January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Minaz Abji
Host Hotels & Resorts
As Executive Vice President of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., Minaz Abji is responsible for the
leadership of the Global Asset Management, Feasibility & Portfolio Analysis, Business Intelligence,
Design & Construction and Revenue Management Departments. Mr. Abji has over 30 years of hotel
operations experience including 23 years with Westin hotels. Mr. Abji joined Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
as Executive Vice President in August of 2003. Before coming to Host Hotels & Resorts, Mr. Abji was
President of Canadian Hotel Income Properties REIT, a Canadian REIT located in Vancouver, British
Columbia. Prior to his tenure with CHIP, Mr. Abji worked for Starwood Hotels and Resorts in Canada
as Area Managing Director.
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is a lodging real estate company, that currently owns or holds controlling
interests in 118 upscale and luxury hotel properties primarily operated under premium brands such as
Marriott, Westin, Sheraton,
Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, W, Four Seasons, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Fairmont, Hilton and Swissôtel.
Host also holds a minority interest in a joint venture that owns 20 hotels in Europe and a joint venture in
Asia that owns one hotel in Australia and a minority interest in two hotels in India. For further
information, please visit the Company’s website at www.hosthotels.com.
James Abrahamson
Interstate Hotels & Resorts
Jim Abrahamson is Interstate Hotels & Resorts' chief executive officer responsible for the Company's
overall performance and global growth of its management portfolio and he serves as an executive
director on the Company's Board of Directors. Interstate Hotels & Resorts is the leading U.S.-based
global management company operating nearly 350 hotels with more than 65,000 rooms spanning the
U.S. and nine additional countries.
Jim joined Interstate Hotels & Resorts from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), where he was
president of the Americas region, that company's largest operating unit, and was also an executive
director of IHG's Board of Directors. Previously, he held key senior leadership positions in the areas of
operations, development and franchising with Hyatt Corporation, Marcus Corporation and Hilton
Worldwide.
Jim is active in the hospitality industry and community affairs. He currently serves as national chair of
the Board of Directors of the U.S. Travel Association. He also serves as secretary/treasurer of the
AH&LA and will serve as AH&LA chairman beginning in 2015. He serves on the advisory boards of the
Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship and the DePaul School of Hospitality Leadership.
He is immediate past chairman of the Board of Directors at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and is on
the advisory board at the Emory University Eye Clinic. Jim holds a degree in Business Administration
from the University of Minnesota.
Arthur Adler
Jones Lang LaSalle
Arthur Adler, Managing Director and CEO-Americas, heads the Americas division of Jones Lang
LaSalle’s Hotels & Hospitality Group, which is part of the Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels & Hospitality
Group international group. Mr. Adler specializes in arranging hotel market transactions, financings,
investment advisory services, asset management and consulting for domestic and offshore owners and
investors.
Mr. Adler’s diverse industry background includes arranging debt and equity transactions, consulting
and asset management, litigation support and strategic planning for owners, investors and lenders. Mr.
Adler oversees a business that includes over 100 people which has as its clients the most prolific hotel
owners and operators in the industry, including InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, The Blackstone
Group, Morgan Stanley Real Estate, Colony Capital, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Global Hyatt
Corporation, Apollo Real Estate, Host Hotels and Resorts, Strategic Hotels and Resorts, Fairmont
Hotels and Resorts, Cornerstone Real Estate, Goldman Sachs, Oak Tree Capital, Walton Street
Capital, Istithmar and ADIA, among others. Selected transactions that JLL has recently completed
include the sales of the Essex House NY, Marriott Marquis Atlanta, the Gansevoort South Beach, the
Novotel New York, the Elysian Chicago, the Rittenhouse Philadelphia, the Viceroy Miami, and the
InterContinental New Orleans.
Page 1 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Matt Allard
Runtriz
Prior to founding runtriz, Matthew was the web manager for SBE Entertainment, where he led the
development and architecture of a leading VIP management tracking solution for the hospitality and
entertainment industry, as well as several leading web properties. Prior to SBE, Matthew worked for
Swap Drive and Running with Scissors, where he concentrated on cutting edge technologies, including
human interface design and advanced functionality for online asset management applications. Earlier in
his career, he worked at AOL and Northrop Grumman in senior programming positions. Matthew earned
his BS in Computer Science from George Washington University.
