JLL said Gilda Perez-Alvarado has been promoted to global CEO of its Hotels and Hospitality Group to succeed Mark Wynne-Smith, who will continue as global CEO of valuation advisory. JLL said the appointments advance the company’s corporate purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world and be the most connected, strategic and creative team of advisors across all businesses.

Previously, Wynne-Smith had dual global leadership of both JLL’s Hotels and Hospitality Group and valuation advisory business. With over 10 years of building a significant platform for the global hotels sector, Wynne-Smith will now solely focus on the valuation advisory business, the company said.

Perez-Alvarado will continue to lead the Americas along with her expanded global responsibilities. She will report jointly to JLL’s Global CEO of Capital Markets Richard Bloxam, and Americas Capital Markets CEO Mark Gibson.

“We are confident that with Gilda’s successful track record in executing high-profile transactions, and her already prominent global presence, her leadership will leverage our exceptional international footprint and provide next-level strategic partnership with our clients across the world,” Bloxam said in a release.

Perez-Alvarado will be responsible for driving global strategy for the overall sector, connecting the business to support cross-regional growth and overseeing the asset management and strategic advisory business lines. Additionally, Perez-Alvarado will lead ESG initiatives in hospitality, including commitments to diversity, inclusion and sustainability. She also will focus on enhancing the connectivity of the company’s capital markets teams in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific, as global investor interest within the hospitality sector continues to rise.

In September 2018, Perez-Alvarado was named CEO of the hotels group for the Americas.

“The lodging industry is poised for a strong rebound and we are optimistic that, with the wider distribution of the vaccine, the industry will come back stronger than ever,” Perez-Alvarado said. “I’m eager to lead our global team in JLL’s commitment to providing the most consistent advice to clients in what will be some of the most transformative years in the history of the lodging industry and real estate in general.”