YVONNE LA PENOTIERE
Chief Branding Officer
Carlson Hotels Worldwide

Yvonne La Penotiere is Chief Branding Officer for Carlson Hotels Worldwide. In this newly created position, La Penotiere is responsible for leading the brand management strategy for Radisson Hotels & Resorts; Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts; Country Inns & Suites By Carlson and Park Inn.

Most recently, La Penotiere served as president of Carlson Hotels Worldwide - The Americas, where she was responsible for leading the strategy, management and key functional support areas for the brands of Carlson Hotels Worldwide in The Americas. In this role, she managed the leaders of the full-service and select-service brands; managed hotels; revenue generation, development; information technology and business process improvement.

La Penotiere brings to her position extensive expertise and leadership experience in consumer products branding. She originally joined Carlson in 2000 as vice president of sales and marketing for Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. Previously, she had more than 18 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry, including 11 years in consumer marketing and brand management with such organizations as the Pillsbury Company, Nabisco Foods Group and CPC International.

In 2003, La Penotiere was named one of the top 25 Women Changemakers by The Business Journal, a Minneapolis-St. Paul business publication. The award recognizes women business leaders who have successfully implemented positive change within their businesses. La Penotiere was also awarded the Order of the Golden Rose in 2004, one of Carlson's top employee recognition honors, for her significant contributions related to the Carlson Hotels brand definition project conducted under her leadership. In 2005 she was awarded the company's highest honor, the Carlson Fellow, for career achievement. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors of Victim Intervention Program, Inc., a non-profit organization that works with families recovering from homicide, suicide and accidental death.

La Penotiere graduated from Rutgers University Graduate School of Management in New Jersey with a Master of Business Administration degree in marketing. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry from Salisbury State University in Maryland.