Business
Tom Pritzker Retires as Executive Chairman of Hyatt After 22 Years of Service and Will Not Stand for Reelection to Board of Directors
CHICAGO, February 16, 2026--Thomas J. Pritzker, 75, Executive Chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today released a letter, previously shared with the Board of Hyatt, explaining his decision to retire as Executive Chairman, effective immediately, and not to stand for reelection to the Board at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
About this update from Hyatt Hotels Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"CHICAGO, February 16, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thomas J. Pritzker, 75, Executive Chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today released a letter, previously shared with the Board of Hyatt, explaining his decision to retire as Executive Chairman, effective immediately, and not to stand for reelection to the Board at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.","length":362,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}},{"type":"text","content":"Mr. Pritzker said, "My job and responsibility is to provide good stewardship. That is important to me. Good stewardship includes ensuring a proper transition at Hyatt. Following discussions with my fellow Board members, I have decided, after serving as Executive Chairman since 2004, and with the company in a strong position, that now is the right time for me to retire from Hyatt.","length":387,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret. I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner. I condemn the actions and the harm caused by Epstein and Maxwell and I feel deep sorrow for the pain they inflicted on their victims."","length":429,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Following is the text of the February 16 letter:","length":48,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Dear Fellow Directors,","length":22,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}},{"type":"text","content":"At our recent Board meeting I briefed you on the restructuring of our family enterprise. I also described the significant science foundation that Margot and I have started and how the growth in Hyatt’s value has enabled the creation and future growth of that foundation. As I explained, we are now in a phase of our lives where we are thinking about good stewardship and that includes structuring a proper handoff to the future. A prominent part of that mindset is that I leave Hyatt in a strong and sustainable position.","length":521,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}},{"type":"text","content":"I am extremely proud of the evolution of Hyatt over the past 25 years. Over that time we have taken Hyatt public, we have transitioned to a purpose driven company, we have adopted agile ways of working, we have gone asset light....