Robert A. Alter
Seaview Investors, LLC
Mr. Alter founded Sunstone Hotel Investors which owns, develops, and renovates upscale hotels in
15 states and owns interests in 41 hotels operated under such brands as Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, and
Fairmont. He is a past president of the Holiday Inn Franchise Association, former member of the
Marriott Franchise board, served as Past President of the IAHI and is on its Board of Directors. He was
on the Board of Directors of MINA, served as Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee for the
American Hotel & Lodging Association, and is currently Chairman of AHLA PAC. Bob is a graduate of
Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
James Amorosia
G6 Hospitality, LLC
Jim Amorosia is President, Chief Executive Officer for Motel 6 and Studio 6, overseeing all
operations of these brands for G6Hospitality LLC in North America.
Jim has more than 26 years of hotel operations experience, and is recognized as one of the key
leaders in the U.S. economy/budget segment. He joined Motel 6 in 1985 as a Regional Marketing
Manager and has held various management positions across virtually all enterprise disciplines,
including marketing, revenue management, operations, and human resources.
Amorosia assumed the role of President and COO for Motel 6 and Studio 6 in 2007, which he held
until his promotion in 2011 to President, Chief Executive Officer. A two-term commissioner with the
California Board of Travel and Tourism, and a past Director of the Bay Area Urban League, Jim holds a
Bachelor’s degree from the Crane School of Music and a Master of Business Administration degree
from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ.
CA Anderson
Choice Hotels International
C.A. Anderson is vice president, development for Cambria Suites for worldwide lodging franchisor
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH. In this position, he is responsible for driving unit growth
and implementing new strategies to increase the brand’s distribution among key markets nationwide
capitalizing on the company’s commitment to the brand, including $250 million in corporate investments
aimed to fuel the brand’s growth, primarily in urban markets. Mr. Anderson joined Choice Hotels
International in 2012 and is a results-driven veteran of the hospitality industry, bringing more than 30
years of experience to Choice. Most recently, he served as president and chief operating officer of The
Dow Hotel Company, a hotel ownership, investment and management company, headquartered in
Seattle, Wash. Prior to this, C.A. held the position of executive vice president, acquisitions and
development at Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc., responsible for the company's acquisition and
development strategies. His background also includes experience at Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers,
Inc., Red Lion Hotels, Inc., and Japan Airline Group Companies. Mr. Anderson received his bachelor’s
degree in political science and pre-law from San Diego State University and did his masters work in
finance at University of San Diego. He is also a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) and serves on the
Lodging Industry Investment Council.
Page 2 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Scott Andrews
GE Capital Franchise Finance
Scott Andrews is SVP, Managing Director of the Hotel Group for GE Capital, Franchise Finance.
Scott joined the business in July 2011 where he has been responsible for running the originations team
for the hotel platform. Prior to joining Franchise Finance, Scott led the limited & select service hotel
originations team for GE Real Estate / Business Property. Throughout his 14-year career at GE Capital,
Scott also held various roles of increasing responsibility with GE Real Estate / Business Property
including senior account manager, vice-president region sales manager for the Mid-South originations
team and vice-president region sales manager for the Hotel Lending Group.
Prior to joining GE, Scott held various origination positions within Bank of America, South Trust
Bank, and First Union. Scott was raised in North Carolina and has a BSBA and a MBA from East
Carolina University.
Gary Axelrod
Latham & Watkins LLP
Gary Axelrod is a partner in the Real Estate Group of Latham & Watkins in Chicago, as well as Cochair of the Hospitality, Gaming and Leisure industry group. Mr. Axelrod’s practice focuses on complex
business transactions in the real estate, hospitality, gaming and leisure industries. His clients include
real estate private equity sponsors and funds, REITs, institutional investors, operating companies, and
entrepreneurial developers engaged in all aspects of real estate investment and development. In
addition, Mr. Axelrod has extensive experience in complex asset-level and corporate-level
restructurings. He regularly represents owners and operators in connection with the sale, acquisition,
development, financing, ownership and management of hotel, resort and gaming properties. He also
represents corporate, venture capital and other private equity clients in bankruptcies, restructurings,
mergers, acquisitions and dispositions involving portfolio companies and their real estate assets. His
practice also has a substantial cross-border element, including projects in Baghdad, China, Dubai,
India, Abu Dhabi and Mexico. Mr. Axelrod is frequently recognized by Chambers for both his hospitality
and real estate acumen and praised for his depth of industry expertise. Mr. Axelrod serves on the
Advisory Board for Real Estate Law360 and was licensed as a certified public accountant in 1994.
