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Kevin J. Bradt is division president, economy market brands for worldwide lodging franchisor Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH). In this position, he is responsible for brand strategy, brand operations, franchise development and brand performance services for the company’s Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands, which include more than 1,200 properties in the United States.
Mr. Bradt joined Choice Hotels in May 2002 as director of franchise sales. In 2002 and 2003, he was recognized as a top performer and ranked in the top three in overall sales. In 2004, he was promoted to senior director, brand strategy.
During his tenure at Choice, Mr. Bradt has consistently led the company’s economy brands to record growth in system revenues, franchise sales and royalty revenues. His many successes include a variety of brand initiatives to upgrade the amenities and guest experience for Econo Lodge from a new national breakfast offering to complimentary wireless Internet access. In addition, he played a key role in the design, implementation and launch of choiceAdvantage, the company’s new web-based property management system.
Through his effective leadership of the Rodeway Inn brand, Mr. Bradt has orchestrated a significant turnaround increasing the brand portfolio by 64% over a three-year period. Among his turnaround strategies were the introduction of a new fee structure for Rodeway Inn in 2005, which resulted in record sales for the year (and a 203% increase over the same period in 2004). The new fee structure helped to revitalize the brand and give it a higher profile with hotel developers, and in June 2006, Choice recognized Mr. Bradt for his achievement by presenting him with the company’s annual award for Creativity and Innovation.
Prior to joining Choice, Mr. Bradt held a variety of sales and marketing positions for two major lodging companies, including director, franchise sales for Hospitality Franchise Systems (Cendant), and director of franchise sales for US Franchise Systems, and was consistently recognized for top sales performance.
He has a proven track record in sales management, finance and product development, most notably as regional sales manager with Nike, where he successfully led a team of 15 sales and marketing representatives.
Mr. Bradt earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Loyola University of Chicago, and his masters in marketing and finance from Pepperdine University, Graziadio School of Business. In addition, he received his post masters certification in Global Enterprise Management from Oxford University. | 