Hyatt Hotels has appointed Alex Zoghlin as the company’s first global head of technology. In this role, Zoghlin will be responsible for all aspects of Hyatt’s technology platform and systems.

He will lead the team charged with rapidly deploying innovative technology solutions to enable superior guest experiences and will be responsible for optimizing the company’s technology resources. He reports to Chuck Floyd, group president, global operations center for Hyatt.

Zoghlin joins Hyatt with more than 20 years of technology experience, including over 10 years in the travel and real estate industries. Most recently he was chief executive officer at VHT, a provider of innovative technology and visual marketing solutions for the real estate industry. Zoghlin was founder and chief executive officer for G2Switchworks, an airline global distribution system that automated ticket exchanges, ticket refunds and ticket price changes. In 2000, Zoghlin was a founder, and first employee of Orbitz, an online travel agency built to revolutionize the way consumers buy and plan travel.  There, he oversaw all aspects of the company and served as chief technology officer, overseeing strategy, design development and operations.

Earlier, Zoghlin founded and served as chief executive officer and chief technology officer for SportsGear.com, a business-to-business sporting goods distribution company as well as Neoglyphics Media Corporation. In the early 1990s, he was a senior research programmer at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications and started his career in active duty for the U.S. Navy Submarine Force.

“I am delighted to welcome Alex to Hyatt’s leadership team as he joins us with an utterly unique background, and a deep understanding of technology, the travel industry, and what it takes to create exceptional user experiences.” said Floyd. “Alex is a talented technology leader with outstanding instincts and a track record for driving innovation which provides for a great fit with our business objectives.”