Eric Lent

Eric Lent is SVP, Upscale Brands at Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG). In this role, Eric has strategic and tactical responsibility for the development and delivery of business performance, brand strategy, marketing, guest experience, design, and food & beverage for IHG’s upscale hotels, globally.

Before joining IHG, he served as SVP, Chief Marketing & Consumer Technology Officer at Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation (HFE), where he was responsible for all aspects of marketing operations nationally, as well as an EVP for the Harlem Globetrotters.

Previously, Eric spent over seven years with The Hershey Company in various marketing and general management roles in the US and International in both developed and emerging markets. As part of the leadership team that transformed Hershey into a top performing company, Eric helped drive record quarterly earnings and top-line growth; secured the leading share position in the candy, mint and gum category in the United States; and delivered top-tier shareholder return in the consumer packaged-goods sector.

Prior to The Hershey Company, Eric served as a director with Eastman Kodak and brand manager at S.C. Johnson. Eric has a strong track record with global brands, and has won numerous awards for effective marketing and advertising, including the Golden Marble, multiple Effie Awards and the Addy.

Outside of work, Eric likes to spend time with his wife and three sons. He is a board member of the John Dau Foundation and advisor to 48in48. Eric also served as Board Chairman for the Towson University College of Business and Economics, and coaches youth lacrosse. In 2008, he received the Dean’s Recognition Award from Towson University for his lifetime of career successes.