Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc. (SVO) has promoted Steve Williams to senior VP and Chief Operating Officer. Williams, a 12-year veteran of the company, will oversee the day-to-day operations of SVO. This new role, effective July 1, 2012, was created as part of organizational changes made by SVO’s parent company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), to combine the company’s North American and Latin American regions with SVO under a new Americas region. As part of the organizational change, Serge Rivera, who was Chief Executive Officer of SVO, was promoted to Co-President of Starwood Americas.

Williams joined Starwood in 2000, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing. He brings more than three decades of experience in growing the vacation ownership, fractional, residential and branded hospitality industries into this new role. Before joining SVO, Williams held key roles at Marriott Vacation Club and Fairfield Communities.

“Steve has been integral to the success of SVO and we are delighted to promote him to this new leadership role,” said Frits van Paasschen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “The promotions of both Steve and Serge underscore the great talent we have within the ranks of our SVO organization and we look forward to the group’s continued success under Steve’s leadership.”

The key structural change to unite SVO with the Americas reflects a strong, integrated relationship between Starwood and its vacation ownership group. By leveraging the company’s combined resources, talent and understanding of its guests and owners, the move is expected to maximize synergies between hotel and timeshare operations.