Bruce Baltin
PKF Consulting USA
Bruce Baltin is a Senior Vice President in the Los Angeles office of PKF Consulting USA. PKF
Consulting USA (PKFC) is an international firm of management consultants, industry specialists, and
appraisers who provide a full range of services to the hospitality, real estate, and tourism industries.
Headquartered in San Francisco, the firm has offices throughout the United States.
In his more than 40 years with PKF, Mr. Baltin has had a wide diversity of experience in the
Hospitality and Tourism industries consulting to both public and private sector entities in performing
market demand studies, valuations, economic and operational consulting and dealing with leases,
franchises and management contracts. His industry experience includes hotels, resorts, clubs,
restaurants, theme parks, and national and state parks. He has frequently been quoted in the national
and local press and testified as an expert witness on various industry issues.
He is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Collins School of Hospitality Management at
California Polytechnic Institute, Pomona as well as various professional organizations. He is an Adjunct
Associate Professor teaching courses in the Masters of Real Estate Development program at the
University of Southern California.
Page 3 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Christopher B. Barker
Goodwin Procter
Chris Barker is a partner in the Business Law Department and the former chair of the firm’s Real
Estate, REITs & Real Estate Capital Markets Group. He does a significant amount of work in the
hospitality industry, and currently serves as chair of the firm’s Hospitality & Leisure Practice. He also
has served on the firm’s Executive Committee. Mr. Barker has particular expertise in representing funds
and other entities with tax-exempt investors in structuring and implementing debt and equity
investments in real estate and in real estate operating companies.
Mr. Barker has represented a number of prominent private investment fund sponsors and public
REITs in the formation of funds and separate account vehicles, portfolio acquisitions, joint ventures,
merger and acquisition transactions and other strategic transactions. His representative clients include
Rockwood Capital, HEI Hotels & Resorts, BayNorth Capital Partners, AEW Capital Management,
Leggat McCall Properties, Cabot Properties, Long Wharf Capital Partners and Fairmont Hotels &
Resorts.
Mr. Barker is listed Best Lawyers and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as
one of the leading real estate lawyers in Massachusetts and a leading national lawyer on hospitality
matters.
Mr. Barker’s educational achievements include: J.D., Harvard Law School, 1985 and B.A., Brown
University, 1982 (magna cum laude).
Mr. Barker is admitted to practice in Massachusetts
Rogerio Basso
Terranum Hotels
With over 15 years of real estate and hospitality experience, Rogerio is responsible for growing
Terranum’s portfolio of hotels across Latin America, and oversees all activities related to investment,
acquisition and development in the region. Terranum Hotels is an owner and developer of selectservice, upscale and luxury properties across the region, and is sponsored by Colombia-based Santo
Domingo Group, and Estrategias Corporativas, a premier investment bank focused on complex M&A
transactions.
Prior to joining Terranum Hotels, Rogerio worked for over 11 years with Ernst & Young LLP in Miami,
where he was responsible for leading the firm’s real estate and hospitality initiatives across Latin
America. More specifically, he was actively involved in advising developers, private equity funds,
lenders and governments in all aspects of the hospitality and leisure industries. In this capacity, Rogerio
led numerous complex consulting assignments and multi-billion dollar transactions, and is well versed
on a variety of asset classes including hotels, mixed-use developments, vacation ownership, golf
courses, and marinas. His operational skills are drawn from having worked for InterContinental, Holiday
Inn, Four Seasons, and Crowne Plaza Hotels.
Mr. Basso is often quoted in industry publications on hospitality trends and topics, and is a guest
speaker at industry related conferences in the United States and Latin America. He also served as a
professor of feasibility analysis for the graduate hotel management program at Florida International
University. Rogerio holds a Business Degree from the College of William and Mary and a Masters
Degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.
Debra W. Bates
Dolce Hotels and Resorts
Debra Bates, a longtime Dolce Hotels and Resorts executive, is responsible for North America
acquisitions and development, corporate finance, risk management, treasury and accounting and
reporting.
