Trudy Rautio named Carlson CEO

Minnetonka-based Carlson has named Trudy Rautio its new CEO. She takes the place of Hubert Joly, who has accepted the top position at Best Buy.

Carlson's former CEO and current board chair Marilyn Carlson Nelson told MPR's Morning Edition on Monday that the board unanimously elected Rautio as CEO.

"Trudy is probably the best prepared CEO that we have ever had," Nelson said. "I'm very, very excited for how she can meld her experience here, her knowledge of the business, her knowledge of the family and her knowledge of the community."

Rautio has been an executive at Carlson for 15 years. She said on MPR's All Things Considered on Monday that she is more prepared to serve as CEO because of her tenure at the company.

"I've been at the company for 15 years, I've been in a variety of roles, both financial and non-financial," Rautio said. "I have a breadth of experience therefore across our businesses and with a number of global partners and suppliers and our employees around the world."

Rautio said Europe's financial crisis is of great concern to the privately held company, which specializes in travel and hospitality services.

Carlson's brands include Radisson Hotels, Regent Hotels and T.G.I. Friday's. Carlson was founded in Minneapolis in 1938 as the Gold Bond Stamp Company.