Radisson CEO Divulges Why Company Had to Split in Two
Photo Credit: The U.S. government's push to keep American data out of the hands of foreign governments meant Radisson had to completely restructure its global business. Radisson / Hanna Sörensson
Skift Take
Hotel apps and loyalty programs involve a lot of guest data — and potential vulnerability to foreign hackers. Just ask Marriott. Radisson’s Americas breakup aims to beef up guest data security.
The Radisson hotel empire is more complex these days than it was a year ago, and the company’s Americas CEO is finally explaining why.
Radisson Hotel Group and Radisson Hotel Group Americas have many of the same brands but now operate as two separate companies with separate loyalty programs, technology infrastructure like reservations and property management systems, and websites. Radisson Hotel Group Americas covers North, Central, and South America while Radisson Hotel Group operates in the rest of the world.
Company leaders initially touted the separation earlier this year as one aiming to deliver an "even more personalized experience” for loyalty members and never really gave a clear answer when contacted twice previously by Skift this year. But it all boils down to wanting to protect the data of U.S. citizens from Chinese cybersecurity risks.
“It's really driven by the U.S. government wanting to make sure that the data of all U.S. citizens is fully protected from le
