Tierney will report to Pete Sears, Group President, Americas for Hyatt.

"Jim has the leadership skills and requisite experience to continue the fantastic growth that our developers and owners have created with the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands," said Sears. "The Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands have their largest footprint in North America, and as they continue to grow around the world, it was clear we needed someone fully focused on the franchise and managed growth of these brands. With his extensive knowledge of the select service and extended stay products, as well as his broad range of owner and industry relationships, were excited to have Jim lead this charge. He is a talented leader with outstanding instincts and a track record for driving brand development, and I am confident Jim's skills and expertise will raise the bar as Hyatt continues to rapidly grow the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands."

Most recently, Tierney held a similar role for the Eastern half of the United States. He has personally been responsible for more than 25 executed franchise and management agreements, including Hyatt Place New York City/Times Square, Hyatt Place New York City/Chelsea, Hyatt House Washington D.C./The Wharf, and Hyatt House Virginia Beach/Oceanfront. Prior to joining Hyatt in 2014, Tierney served as director of development for Cambria Suites at Choice Hotels International.

Tierney said: "I have been working on Hyatt's select service and extended stay brands for five years and I look forward to continuing to be an integral part of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House franchise and managed development efforts. The Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands have a strong foothold in urban and dense suburban markets in the US, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the talented select service development team as we continue to expand the brands presence in new markets across North America."