She has held roles of increasing responsibility since joining the company in 1996. In 1998 she was
named Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Development. She was promoted to Chief Financial
Officer in 2000, to Chief Investment and Financial Officer in 2006 and now serves as Chief Financial
and Development Officer.
Throughout her career in finance, acquisitions and development in a variety of real estate sectors,
she raised capital and managed transactions for hospitality, office, retail and multifamily properties and
companies totaling more than $1 billion.
Bates earned a master’s in business administration degree in finance and international business and
a bachelor’s degree in economics and managerial studies at Rice University's Jesse J. Jones School of
Administration in Houston.
Page 4 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Michael Bedner
HBA International
Michael Bedner, outgoing Chairman of HBA International, has been with the firm since its inception
in l964 as a student, draftsman, designer, project designer, Design Director and President together with
Howard Hirsch, the firm’s founder. He became partner the same year he opened the Atlanta office and
the firm became Hirsch Bedner and Associates. Mr. Bedner was extensively involved in the Hong Kong,
Shanghai, London, San Francisco and Singapore offices as well as the core office in Los Angeles.
During his tenure at Hirsch Bedner and Associates, Mr Bedner expanded the scope of the company
to include planning, design, art, graphics, apparel, tabletop and procurement. He extended HBA’s
portfolio to include resorts, boutique hotels, cruise ships, restaurants, casinos and many more areas of
design, which has resulted in today’s largest hospitality design firm, with 16 offices, 1500 people, and
more than 1200 completed projects.
Because of his never-ending love of enrichment through the accumulation of knowledge, Mr Bedner
has mentored countless individuals and has spoken extensively at universities throughout the world.
Throughout his career, he has exemplified the highest standards of integrity, while remaining
committed to three principles: “Do the best job you can- no excuses,” “Grow from every experience”,
and “Have fun- if you aren’t enjoying the process, don’t do it!”
Andrea L. Belfanti
ISHC
Andrea Belfanti is the Executive Director for the International Society of Hospitality Consultants
(ISHC). Andrea has been with ISHC since April 2009, has over 15 years experience in the hospitality
industry and has previously held positions with InterContinental Hotels Group, The High Museum of Art,
Walt Disney World and Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge. Andrea earned her bachelor’s degree
from the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration at the University of South Carolina.
ISHC is a professional society with 200 members with work experience in over 60 countries.
Membership is by invitation only and members are owners, principals, directors and/or officers in their
firms and are leaders in the industry in their respective areas of expertise.
Monty Bennett
Ashford Hospitality Trust
Mr. Bennett serves as Founder, Chairman, & Chief Executive Officer of Ashford Hospitality Trust, a
Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) formed in August 2003. Ashford Trust focuses exclusively on
investing in the hospitality industry across all segments and at all levels of the capital structure, primarily
within the United States. Today, Ashford Trust has over $4 billion in assets and has outperformed its
peers in total shareholder return since its IPO.
Mr. Bennett also serves as Chairman, & Chief Executive Officer of Ashford Hospitality Prime.
Ashford Hospitality Prime is a conservatively capitalized REIT that invests primarily in high RevPAR,
full-service and urban select-service hotels located predominantly in domestic and international gateway
markets.
Mr. Bennett is a member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Industry Real Estate
Finance Advisory Council (IREFAC), the Urban Land Institute’s Hotel Council, and is on the Advisory
Editorial Board for GlobalHotelNetwork.com. He is also a member of the CEO Fiscal Leadership
Council for Fix the Debt, a non-partisan group dedicated to reducing the nation’s federal debt level and
on the advisory board of Texans for Education Reform.
Mr. Bennett holds a Masters in Business Administration from Cornell’s S.C. Johnson Graduate
School of Management and received a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction from the School of
Hotel Administration also at Cornell. He is a life member of the Cornell Hotel Society.
Page 5 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Peter Benudiz
Milbank
Peter Benudiz is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. He is coleader of the firm’s Gaming and Hospitality Group.
Mr. Benudiz is widely recognized as one of the leading hospitality lawyers in the United States. He
has been ranked nationally in Band 1 for Leisure & Hospitality by Chambers USA since it began ranking
lawyers nationally in the hospitality industry. Chambers notes that Peter is “unsurpassed in the
hospitality sector” and cites peers and clients as saying he “has the knowledge base of a scholar, but
he’s practical too.” Peter regularly advises global hospitality companies, investment banks, private
equity and hedge funds and their CEOs, boards of directors and investors on some of their most
sensitive tactical, strategic and structuring issues.
