Wyndham Worldwide CFO Wilson To Depart In 3Q

   DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 
 

Wyndham Worldwide Corp. (WYN) said Chief Financial Officer Virginia Wilson is leaving the hospitality giant in the third quarter "to pursue other interests," departing at a time of slumping hotel results and a still-constrained credit market.

Because of the market woes, Wyndham and other timeshare operators have found it hard to finance sales. At the same time, the hotel industry is going through a sharp downturn as both leisure and business travel slumps.

Wilson joined Wyndham - parent of the Ramada, Holiday Inn and Days Inn chains - upon the company's creation after the breakup of conglomerate Cendant in 2006. Before that, she was Cendant's chief accounting officer for three years and controller of MetLife Inc. (MET) for four.

Another life insurer, Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG), is in the midst of searching for a new chief executive, as Ramani Ayer intends to retire by year's end.

Wyndham shares closed Thursday at $11.20. The stock is up 71% this year, but remains down 41% from a year ago.

-By Kevin Kingsbury, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-2136; [e-mail]