Carlson announced the appointment of Cindy Rodahl as executive vice president, Human Resources and Communications. Rodahl has served as interim head since October, 2012.

The Board of Directors for Carlson announced they have elected Diana Nelson as incoming Chairman. Nelson, who will officially assume her position next May, has served on the board for nearly ten years. She will be only the third chairman of the board, preceded by the current chair, Marilyn Carlson Nelson, and the company's founder, Curt Carlson. In addition to her current role on the Carlson board, she serves on the board of Governors of Carlson Holdings, Inc., as well as on the board of directors for the Carlson Family Foundation and The World Childhood Foundation. Nelson is also a member of the Harvard University Board of Overseers where she sits on the Executive Committee. She is on the advisory board of Prime Group, a San Francisco-based real-estate investment company, and is a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Carlson named Trudy Rautio as its new president and CEO, making her just the fifth chief executive in the 74-year history of the family owned company whose brands include Radisson hotels, T.G.I. Friday's restaurants and Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Rautio has been a senior executive at Minnetonka-based Carlson for 15 years. For the past eight years, she's been executive vice president and chief financial and administrative officer. Rautio replaces Hubert Joly, who had been president and CEO since 2008.