Realogy Holdings Corporation Chairman, Richard Smith announced last Thursday that Alex Perriello will step down as President and CEO of Realogy Financial Group (RFG) beginning April 1, 2017.

“I am so proud of what we have accomplished together. Collectively, I will miss [the team’s] professionalism and enthusiasm for finding new and creative ways to deliver exceptional service to their clients and consumers,”  Perriello released in a statement.

Alex Perriello has held the position since 2004 when he was promoted from Coldwell Banker Real Estate where he served as President and CEO from 1997-2004. Perriello possesses more than 35 years’ experience in the real estate industry and was recently ranked in the top seven industry leaders in the annual listing of real estate’s most powerful people, the Swanepoel POWER 200. He will remain connected to the company as Chairman Emeritus for RFG.

His successor, John Peyton, was the global franchising and branding leader of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide for nearly two decades, and most recently served to build loyalty and drive innovation as Starwood’s Chief Marketing Officer for leading hotel brands such as St. Regis, W Hotels, and Westin, among others.

“John Peyton has brought a fresh perspective to our company from his tenure as a global branding leader in the hospitality industry, and I am confident in his ability to continue leveraging his valuable insight on behalf of our leading real estate brands,” said Smith. “He is the right business leader to focus our efforts and execute our plans for continued strategic growth and innovation at the Realogy Franchise Group. John has been working closely with Alex for the past five months, and we expect a smooth leadership transition.”

“I am committed to driving strategic new growth for the Realogy Franchise Group,” stated Peyton. “We will continue to strive to thoughtfully enhance the value proposition that we deliver for brokers, agents, and consumers affiliated with each of our respective franchise brands.”

Peyton will lead all of RFG’s companies, including Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, CENTURY 21, ERA, Coldwell Banker, Coldwell Banker Commercial, Sotheby’s International Realty, and ZapLabs.

Realogy Holdings Corporation is headquartered in Madison, New Jersey, and is the parent to other brands such as The Corcoran Group, ZipRealty, Cartus, and Title Resource Group (TRG).