Hospitality | Tourism 2025: CHRISTOPHER J. NASSETTA

Nassetta is the longtime president and CEO of one of the world’s largest hospitality companies. Hilton has a portfolio of 8,600 properties and 24 brands in 139 countries and territories.

Nassetta joined Hilton in 2007 after investment firm Blackstone acquired the company in a $26 billion deal. Hilton went public again in 2013, and by the end of 2022, Nassetta had more than doubled the company’s footprint.

Hilton ranked 380th on the Fortune 500 list this year. The company reported $11.17 billion in revenue for 2024, up from $10.23 billion in 2023.

In 2024, Hilton added nearly 100,000 rooms — a record increase for the 100-plus-year-old company — and 973 hotels. It also added two lifestyle brands to its portfolio, acquiring Graduate Hotels for $210 million and a majority controlling interest in NoMad Hotels creator Sydell Group.

A University of Virginia alum, Nassetta spent 10 years at Host Hotels & Resorts, serving first as chief operating officer and then as president and CEO before taking the helm at Hilton.

Nassetta is immediate past chair of the U.S. Travel Association. He sits on the powerful board of directors for the Business Roundtable, the association of the nation’s top CEOs, with other members like Apple CEO Tim Cook and JPMorganChase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon.

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