is joining our senior management team. Mark has created superior technology platforms for several major hospitality organizations. As chief technology officer, he will lead our efforts to build an e-commerce strategy that will span reservations, procurement, marketing and communications. At the same time, he will oversee the implementation of our high speed communications network, taking Wyndham to a leadership position in Internet-related guest services.”

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