Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide appointed Allison Taylor senior vice president of sales,

the company announced Thursday. She replaces Christie Hicks, who in February announced she would step down. Taylor for 25 years has worked within Starwood, most recently as head of sales and revenue management for the Asia/Pacific region. Interim CEO Adam Aron in a company email said Taylor has a strong history with Starwood and "is a dynamic and respected leader with tremendous customer focus and strategic sales ability."