Larry Cuculic is President & CEO of Best Western® Hotels & Resorts. He was appointed to the position by the company’s Board of Directors in October 2021 and assumed office in December. Cuculic leads the parent company, BWH Hotel Group®, which is comprised of Best Western Hotels & Resorts, SureStay Hotel Group®, and WorldHotels™ Collection. He oversees the company’s global portfolio of 18 dynamic brands, which boasts approximately 4,700 hotels across all chain scale segments. He continues to drive the organization’s impressive financial success – with a RevPAR Index reaching a new record level in 2020 of 113.9 – and achieving industry-leading guest loyalty and hotel satisfaction.

Cuculic’s vision is to lead through collaboration with the company’s Board of Directors, hoteliers, executive leadership, and associates. He recognizes the greatest strength of this global powerhouse brand is its organizational structure, which is founded on empowering the voice of its members. Through this thoughtful, deliberate, collaborative approach, Cuculic is focused on driving the development and execution of BWH Hotel Group’s vision, mission, strategic initiatives, policies, and programs.

Cuculic is an active member of hospitality associations and currently sits on the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AHLA) Executive Committee and serves as a Director on the Board of the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association. Under Cuculic’s leadership, BWH Hotel Group will continue to be actively involved in supporting and participating in global industry associations and events. He has made a commitment to build on the company’s strong relationships with partners such as AHLA, the U.S. Travel Association, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, and the Global Business Travel Association, among others.

Since 2009 Cuculic has served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary for the company. In this role Cuculic was responsible for all legal and governance matters, including serving as counsel for the Board of Directors. Cuculic was also responsible for leading the company’s Human Resources team and the brand’s Call Center.

Before joining BWH Hotel Group, Cuculic was Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary for Lafayette, Ind.-based Wabash National Corporation (NYSE: WNC). Previously, Cuculic served as Vice President Legal and Corporate Secretary for American Commercial Lines, Inc. in Jeffersonville, Ind., and was a partner in the law firm Gambs, Mucker & Bauman. Before retiring from the U.S. Army and being awarded the Legion of Merit, Cuculic served as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps officer in various legal positions, including appointment as a military judge. His military awards also include three Meritorious Service Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal and the Parachutist Badge.

Cuculic received his B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School. He also earned an LL.M. degree from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's School in Charlottesville, Va., and graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kan. Cuculic is licensed to practice law in the Supreme Court of the United States of America and the Supreme Court of the State of Indiana.