Hyatt names Águila EAME group president as Fulton retires

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has appointed Javier Águila as group president Europe, Africa & Middle East (EAME) region.

The leadership change follows the retirement of Peter Fulton who looks back on a 39-year career at Hyatt. Águila and Fulton will work together on a transition in the next few months.

“The Hyatt family is grateful for Peter’s leadership and impact throughout a career that spans almost four decades and three global regions. In his latest role as group president, EAME/SWA, which Peter assumed in 2013, he has presided over operational excellence and unprecedented growth for the region,” said Chuck Floyd, global president of operations, Hyatt.

Águila’s journey in recent years has been an interesting one. As recently as 2019, he was CEO of Alua Hotels & Resorts, which he also founded. Alua was acquired by Apple Leisure Group (ALG) that year, which was subsequently acquired by Hyatt in 2021.

Hyatt continues to lead hospitality industry growth 

Águila has more than 20 years of experience in hospitality, tourism, private equity and strategic consulting.

“Javier’s appointment is yet another milestone in bringing Hyatt and ALG’s joint vision to life,” said Floyd. “Adding ALG to our portfolio increased Hyatt’s European brand footprint by 60% and I am confident Javier is the ideal candidate to continue the region’s positive trajectory and lead the team to new heights.”

This appointment coincides with what Hyatt calls a ‘geographical realignment’, with the Indian subcontinent falling under David Udell, group president Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong. 

Hyatt has achieved five years of industry-leading room growth, and has a global pipeline of 113,000 rooms – which equates to around 40% of Hyatt’s current inventory.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Headquartered in Chicago, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, is a global hospitality company with more than 1,150 hotels in 71 countries across six continents.