Many of the world’s largest financial institutions and private equity funds call on Peter to advise them
on the acquisition, financing and restructuring of some of their most high profile and significant real
estate and hotel projects. He has been the lead lawyer on billions of dollars of real estate and hospitality
transactions, including domestic and cross-border leveraged private equity deals. He includes among
his many notable engagements his representation of the Lehman Brothers Official Creditors’ Committee
on all real estate and hospitality assets worldwide following Lehman’s Chapter 11 filing, as well as his
representation of the senior-secured lender of the World Trade Center Towers on the loan restructuring
negotiations and insurance claims relating to 9/11.
David A. Berins
Berins & CO., LLC
David Berins is a 48-year veteran of the lodging industry, with a career encompassing operations,
asset management, development, planning and consulting. Prior to resuming his consulting practice in
2009, David served as Managing Director of Cypress Hotels & Resorts overseeing five luxury
developments in the Bahamas, California and Texas.
Since 1974, David has provided senior-level asset management and advisory services to hotel
owners, investors, management companies and lenders in areas such as strategic planning,
development, operations and marketing.
In addition to his role as a developer and senior lodging industry advisor, David also served as
Senior Vice President - Research & Planning at Strategic Hotel Capital Incorporated in its formative
years.
From 1993 to 1998, David operated a highly-respected consulting practice under the name Berins
Consulting Incorporated. For four years, David was a partner in and Worldwide Director of Hospitality
Industry Consulting Services of Arthur Andersen.
Prior to forming Berins & Co. in 1983, David was a Senior Principal and National Director of
Management Advisory Services of the firm now known as PKF Consulting. Those years were preceded
by eight years of hands-on operations and corporate planning experience in lodging, restaurants and
foodservice.
Page 6 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Scott D. Berman
PwC
Mr. Berman is the Industry Leader of the Hospitality & Leisure Practice, and a Principal with
PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P. in Miami. Mr. Berman is a specialist in the field of hotel and resort
development and operations with 25 years of experience providing consulting services in the United
States, South America, Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean Basin, Europe, the Far East and the
former Soviet Union. He has experience with a multitude of leisure time and tourism related projects
including, but not limited to, hotels and resorts of all types, cruise lines, vacation ownership and resort
residential development, recreational facilities such as spas and marinas, cruise ships, casinos, theme
parks and other public assembly facilities.
Mr. Berman holds a B.S. from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. Mr. Berman is an
active member of the Urban Land Institute Hotel Development Council (HDC) and its former Chair; Vice
Chair of the ULI Florida Hospitality & Recreational Development Council; a member of the Advisory
Board of the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research; Chairman of the Industry Relations
Committee for the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association; and a member of the International
Society of Hospitality Consultants. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the American
Resort Development Association. He has appeared on CNN's Inside Business as a leisure industry
expert and is frequently quoted on hospitality issues in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New
York Times, Forbes, and a variety of industry publications.
Rick Besse
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
Mr. Besse is a 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry. He holds a BA and an MBA from the Hotel
School at Michigan State University. He started his career with Pannel, Kerr, Forster and Company, an
international CPA firm, writing hotel feasibility studies in the southeast United States. He then moved to
the restaurant industry and spent 8 years with Taco Bell, starting as a Real Estate Representative and
working his way to Vice President of Development. He managed a staff of 18 real estate
representatives and was responsible for the development of over 300 restaurants.
Led by his entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Besse formed The Winslow Group, which is a
consulting/brokerage firm specializing in the hospitality industry. His firm represented many companies,
both in the restaurant and hotel industry. Notable assignments include representing Marriott Corporation
in their site selection process throughout the southwest for their company-owned limited service hotels.
He represented a Dallas based investment firm on the acquisition of 11 hotels. He was retained by
Rock Resorts to review domestic resort locations for potential acquisitions or management contracts.
In 1998, Mr. Besse formed an investment partnership and as Managing Partner, purchased and
repositioned two historic hotels in the South Beach area of Miami Beach. The hotels were sold in midyear 2001.
Since 2001, Mr. Besse has had numerous consulting and brokerage assignments throughout the
United States. Most recently, he was employed as a contractor for the FDIC and asset managed a $1.5
Billion Hotel Loan portfolio. When the assignment began, the 114 loan portfolio had 42 hotels still under
construction. The FDIC funded the necessary funds and all 42 of the hotels were completed.
