Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) today announced that it has named Robert McDowell to the newly-created position of senior vice president of global distribution.  In this role, he will be responsible for the development and execution of Choice’s growing global, multi-channel marketing and distribution strategy.  Mr. McDowell will report to Patrick Pacious, executive vice president, global strategy, distribution and technology. 

With over 25 years of travel industry experience, Mr. McDowell joins Choice Hotels from United Airlines, where he served as managing director of distribution and e-Commerce.  At Choice, he will oversee all direct distribution channels, revenue management, global sales and marketing channels, e-Commerce, and all channel partner relationships.

“Robert joins Choice with extensive knowledge of today’s multi-channel travel landscape and a strong marketing and analysis background,” said Pacious.  “He will be a tremendous asset to our organization as we continue to drive even more business to our franchisees through our proprietary central reservations channels while adapting to meet the needs of an ever-changing distribution environment.”

In his most recent position at United Airlines, Mr. McDowell was responsible for the company’s distribution strategy through all direct and non-direct sales channels, including United.com, the company’s contact centers and all related sales channels. In his 15 years at United, he held positions of increasing responsibility in sales, revenue management and strategic planning.  He also served as chief operating officer for C&H International, a $600 million international travel agency, overseeing the company’s daily operations.

Mr. McDowell earned his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame and his bachelor’s degree from the New York Institute of Technology.