Hilton Hotels Corp. Announces Promotions in Purchasing and Information Technology.

Business Editors

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 30, 2001

Hilton Hotels Corp. announced the promotion of David Depkon and David Shattuck in the purchasing department and John Flack in the information technology division.

David Depkon has been promoted to vice president - purchasing operations and David Shattuck promoted to vice president - supply management for Hilton Supply Management (formerly Hilton Equipment Corp.). Both report to Anthony Nieves, senior vice president - purchasing.

John Flack has been promoted to vice president - shared operational services for Hilton Hotels Corp. and reports to Mike McConnell, vice president, strategic distribution systems for the company.

In his new position as vice president - purchasing operations, Depkon will be responsible for the field operations of Hilton Supply Management, which entails overseeing five Regional Supply Management offices located in Beverly Hills, Phoenix, Chicago, Memphis, and New York. Depkon and his team will work with all of the owned and managed hotels and many of the franchised hotels in the procurement of products and services for their respective properties.

Depkon began his career in 1986 as a sales manager with the Ruprecht Co. in Chicago. He joined Hilton Hotels Corp. in 1986 in the Hilton Professional Development Program before becoming a purchasing coordinator at the Hilton Washington. In 1987 Depkon was promoted to director of purchasing and served in this capacity at several Hilton properties including the Hilton McLean, Hilton Atlanta Airport, and the Hilton Chicago.

In 1993, Depkon became the director of central purchasing in Washington, DC and in 1995 moved to Chicago in this same role. He served as regional director of purchasing of the Chicago Regional Purchasing Center in 1997 before again being promoted in 1999 to the corporate director of purchasing operations for Hilton Hotels Corp., his most recent position.

A native of Pittsburgh, Depkon holds a bachelor of arts degree in marketing from Southern Illinois University, and has also received designations as a certified purchasing manager from the National Association of Purchasing Management and certified foodservice purchasing manager from the National Restaurant Association.

David Shattuck, the newly appointed vice president - supply management, is responsible for overseeing Hilton's contracts and relationships with national suppliers of products and services to the entire family of Hilton brands.

A 14-year Hilton employee, Shattuck joined the company in 1987 at the Los Angeles Regional Purchasing Center, and was soon promoted to purchasing agent in the Chicago Regional Purchasing Office and then to director of purchasing at the Palmer House Hilton.

During the 1990s, Shattuck held various purchasing positions with the company including: purchasing analyst at the company's corporate office in Beverly Hills; director of central purchasing in Washington, DC; corporate purchasing administrator with the Hilton Gaming Corporate Office; and corporate director of supply management with Hilton Equipment Corp. (now Hilton Supply Management).

Shattuck holds a bachelor of arts degree in hospitality management from Washington State University and a masters of business administration in computer information systems from California State University at Dominguez Hills. In 1996, he was awarded the designation of certified purchasing manager from the National Association of Purchasing Management.

In his new position, John Flack will have primary responsibility for Hilton's technology infrastructure and facilities that support Hilton's major business systems including systems/telecommunications engineering and architecture, computer/network operations, and electronic mail communications that support all hotels within Hilton's family of brands.

Flack joined Hilton has a result of its acquisition of Promus Hotel Corp. in 1999. He joined Promus in 1990, and held various positions managing office automation, telecommunications and technology deployment. Flack was promoted to director of computer operations and telecommunications in 1995. Two years later he was promoted to senior director of customer support operations during the launch of System 21(R), the company's proprietary property management system, which was deployed in over 1,200 hotels.

Flack assumed the position of senior director - shared operational services in 1999, which later included responsibility for consolidating the Hilton and Promus data center infrastructure and operations in Memphis.

Flack began his career in 1985 with Fogelman Properties, where he was director - management information services, responsible for the overall information technology services for the company.

Flack holds a bachelor of science degree in information technology and finance from Southwest Tennessee College in Memphis, Tenn. He currently serves as chairman of the supervisory committee for the Hospitality Federal Credit Union.

Hilton Hotels Corp. is recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises approximately 1,900 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties.

Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton(R), Conrad(TM), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Harrison Conference Centers(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations Company(R), Homewood Suites(R) by Hilton, and Red Lion Hotels & Inns(R).