Hilton Appoints CHRO Laura Fuentes as Chief Brand Officer

Hilton has found its new Chief Brand Officer. 

Following the departure of former CMO and Head of Luxury Brands Mark Weinstein in September, the company has appointed Laura Fuentes – formerly its Chief Human Resources Officer – to the role. 

“After more than six years as CHRO, and the past two years overseeing Hilton Supply Management, I’m stepping into the role of Chief Brand Officer, where I’ll have the opportunity to lead Hilton's portfolio of 28 incredible brands and help shape how they come to life for guests around the world,” she says. 

“I’ve always been inspired by the connection between our people, our culture and the hospitality we deliver, and I’m energised to build on that foundation in a new way. 

“That connection feels especially fitting as Hilton begins a new chapter of its own with our move to Nasdaq, a reminder that even as we evolve, who we are and what we stand for remain at the heart of where we’re going.”

The people bringing the Hilton brand to life

Laura first joined Hilton in July 2013 as a VP of Human Resources, progressing through various HR leadership roles before taking on the CHRO role in October 2020. 

During that time, she has helped champion the company’s people-first culture – with Hilton recently named the world's number one best workplace by Great Place To Work for the second consecutive year. 

In fact, the company now holds the all-time record for the most number one rankings ever achieved in a single cycle – receiving number one rankings in 21 countries in 2026. 

“As I step into my new role as Chief Brand Officer this week, I’m reminded of a simple truth: Our people bring our brands to life,” Laura said of the achievement on LinkedIn. “Their care for one another and passion for our guests are what make Hilton special.”

Before joining Hilton, Laura spent six years at Capital One Financial, holding a range of corporate strategy and human resources roles – including leading workforce analytics, recruitment and compensation functions for the company. 

Prior to that, she spent three years as an Engagement Manager at McKinsey. 

A marketing leadership transition

Laura succeeds Mark, who left the company in September 2026 for a role as EVP and Chief Marketing and Guest Experience Officer of Target. 

He first took on the Chief Marketing Officer role at Hilton in 2020, with his responsibilities expanding to include Head of Luxury Brands in July 2025. 

During his tenure as Chief Marketing Officer, Mark led the launch of ‘Hilton. For the Stay’ – the company’s first-ever global brand platform. 

Commenting on his departure on LinkedIn, Mark said that working at the company had given him “experiences that far surpassed my wildest imagination”.

“Places, projects and roles so big and transformative I never even thought to dream of them,” he said. “Team Hilton, thank you for teaching me more about hospitality, creativity, branding, marketing, loyalty, and humanity than I knew there was to learn.”

Who are Hilton’s key partners? 

• Google: Hilton has announced that travellers will be able to discover Hilton through AI Mode in Google Search, where they can explore properties and compare options as part of a conversational planning experience in this newly introduced hotel booking feature. Travellers can also now incorporate Hilton Honors Points into their stay searches within AI Mode.
• Calm: Calm and Hilton have an exclusive partnership that addresses consumers’ preference for wellness. The partnership integrates Calm’s award-winning content into Hilton’s proprietary Connected Room Experience technology to provide guests with access to guided meditations, sleep stories, calming soundscapes and mindfulness exercises directly from their in-room TV. 
• OpenAI: In this partnership, customers can add Hilton’s plugin to ChatGPT, which brings Hilton property information directly into the conversations users are having with ChatGPT. Once added, users can ask Hilton-specific questions, explore hotel recommendations and learn more about hotels, before being redirected to the Hilton website to book.
• Anthropic: Hilton is developing a Claude Connector, designed to bring property images, details and pricing into Claude, which the company says will give travellers helpful context as they make decisions on where to stay.