Additionally, many of the 114 loans had loan modifications, which were all asset managed by Mr.
Besse’s team. The portfolio was eventually sold on the open market.
In 2010, Mr. Besse was appointed Receiver of a select service hotel in Richardson, Texas.
Adi Bhoopathy
Noble Investment Group
Mr. Bhoopathy is a principal and executive vice president with responsibility for sourcing and
underwriting lodging investments. He is specifically responsible for acquisitions, market and investment
analysis, brand positioning, and joint ventures. He joined Noble in 1999 and became a partner in 2006.
Mr. Bhoopathy attended Cornell University where he received his B.S. in Hospitality Management.
He is affiliated with the following; Urban Land Institute, Member; Hotel Asset Managers Association,
Member; and the Atlanta Hospitality Alliance Group, Member
Page 7 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Raymond N. Bickson
Taj Hotel Group
Raymond Bickson, whose hospitality career spans more than 30 years and four continents, joined
Taj Hotels in January 2003 to oversee all luxury property operations. In July 2003, he was named
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), a division
of India’s Tata Group, with responsibility for all Taj Hotels operations and management, hospitality &
travel subsidiary companies.
Under his leadership, the Taj Group has seen rapid global expansion, with new developments and
acquisitions in key world markets, including Africa, Australia, Bhutan, Dubai, India, Maldives, Malaysia
and the U.S. The Taj Group has formed strategic partnerships with other luxury hotel chains and cruise
lines; developed innovative new products, including India’s first luxury safari lodges and tours, and the
launch of the new Ginger Hotels, Gateway Hotels and Resorts and the Vivanta by Taj Brand.
Previously, Bickson served as Vice President and General Manager of The Mark in New York for
The Rafael Group Hoteliers Monaco and with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group for 15 years. His prior
experience includes management positions with Regent International Hotels in New York, Chicago,
Dallas, Puerto Rico, Melbourne and Shanghai, and training positions with Hotel Plaza Athenee Paris, Le
Montreux Palace Switzerland and the Kahala Hilton Hawaii.
An American national, Bickson attended The École Hôtelière Lausanne – Advanced Management
Programme at Harvard Business School, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in hospitality
management by Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island.
Bickson is a member of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC); the International Business
Leaders Forum (IBLF); and the advisory boards of The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Cornell
Hotel School Center for Hospitality Research and École Hôtelière Lausanne.
Recipient of the Corporate Hotelier of the World Award 2007, by HOTELS Magazine. Recipient of
the Luxury Hospitality Leader Award 2013 by The Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne.
Michael Bluhm
Morgan Stanley
As a Managing Director of Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley, Michael Bluhm is responsible for
providing capital raising and financial advisory services within the real estate industry. Additionally, he is
head of Morgan Stanley’s global lodging investment banking practice.
Throughout his career he has been directly involved in more than $150 billion of public and private
debt, equity and equity-linked offerings as well as a range of merger, acquisition and restructuring
assignments, primarily with publicly traded companies. Michael is a member of the National Association
of Real Estate Investment Trusts, International Council of Shopping Centers and the Urban Land
Institute.
Billy L. Brown
Medical Hospitality Group
Mr. Brown is CEO of Medical Hospitality Group, a publicly traded mortgage REIT (pending SEC
release) and President of Benchmark Development Corporation of Dallas. Brown has been a real
estate developer since 1970 and Benchmark has been developing only hospitality since 1998. Brown
has been involved in the development of over 100 hotels and Benchmark has been the General
Contractor on 29 hotels in 7 States. Brown began developing restaurants on the East coast and
followed with automotive and medical facilities before hospitality. Brown has developed over 1000
properties in 38 States, Canada and Mexico.
Brown is on the Owner’s Advisory Board of Starwood and Benchmark was named Developer of
Year, Select Service, for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide in 2009. Brown has been an earlier
adopter of sustainability in hospitality. He developed the first LEED certified hotels in Texas and
Colorado - both LEED Silver. He is currently developing a new build LEED Gold Marriott Residence Inn
in Austin and permitting a LEED Silver Westin Element in Southern California.
Brown was born in San Angelo, Texas, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree before
moving to the Dallas area in 1968. He is married and has eight children.
