SPEAKERS

Rick Colling serves as global head of Homewood Suites by Hilton; the upscale extended stay leader and award-winning All Suites brand. A 20-year veteran of Hilton, Colling is responsible for overseeing and executing brand strategies and programs that not only help maximize the hotel’s top line performance, but also drive bottom line profitability.

Previously, Colling served as Vice President of Brand Performance Support for the All Suites brand category, comprised of Embassy Suites by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton, where he was instrumental in maintaining collaborative relationships with hotel owners and management company  representatives to ensure the brands achieved both short and long-term goals, clearly positioning each brand as the leader in their respective categories. Additionally, he led the restructuring of the Brand Performance Support team to provide real time, relevant support based on asset cycles.

Colling was also key in helping to establish Homewood Suites by Hilton as a leader in the upscale extended-stay segment by growing market share, expanding the brand’s footprint to more than 500 hotels in North America, and upholding the brand’s award-winning customer satisfaction culture. He has also been instrumental in the continued growth of Embassy Suites by Hilton, with 254 hotels, and Home2 Suites by Hilton, which has more than 350 open hotels and is one of the fastest growing brands in Hilton’ history. Prior to his role as vice president, Colling has held various management, hotel performance support, and sales roles with Homewood Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, and Embassy Suites.

Based in Memphis, Colling was born in Cambridge, England and then came to America to further his studies. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Communications. He is a huge fan of the English Premier League and has spent many years coaching the game through competitive youth leagues in the United States. An active member of his local community, Colling is also involved with Hope House Memphis through their Buddy Up program, which pairs volunteers with preschool children to serve as their mentor throughout the school year.