Mr. Wayne Wielgus, the newly appointed SVP of Marketing for Celebrity and Azamara, is a seasoned hospitality marketer with experience overseeing rapid growth.

Even so, his background makes him a surprising choice in some quarters.

After all, in his previous role and EVP and Chief Marketing Officer for Choice Hotels International he oversaw a very different portfolio of brands: Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Sleep Inn, Econo Lodge, MainStay Suites and Rodeway Inn. That's right, motels.

But surely there are stranger career paths out there. After all, Dan Hanrahan, Wielgus' new boss, came to the cruise industry by way of Reebok sneakers, Nestle foods, Texas Instruments devices and Gallo wines.

Furthermore, Mr. Wielgus saw Choice through a period of substantial growth in franchisees and shareholder value: From the time he joined as SVP of Marketing in 2000 until he announced his departure in January of 2007, Choice shares rose eight-fold, from around $5 a share to around $40 a share. Not too shabby.

We wish Mr. Wieglus well and are excited to see what he has in store for the brands!