Page 8 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Jason Brown
Yotel
Jason leads the global team responsible for sourcing, underwriting, negotiating and closing
acquisitions, joint-venture agreements and third party management contracts in key gateway markets
around the world. Additionally, Jason drives YOTEL’s corporate growth strategy and brand development
as YOTEL continues to expand internationally. Jason joined YOTEL from Kimpton Hotels &
Restaurants, where he was Director of Acquisitions and Development. Previously, Jason served as
Kimpton’s Director of Corporate & Real Estate Finance and has managed numerous acquisition,
financing, restructuring and disposition transactions. Prior to Kimpton, Jason was part of the founding
team at the start-up luxury destination club, One Key, and began his professional career as a consultant
with Ernst & Young in their Hospitality Transaction Real Estate Advisory Group. Jason received his BS
from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University with a major in real estate finance and
development.
Ben Brunt
Noble Investment Group
Mr. Brunt is a principal with responsibility for sourcing and underwriting lodging and hospitality
investments encompassing asset and debt acquisitions, market and investment analysis, new
development opportunities, and brand positioning. He has 16 years of lodging industry experience (9
years Noble tenure).
Prior to joining Noble as a partner in 2005, he was vice president of investments and development at
Songy Partners and a senior member of the investment team at Hardin Capital. Mr. Brunt began his
career in hospitality as an operations analyst for Homestead Village and later gained experience in the
field as a multi-unit property manager. He is a former professional violinist and spent two years as a
member of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Brunt received his B.A. from Trinity College, and his M.B.A from Southern Methodist University.
He is associated with the following organizations: Urban Land Institute; Georgia Philharmonic, Violinist;
Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, Advisory Board Member.
James E. Burba
BHN
Jim Burba is the founder and president of Burba Hotel Network LLC (BHN), the worldwide leader in
developing and producing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. BHN events
include: the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles; the ALIS Summer Update;
the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami; the Hotel Investment Conference
Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong; HICAP UPDATE in Singapore; the Hotel Investment Forum India
(HIFI) in Gurgaon Delhi N.C.R.; the Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference in Miami; and
the Hotel Investment Conference Europe (Hot.E) in London. In 2008, BHN and Google teamed up to
host Digital Discovery Day (D3) for hotel owners and investors. In 2011, Burba was retained by the
ITC, a joint agency of the UN and WTO to help organize WEDF. WEDF focused on tourism
development in the least developed countries of the world and was held in Istanbul.
Actively involved in the hotel investment arena for 30 years, Burba was formerly: a principal at
Pannell Kerr Forster, Senior Managing Director with Insignia/Hotel Partners, VP/Worldwide Director of
Advisory Services at WATG, and President at Horwath HTL (US). A member of the International
Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) and the Industry Real Estate Finance Advisory Council
(IREFAC), Burba has received numerous honors including the Educational Institute Lamp of Knowledge
Award, IREFAC’s first Crystal Ball Award, and the ISHC Pioneer Award.
In 2007, California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, re-appointed Burba to his second term on the
California Travel & Tourism Commission and he recently served on its Executive Committee.
Page 9 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Ron Burgett
Red Lion Hotels Corp.
Ron Burgett is the Executive Vice President, Lodging & Brand Development, for Red Lion Hotels
Corporation. In this role, Burgett leads the company’s franchise and brand development program.
Burgett has nearly two decades of experience in franchising and franchise relations, brand
management, sustainable development, sales growth and new business development. He joins the Red
Lion Hotels team from Northcott Hospitality, the parent company of AmericInn, where he was Executive
Vice President of Development. In addition, he was President and a Partner of Hospitality Sales Group,
a national commercial real estate brokerage firm. Prior to that, Burgett served in several capacities at
Choice Hotels International, most recently as National Vice President of Franchise Sales and
Development.
James Carroll
Crestline Hotels & Resorts
James Carroll is the President & CEO of Crestline Hotels & Resorts. Mr. Carroll joined Crestline in
2004 from Dell, Inc., where he held several operations and financial management positions. In his initial
role at Crestline, Mr. Carroll served as SVP & Treasurer. In 2006 he was promoted to CFO, and in
2010 was promoted to President & CEO of Crestline Hotels & Resorts.
