Starwood Appoints Martha Poulter as EVP / CIO

Starwood has appointed Martha Poulter, former Chief Information Officer of GE Capital, as the company’s new Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, effective 23 June 2014.

Martha will be a member of Starwood’s Senior Leadership Team and report to President and CEO Frits van Paasschen.

Martha succeeds Roger Berry, who is set to retire in the end of June and will stay on as a consultant to Starwood through year-end to ensure a smooth transition.

“As we transform the way we use technology to keep pace with the fast-changing expectations of our guests, we are delighted to welcome Martha to our team in this key leadership role,” said van Paasschen. “In addition to her significant experience leading a large global IT organization, Martha impressed us with her ability to connect legacy platforms with new world technologies. Her innovative approach is exactly what we were looking for as we continue to significantly invest in technology and talent.”

A 25-year technology veteran, Martha most recently served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer, GE Capital, with global responsibility for IT strategy and operations leading a 4,000-person global organization. Since joining General Electric in 1995, she held a series of senior information technology leadership positions such as eBusiness Vice President, Quality Leader, and regional Americas Chief Information Officer for GE Capital, where she was responsible for many operational excellence improvements and the completion of key digitization projects, including the company’s first customer mobile apps for commercial businesses.

van Paasschen added, “Martha will lead a seasoned global IT team that is well integrated into virtually every aspect of our business including brands and global operations. I would like to thank Roger for his leadership over the last three years and the critical role he has played in upgrading our IT systems, making them scalable, flexible and secure, and building a strong and agile team to support our ambitious technology agenda. We wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

Martha is a Board Member of the Hispanic Federation and the Norwalk Community College Foundation. She graduated with a B.S.E. degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Connecticut and completed her M.B.A. at the University of New Haven.