MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide announced the appointments of Michael C. Ford and Jennifer L. Silberman, who join the company as vice president, Global Diversity and vice president, Corporate Responsibility, respectively. In his new role, Ford will lead the continuing efforts to promote a culture of inclusion at Hilton Worldwide, working with corporate and divisional leadership to implement strategies that leverage diversity to grow the business across the company’s portfolio of brands.
Silberman will be responsible for overseeing the development, execution and communication surrounding Hilton Worldwide’s corporate responsibility efforts, which encompass employee volunteerism, corporate philanthropy, community and stakeholder engagement, environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility performance metrics and reporting. She will work closely with team members at all levels across the organization and Hilton Worldwide’s portfolio of brands to embed corporate responsibility into the company’s business strategy.
Ford has more than 20 years of experience in diversity, human resource management and law. He has held a number of senior leadership roles at MBNA America Bank, N.A., including senior executive vice president, chief diversity officer and worked as a senior labor attorney for Marriott International. Ford also most recently served as president of the P.O.W.E.R. Foundation, where he was responsible for developing relationships with educational institutions and associations to identify and recruit academically talented, but economically disadvantaged, students to attend independent schools in the Baltimore metropolitan area. In addition, Ford has served as president of Diversity Best Practices, Inc., a membership-based organization that provides a forum in which U.S.-based and global corporations share best practices related to diversity and inclusion strategies.
Important Diversity Expertise
“Diversity is a critical driver of our corporate culture, customer understanding and productivity at Hilton Worldwide,” said Dottie Brienza, senior vice president, Global Talent Management. “We are thrilled to welcome Michael to our team and eager to take full advantage of his significant expertise in the areas of diversity and inclusion.”
Ford earned his Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, from Towson University and his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania Bars and chaired the Personnel and Employment Practices Committee for the Delaware Supreme Court Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Fairness. Ford currently serves on the advisory boards of the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth, the Next Generation Venture Fund and the Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust.
Silberman joins Hilton Worldwide from APCO Worldwide, where as vice president in the corporate responsibility practice she counseled Fortune 500 companies and global foundations on corporate responsibility strategy and program design, business integration, stakeholder engagement and strategic philanthropy. She also has significant experience in developing results-oriented public, private and non-governmental partnerships on behalf of clients.
“Hilton Worldwide’s long-held commitment to our guests, team members and the communities we serve is the foundation of everything we do,” said Ellen D. Gonda, senior vice president, Global Corporate Communications. “Jennifer’s significant experience in the areas of program design, corporate communication, stakeholder engagement and issue management in the U.S. and around the world will be instrumental as we continue to integrate corporate responsibility into our business strategy and growth plans.”
Silberman holds a Master of Arts in International Economics and Latin American Studies from The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of Arts with honors in Latin American Studies from Mount Holyoke College.
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