Hudson Names Lester Adams as Vice President of Business Development

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Jan. 8, 2025) - Hudson, part of AvoltaAG (SIX: AVOL) and a travel experience leader with more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks, and tourist destinations across North America, has appointed Lester Adams as Vice President of Business Development for its business in the U.S. and Canada.

With a career spanning over 25 years, Adams boasts diverse global experience in strategy, international business, franchising, licensing, and finance. In his new role within the company, Adams will play a crucial role in Hudson's growth as a member of the leadership team charged with winning and retaining airport contracts, maintaining landlord relations, and improving portfolio real estate values across nearly 90 travel venues in North America.

"Lester is a valuable addition to Hudson's business development team as we grow across North America," said Derryl Benton, Chief Development Officer, North America, Avolta. "Throughout his impressive career, he has demonstrated a profound ability to navigate and develop impactful partnerships across multinational organizations and with small business owners. His varied and deep expertise is an asset to our company and will help Hudson deliver continued value to our landlords in the region."

Adams most recently served as Vice President of Global Business Development - Location Based Experiences for Paramount Global, where he played a critical role in strategizing, branding, and negotiating license agreements for prominent entertainment brands across hotels, theme parks, restaurants, and family entertainment centers. During his tenure, he developed partnerships worldwide for MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, and CBS, among others. Prior to Paramount, Adams held a notable position at Choice Hotels International as the Regional Vice President that oversaw franchise development for emerging markets. There, he accomplished industry-leading results in closing contracts with underrepresented franchise owners.

Earlier in his career, Adams served as Vice President of Franchise Relations for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), where he navigated complex franchisor relations and member issues, and as Director of Marketing Planning at InterContinental Hotels Group, overseeing strategic development processes and owner relations.

"Joining the Hudson team in this capacity is an opportunity to leverage my vast experience building relationships to grow companies strategically, and I am looking forward to collaborating with such an accomplished team redefining the travel experience throughout North America," said Adams. "It is a tremendously exciting time to be a part of Hudson and Avolta."

Adams holds a Bachelor of Science in Management-International Business from Hampton University, a Master of Business Administration from Fayetteville State University, and a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law.