Hilton has announced the appointment of Kolin Pound as Area President, Caribbean and Latin America (CALA), effective from 24 August 2026. He will be responsible for overseeing the group’s operations across the region, working alongside hotel teams and owners to strengthen Hilton’s performance, corporate culture and growth trajectory in the area.
Kolin Pound joins Hilton from Ares Management, where he held the role of managing director. There, he supported leadership teams on strategy, operational excellence and value creation across a diversified portfolio that included hospitality assets in the Caribbean and Latin America. He previously served as senior principal at Walton Street Capital, where he was responsible for asset management and acquisitions in the real estate and hospitality sectors.
Over the course of his career, Kolin Pound has overseen transaction activity across Latin America, the United States and Europe, building recognised expertise in supporting owners, operators and management teams on asset performance and long-term growth. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economic Institutions from Northwestern University.
A role reporting into the Americas presidency
In his new role, Kolin Pound will report directly to Danny Hughes, President, Americas, Hilton. “Kolin is a strategic leader with a strong track record in performance, trusted owner relationships and long-term value creation,” said Danny Hughes. “His deep knowledge of hospitality, real estate and investment, combined with his experience across the Caribbean and Latin America, positions him ideally to lead our business in this dynamic region.”
For his part, Kolin Pound said he was honoured to be joining Hilton and to be working alongside the group’s teams, owners and partners across the region. He highlighted the appeal of the destinations that make up this market and his commitment to building on the foundations Hilton has already laid to continue growing the portfolio and creating value for all stakeholders.
A strategic market for Hilton
Hilton currently operates a portfolio of 315 hotels and resorts across more than 35 countries and territories in the Caribbean and Latin America, with a further 150 hotels in the pipeline. The group continues to strengthen its regional footprint across all segments, with a particular focus on luxury, lifestyle, full-service, focused-service, resort and all-inclusive properties.
This appointment forms part of a broader push to strengthen the group’s regional leadership teams, which has recently seen governance reinforced across several geographies. 🔗 Also on LTH: Hilton names Jean-Sébastien Kling Vice President Operations for the Arabian Peninsula, an appointment reflecting the same logic of tighter regional oversight. A similar dynamic was seen with 🔗 Also on LTH: the appointment of Victor Chalfoun as Vice President Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean.
An organisation powered by more than 26,000 team members
Hilton employs more than 26,000 team members across the region. The group has been recognised as the world’s number one workplace by Great Place to Work, and was also named the top company to work for in Latin America in 2026, a ranking it has held for the fourth consecutive year.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Hilton appoints Kolin Pound as Area President, CALA
Effective date: August 24, 2026
Previous role: Managing Director, Ares Management
Reports to: Danny Hughes, President, Americas, Hilton
Current CALA portfolio: 315 hotels across 35+ countries and territories
Development pipeline: 150 additional hotels
Regional workforce: 26,000+ team members
