Alderman leaves Radisson Hotel Group Americas; Buoy named interim CEO

Radisson Hotel Group Americas (RHGA) has named Tom Buoy, chief commercial officer, interim CEO as Jim Alderman has left the company to pursue other opportunities.

Jim Alderman

The company has started its search for a replacement but remains focused on the future and the continued success of RHGA hotels by continuing to provide best-in-class commercial, franchised and managed support.

“Our plan is to continue to move forward with the vision set forth by our board and executive team to grow the company,” said Buoy. “We have an exceptional internal team of leaders focused on making Radisson Hotel Group Americas better for owners, franchisees, team members and investors alike, and I am very confident we will continue to grow in 2022 and beyond.”

Alderman joined Radisson in March 2020 after serving as EVP for Extended Stay America (ESA). He led RHGA through its split from Radisson Hotel Group earlier this year. He spoke exclusively with Hotel Business at the time. “Due to our company’s international ownership by Jin Jiang international Holdings and to adhere to U.S. regulations, last year around July, we entered into an agreement with the U.S. government to separate the Americas business from the other parts of the business,” he said. “That was a year-long process and, as a result, there are two Radisson business organizations which, together, represent the company’s brands globally: Radisson Hotel Group Americas represents the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Radisson Hotel Group represents Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.”

He continued, “There are no real functional ties between the organizations as far as operationally; we have complete operational independence from the other RHG business. Each business organization has a full operational team to deliver our exceptional experiences on a worldwide basis. RHGA is 100% self-governed in the United States, with a U.S.-based board of directors comprised of all U.S. citizens to provide the governance, strategic guidance and oversight. Jin Jiang remains the shareholder of both organizations.”

Buoy joined Radisson in July and prior to that served as president/CEO of his own consulting business. During his career, he also led the commercial transformation at Extended Stay America, leveraging a data-driven approach to overhaul the company’s revenue management, marketing and sales processes. Additionally, he served as SVP, customer marketing and revenue management for Morgans Hotel Group (previously Ian Schrager Hotels) and worked in operations and revenue management with Accor Hotels in Australia.