Hospitality firm promotes veteran staffer to newly created executive role

Jess Hayden has been promoted to vice president of operational excellence, a newly created role, at McKibbon Hospitality, a hotel management company that represents brands including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Kimpton.

According to a news release, Hayden joined the Tampa-based company in 2017 as director of procurement. Prior to being hired by McKibbon, she worked for more than a decade at Avendra, a hospitality procurement services provider based in Rockville, Maryland. She has also been employed by Cargill Animal Nutrition and Smithfield Foods.

“Jess Hayden has been, and continues to be, an invaluable asset to McKibbon Hospitality and her promotion to vice president of operational excellence couldn’t be more deserved,” McKibbon Hospitality President Randy Hassen states in the release. “From cost-effective sourcing and strategic negotiations to cultivating meaningful relationships with our vendors, owners and brand partners, Jess brings a wide range of expertise and experience to her new role and will be instrumental in strengthening our operational efficiency.” 

In her new role, the release states, Hayden will be responsible for overseeing procurement, contract management, hotel openings and transitions, as well as sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives.