HNA Tourism Group, the new owner of Carlson Hotels Inc., is bringing in a top executive and a board member from one of its other businesses.
Federico González Tejera, who led the Spanish hotelier NH Hotel Group, will become chief executive of Minnetonka-based Carlson Hotels, best known for its Radisson hotel brands, on Feb. 1.
Charles Mobus, a former chairman of NH, has become a director on the company's board.
González succeeds David Berg, the CEO since 2015 who was expected to keep the job after HNA, a Chinese conglomerate with hotel and travel businesses around the world, took control. The acquisition, terms of which were not disclosed, was announced in April and closed last month.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Mobus said, "Federico has an established track record and long-held experience in the hospitality industry, and we are confident in his ability to build upon this strong foundation."
At NH, González enacted a five-year plan to help transform the company's brand position and increase profitability, according to the statement.
But last June, NH shareholders voted out HNA's board appointees, including Mobus, and ousted González, citing a conflict of interest with HNA's purchase of Carlson.
HNA, the largest single shareholder in NH, sued the company in the fall and demanded that its board of representatives and González be reinstated.
In Wednesday's statement, Carlson said Berg would leave the company after a short transition. A spokesperson didn't immediately provide details.
Berg joined the company as chief operating officer in 2014 and was promoted to CEO in 2015 after Trudy Rautio retired from the position.
"David Berg led Carlson Hotels through a successful period of global portfolio growth while at the same time increasing profitability, improving competitiveness, and delivering substantial gains in guest satisfaction," Mobus said in the statement.
"Carlson Hotels is a respected leader in the global hospitality industry and has a portfolio of world-class brands," González said in the statement. "I am excited to have the opportunity to lead this great business and continue to drive global growth."
Carlson has about 1,400 hotels around the world, including the various Radisson brands and Country Inns & Suites.
Nicole Norfleet • 612-673-4495
Twitter: @nicolenorfleet
