Mark S. Hoplamazian was appointed to our Board of Directors in November 2006 and named President and Chief Executive Officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation in December 2006. Prior to being appointed to his present position, Mr. Hoplamazian served as President of The Pritzker Organization, LLC ( TPO ), the principal financial and investment advisor to certain Pritzker family business interests. During his 17 year tenure with TPO, he served as an advisor to various Pritzker family-owned companies, including Hyatt Hotels Corporation and its predecessors. He previously worked in international mergers and acquisitions at The First Boston Corporation in New York. Mr. Hoplamazian serves on the Board of Directors and as a member of the Talent & Compensation and Finance committees of the Board of Directors of VF Corporation. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of World Business Chicago, and the Board of Trustees of the Aspen Institute. Mr. Hoplamazian is a member of the Executive Committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council, a member of the Discovery Class of the Henry Crown Fellowship, and a member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, where he also serves as co-chair of the Committee s Public Safety Task Force. As Hyatt s President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Hoplamazian provides our Board of Directors with valuable insight regarding Hyatt s operations, management team, colleagues, and culture, as a result of his day-to-day involvement in the operations of the business, and he performs a critical role in board discussions regarding strategic planning and development for the Company. Mr. Hoplamazian is financially sophisticated and also has significant mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance experience.