Interview: New Choice Hotels CEO Is Ready to Dominate His Sectors

CEO succession is a hot topic in the travel industry. For proof of that, you need only look at this weekend's surprise announcement that Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is leaving the online travel agency company to become the CEO of Uber. In the hospitality industry, however, the succession of Pat Pacious to become the new CEO of Choice Hotels, wasn't a surprise at all. Pacious, who's had a more than 20-year history with the hotel company, has been the No. 1 pick to replace current CEO Steve Joyce for at least the past three to four years. Pacious first began working with Choice Hotels in 1997 when he was an industry consultant, and he became a full-time associate in 2005. In that time, the company has grown rather significantly: One in every 10 hotels in the U.S. is a Choice Hotels brand, and those brands include Comfort Inn, Sleep Inn, Econo Lodge, and Cambria Hotels & Suites. And for the past three to four years, the company has been deliberately planning this succession