Starwood 2011 Annual Report Download - page 19

with Miller Brewing Company and the formation of MillerCoors LLC. Prior to joining Coors, from April 2004
until March 2005, Mr. van Paasschen worked independently through FPaasschen Consulting, a consulting
company, and Mercator Investments, a private equity firm, evaluating, proposing, and negotiating private equity
transactions. Prior thereto, Mr. van Paasschen spent seven years at Nike, Inc., a designer, developer and marketer
of footwear, apparel and accessory products, most recently as Corporate Vice President/General Manager,
Europe, Middle East and Africa from 2000 to 2004. From 1995 to 1997, Mr. van Paasschen served as Vice
President, Finance and Planning at Disney Consumer Products, a business segment of The Walt Disney Company
that extends the Disney brand to a range of merchandise, and earlier in his career was a management consultant
for eight years at the global management consulting firm of McKinsey & Company and the Boston Consulting
Group. Mr. van Paasschen has been a director of the Company since September 2007.
The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee considered these qualifications, his valuable insight
and unique understanding of the Company’s operations, and the hotel and leisure industry generally, his
significant public company managerial experience, and a requirement under his employment agreement that he
serve on the Company’s Board of Directors (subject to customary procedures and conditions to Board
membership, including stockholder election) in making the determination that Mr. van Paasschen should be a
nominee for director of the Company.
Bruce W. Duncan, 60, has been President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of First Industrial Realty
Trust, Inc., a real estate investment trust that engages in the ownership, management, acquisition, sale,
development and redevelopment of industrial real estate properties, since January 2009. He was a private
investor prior to that time and since January 2006. From April to September 2007, Mr. Duncan served as Chief
Executive Officer of the Company on an interim basis. He also has been a senior advisor to Kohlberg Kravis &
Roberts & Co., a global investment firm, from July 2008 to January 2009. From May 2005 to December 2005,
Mr. Duncan was Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of Equity Residential (“EQR”), a publicly traded real estate
investment trust, and held various positions at EQR from March 2002 to December 2005, including President,
Chief Executive Officer and Trustee from January 2003 to May 2005, and President and Trustee from March
2002 to December 2002. Mr. Duncan has served as a director of the Company since April 1999.
The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee considered these qualifications, his experience as
Chief Executive Officer of other publicly traded companies, and his tenure with the Company in making the
determination that Mr. Duncan should be a nominee for director of the Company.
Adam M. Aron, 57, has been Chief Executive Officer of the Philadelphia 76ers, a professional basketball
team and Alternate Governor of the National Basketball Association since 2011 and, since 2006, has been the
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of World Leisure Partners, Inc., a leisure-related consultancy. From 1996
through 2006, Mr. Aron served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vail Resorts, Inc., an owner and
operator of ski resorts and hotels. Mr. Aron is a director of Norwegian Cruise Line Limited, Prestige Cruise
Holdings, Inc. and Cap Juluca Properties Ltd. In the past 5 years, Mr. Aron also served as a director of e-Miles
LLC, FTD Group, Inc., Rewards Network, Inc. and Marathon Acquisition Corp. Mr. Aron has been a director of
the Company since August 2006.
The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee considered these qualifications, his significant
experience in the leisure travel industry, his financial expertise, and his tenure with the Company in making the
determination that Mr. Aron should be a nominee for director of the Company.
Charlene Barshefsky, 61, has been Senior International Partner at the law firm of WilmerHale, LLP, in
Washington, D.C. since September 2001. From March 1997 to January 2001, Ambassador Barshefsky was the
United States Trade Representative, the chief trade negotiator and principal trade policymaker for the United
States and a member of the President’s Cabinet. Ambassador Barshefsky has been a director of The Estee Lauder
Companies, Inc. since July 2001, American Express Company since July 2001, and Intel Corporation since
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