Hilton Reveals 2022 CEO Light & Warmth Award Winners

MCLEAN, Va. – Hilton (NYSE: HLT) announced today its 2022 CEO Light & Warmth Award recipients, recognizing 15 individuals and two teams. The CEO Light & Warmth Award is the company’s highest honor, celebrating team members who bring Hilton’s values to life and fulfill its purpose to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.  

In 2022, more than 750 team members from Hilton’s global managed and franchise network were nominated by their colleagues. Finalists were selected by a committee of representatives from across the company, with the winners chosen by Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton.

“Each year, I have the great honor of recognizing a select group of team members with the CEO Light & Warmth Award – our most prestigious team member award,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton. “True to our founding purpose, our CEO Light & Warmth Award winners are making the world a better place through hospitality and inspiring everyone they meet. These leaders – and all our nominees – are what makes our hospitality so special and our future so bright.”

Hilton’s 2022 CEO Light & Warmth Award winners are: 

• Nazeer Ali, commis, Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef
• Arash Ayni, bell person/valet, Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort
• Asta Braziunaite, human resources manager, Hilton Garden Inn Vilnius City Centre
• Kim Dennis, general manager, Homewood Suites by Hilton Portland
• Hampton Inn & Suites MacClenny I-10 Team: Sandy Branch, general manager, Willie Stoneback, assistant general manager, Labreeska Bargeron, front desk, Renea Branch, housekeeper, Donna Dinkins, breakfast attendant, Deborah Johnson, housekeeper, Tammi Simmons, housekeeper, MacClenny, Florida, USA
• Bea Jaramillo, director of human resources, Hilton Austin Convention Center
• Hossam Khardaly, concierge/bell captain, Jeddah Hilton
• Kristiina Laur, senior director, Hilton Reservations & Customer Care
• Massoud Naddaf, cluster purchasing manager, Hilton Beirut Habtoor Grand
• Dale Nelson, director of property operations, Hilton Minneapolis
• Martha Otero, banquet coordinator, Hilton Cartagena
• Ada Qi, marcom manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing Badaling
• Roving Chef Team: Matthew Brookes, Von Collantes, Andrew Robertson, and Nicole Zima, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, UK
• Nina Ruebsam, senior manager, platform engineer, Hilton Corporate
• Upendra Singh, information technology, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Agra
• Leeanne Talbot, executive housekeeper, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Alice Springs
• Fang Yang, dormitory supervisor, Hilton Zhoushan

The recognition also comes with a significant prize package, including a one-time net award of $10,000 for each individual winner, and $1,000 for each member of a recognized team. 

The CEO Light & Warmth Award originally debuted in 2011. Since then, Hilton has recognized more than 100 recipients with the company’s highest honor.