Meet Patrick Pacious
This year, as part of our Freedom Awards Benefit, we are proud to honor Patrick Pacious for his notable contribution and engagement in the anti-trafficking field. Please take a moment to read his biography below.
Patrick Pacious is President and Chief Executive Officer of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world, with nearly 7,500 hotels, representing almost 630,000 rooms, in 46 countries and territories as of September 30, 2023. Mr. Pacious’s nearly 20-year tenure at Choice has been marked by growth, innovation and effectively anticipating and capitalizing on industry trends. Under his leadership, the company successfully placed strategic bets on new hotel segments, revitalized legacy brands, improved business delivery to Choice hotel owners, and advanced a purpose-oriented and inclusive culture for Choice associates.
In 2022, Mr. Pacious successfully led the company's acquisition of the Radisson Hotels Americas brands, the most significant transaction in Choice’s history, and subsequently drove a dramatic turnaround of the portfolio’s profitability.
In 2020, Mr. Pacious navigated the company through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering results that outperformed the industry and led Choice to become the first major hotel company to return to pre-pandemic performance levels in 2021.
Mr. Pacious has a proven track record of building and strengthening hotel brands and anticipating market trends. During his tenure as CEO, Choice Hotels has become the industry's challenger in the upscale segment with the acquisition of the Radisson Hotels Americas brands in 2022 and the leader in the fast-growing extended stay segment with the acquisition of the WoodSpring Suites brand in 2018 and the launch of the Everhome Suites brand in 2020 — all while continuing to fuel growth in the core midscale and economy segments.
The continuous improvement of Choice’s cutting-edge business-delivery capabilities under Mr. Pacious’s leadership — including the launch of choiceEDGE, the hotel industry's most advanced cloud-based reservation system and distribution platform, in 2018 — has driven strong performance for Choice brands across all segments and resulted in an industry-leading voluntary franchisee retention rate. His focus on improving Choice’s value proposition for guests helped grow the award-winning Choice Privileges loyalty program to nearly 60 million global members in 2023.
Both Mr. Pacious and Choice Hotels have received numerous accolades during his tenure as CEO. Mr. Pacious was named Lodging Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2022, and Comparably named him to its lists of “Best CEOs for Diversity” and “Best CEOs for Women” in 2023. Choice was named to Forbes’s lists of the “World’s Top Companies for Women,” “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” “America’s Best Employers for Veterans” and “America’s Best Large Employers,” to Newsweek’s lists of the “World’s Most Trustworthy Companies,” the “Most Trustworthy Companies in America” and “America's Greatest Workplaces for Parents and Families,” and to Fortune’s list of “America’s Most Innovative Companies” in 2023. The company has also been recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” by Disability:IN and as one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign.
Mr. Pacious has been with Choice since 2005. Before becoming CEO in 2017, he was the company's President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Pacious began his career in the U.S. Navy, serving as an officer in surface warfare and strategic planning following his graduation from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and Latin American studies. After his military service, he earned a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Mr. Pacious currently serves on the boards of directors of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) and the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.