Choice Hotels International, Inc. has officially appointed Dominic Dragisich as President, Chief Executive Officer, and member of its Board of Directors, effective August 31, 2026. Dragisich, who assumed the position of Interim CEO on May 20, 2026, steps into the top executive post permanently following a structured three-month search conducted by the company’s Board of Directors.
The appointment concludes a comprehensive leadership evaluation process that evaluated a competitive slate of internal and external candidates. Ultimately, the board elected to elevate an established company executive with a proven ten-year track record across Choice Hotels’ corporate operations, financial management, and brand strategy divisions.
Official announcements from Choice Hotels indicate that the executive appointment aims to reinforce corporate momentum, accelerate property conversions, and drive sustained financial performance for franchise partners and global shareholders.
A Decade of Institutional Leadership and Portfolio Expansion
Dominic Dragisich brings more than two decades of lodging industry, corporate finance, and operational management experience to the chief executive role. During his nearly ten-year tenure with Choice Hotels, Dragisich held multiple senior executive positions, including Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Global Brand Officer, and Chief Growth and Strategy Officer.
Throughout his leadership tenure, Dragisich played a central role in guiding Choice Hotels’ major growth initiatives, overseeing transformational brand acquisitions, and expanding the franchisor’s presence across diverse hospitality segments. His executive leadership helped scale the company’s footprint to encompass more than 7,500 hotels and 650,000 guest rooms across 49 countries and territories.
Prior to joining Choice Hotels, Dragisich served as Chief Financial Officer at XO Communications, where he successfully expanded profitability and top-line growth. His earlier career included senior financial and operational positions at Marriott International, NII Holdings, and Deloitte Consulting.
Extended Stay Segments and Hotel Conversions Drive Growth Momentum
The executive transition follows a strong financial performance for the lodging franchisor. In its recent second-quarter earnings disclosure, Choice Hotels raised its full-year U.S. revenue per available room (RevPAR) outlook and expanded its global net rooms growth targets.
The company highlighted hotel property conversions and rapid expansion in the extended stay category as primary operational growth engines. Extended stay lodging has demonstrated exceptional demand stability across business, leisure, and infrastructure-related travel segments, positioning Choice Hotels to capture reliable, long-term franchise revenues.
In official statements regarding his permanent appointment, Dragisich highlighted the strength of Choice’s accretive development pipeline and confirmed that the executive team remains focused on disciplined operational execution, technology investments, and strengthening brand equity across its 22-brand portfolio.
Enhancing Franchisee Value and Commercial Technology Investments
As one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors, Choice Hotels relies on a capital-light business model that emphasizes franchisee profitability and direct distribution capabilities. Under Dragisich’s leadership, the company plans to continue capitalizing on major commercial technology investments aimed at helping independent and portfolio hotel owners increase booking conversions.
Recent digital implementations across the Choice Privileges loyalty network and direct booking channels have enhanced property management efficiency for franchise owners. By streamlining digital tools and optimizing dynamic pricing systems, Choice Hotels aims to expand its market share in the midscale, upper-midscale, and extended stay categories.
By pairing institutional leadership continuity with targeted investments in commercial technologies and brand development, Choice Hotels reinforces its position as a competitive franchisor within the evolving global travel economy.
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