Hyatt Hotels Corporation today announced that Jeff Semenchuk will serve as its first chief innovation officer. He will be based at Hyatt headquarters in Chicago, and will report to both John Wallis, global head of marketing and brand strategy and chief marketing officer, and to Mark Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer.

“Hyatt has a long heritage of innovation, a reputation for introducing new concepts and service models to the hospitality industry, and a commitment to becoming the most preferred brand in each segment we serve,” said Hoplamazian. “Appointing a chief innovation officer demonstrates our determination to differentiate our brands by developing new, relevant ways of providing great guest experiences and delivering authentic hospitality.  Jeff is a seasoned executive who combines discipline and creativity and I’m delighted to welcome him to the Hyatt family.”

In his new role at Hyatt, Semenchuk will lead the company’s enterprise-wide, cross-functional efforts to establish a process of innovation that yields new experiences, offerings, and ways of operating that are expected to generate significant value for guests and owners.

“The most meaningful innovation is derived from deep understanding of customer needs and market opportunities,” said Semenchuk. “Given its strong entrepreneurial culture and the investments the company has made in guest insights and analytics, I believe Hyatt has the opportunity to take a leadership position for its brands.  I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues across the organization to leverage the great work that is already being done and to develop and implement new, breakthrough concepts.”

With more than 25 years of experience as a corporate innovator, Semenchuk has played key strategic roles for companies in industries ranging from financial services to pharmaceuticals, most recently serving as a founder and managing director of Citigroup’s global Growth Ventures & Innovation unit. He was head of global innovation at Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, has founded four start-ups and worked as a corporate consultant, including serving as a senior advisor with the Monitor Group.

Semenchuk will be based in Hyatt’s Chicago headquarters but will spend a significant amount of his time working with associates, business partners and guests in Hyatt hotels across the US and the world.

City.Mobi

Also in US today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Chicago.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

Chicago.mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.