New VP for Choice Hotels International

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Choice Hotels International, Inc. one of the world's leading hotel companies, has announced Raul Ramirez has joined the company as vice president, strategic finance and financial planning & analysis.

In this position, Ramirez will oversee and direct Choice's existing strategic finance activities and initiatives, including operational analysis, resource allocation, budgeting and forecasting, and multi-year planning. He will also work closely with Choice's senior leadership and key stakeholders to identify additional opportunities to grow the company's core domestic and international businesses. Ramirez will report directly to Scott Oaksmith, senior vice president, finance.

Ramirez joins Choice Hotels from XO Communications, where he served as vice president, financial planning & analysis and corporate development. There, he notably supported the transformation of the FP&A organization, implemented processes to standardize the company's $300 millioninvestment portfolio, defined the company's long-term financial planning strategy and provided cross-functional leadership to support merger and acquisition activities. Earlier in his career, Ramirez also held key positions in corporate development, global operations and financial planning at NII Holdings/Nextel International. Ramirez earned his bachelor's degree from Tec de Monterrey, Mexico, and a master's in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also completed a management executive program at the Kellogg Business School.

“Raul is a transformational leader with extensive background in maximizing investor capital and exceeding corporate financial targets,” said Oaksmith. “We look forward to the deep insight Raul will bring to Choice Hotels as we continue to drive growth and profitability.”