Kurt Smith is senior director, product and service development, for Hampton Hotels, one of the Family of Brands of Hilton Hotel Corporation. Overseeing a team of six people, Smith is responsible for developing and implementing new product and service standards, as well as the global deployment strategy, for the hotel brand. Prior to being named senior director, Smith held a variety of increasingly important positions within the company, most recently serving in the role of director, global brand integration, where he developed and communicated the direction and implementation of brand strategies and resources in countries targeted for global brand growth. Before that, he was appointed director, hotel performance support, for the Hampton brand. In this role, he provided consultative support to a 130-hotel portfolio of Hampton Inn^® and Hampton Inn & Suites^® hotels in the states of North Carolina and Virginia. Previously, he held management positions in information technology and hotel operations. Smith received his Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Management and Criminal Justice from Indiana University.