As CEO of Crestline, Mr. Carroll has responsibility for all corporate functions, and the management
of the Company’s portfolio of over 45 managed properties throughout the United States. In addition, he
oversees the company’s portfolio of owned assets.
During his tenure with Crestline, Mr. Carroll was also closely involved in the formation and growth of
Playa Hotels & Resorts, an international private equity real estate venture. He assisted in raising over
$580 million of equity, and secured over $835 million of corporate and property level debt financing for
international projects.
Mr. Carroll holds the degree of Master in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School,
and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Previously, he served as a Naval Aviator and Lieutenant
Commander in the United States Navy. In addition, Mr. Carroll serves on the Board of Directors for
Armada Hoffler Properties, Inc. (NYSE: AHH) and for ServiceSource, Inc.
Raj Chandnani
WATG | Wimberly Interiors
Raj Chandnani is Vice President, Strategy for WATG. He is responsible for guiding the company’s
global outreach activities, implementing strategic initiatives, and positioning the firm as a leader in
innovation. He has a wide range of industry expertise focusing on consumer trends, travel and tourism,
branding strategies and hospitality real estate.
Mr. Chandnani also collaborates with the firm’s clients, and provides strategic consulting for
proposed developments, including visioning and concepting, competitive positioning, branding and
operator selection.
Chandnani has specialized in commercial real estate since 1994. Prior to joining WATG in 2001,
Chandnani was as associate director with CB Richard Ellis Hotels, where he spent six years in a variety
of capacities including asset management, investment sales, financings and portfolio due diligence. He
was previously with PKF Consulting in Los Angeles, and has also taught classes on strategic planning,
financial management, real estate finance, hotel development, tourism and design at UCLA, USC,
Cornell University and Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne
Mr. Chandnani is a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Hospitality Research, vice chair
of the Urban Land Institute’s Hotel Development Council and has spoken at several industry
conferences around the globe. He is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.
Page 10 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Jim Chu
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Jim Chu serves as the senior vice president of franchise and owner relations for Hyatt Hotels
Corporation. In this role, Chu oversees the franchise field team who support franchise owners and
operators for all franchise hotels. The franchise and owner relations group serves as the main liaison
between franchisees and third-party owners.
His primary responsibilities are the oversight of brand relations and support to third-party owners and
franchisees, as well as negotiating franchise and management agreements. Chu also oversees the
development administration for North America and FTC and regulatory aspects for Hyatt Development.
Prior to joining Hyatt, Chu served various roles with Wyndham International, including general
manager, regional vice president of sales and senior vice president of business development. In his
most recent role, he was responsible for new business development activity for Wyndham International,
including Wyndham Timeshare/ Vacation Ownership operations and development.
Chu received his Bachelor of Science from Corpus Christi State University with a degree in Finance.
He is an active member of several American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) committees.
Isabelle Claver
PwC
Ms. Claver is a director in the Hospitality & Leisure Consulting Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers
L.L.P. based in Miami, Florida. Prior to joining PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P., Ms. Claver worked in
luxury hotels in various operational roles in Europe, Asia and the United States. Today, she manages
the day-to-day operations of the Hospitality & Leisure practice in Miami.
Since joining PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P. in 1997, Ms. Claver has worked on a multitude of
engagements for clients ranging from financial institutions and developers to governmental agencies.
She is a specialist in the mixed-use resort development sector with expertise in fractional ownership,
resort residential development, condominium-hotel projects and recreational facilities such as golf
courses and marinas. Ms. Claver has also testified in Federal Court and in arbitration hearings as an
expert witness on hospitality related issues.
Ms. Claver holds a B.S. from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and is an active
member of the Cornell Hotel Society, South Florida Chapter and Urban Land Institute. She also
received a diploma in Hotel Management with honours from the Hotel Institute Montreux in Switzerland.
Kevin Colket
Starwood Capital Group
Kevin Colket is Senior Vice President of Acquisitions for Starwood Capital Group and Co-Head of
the Global Hotel Acquisitions Group.
Mr. Colket is responsible for sourcing, underwriting and closing on real estate equity and debt
investment opportunities within the hospitality sector. Since joining Starwood in 2007, Mr. Colket has
successfully led over $2bn in closed equity and debt transactions in the United States and Europe
including the purchase of the Principal Hayley Hotel Group, the Perry Hotel Miami, 1414 6th. Ave
Manhattan, the Hyatt Minneapolis, and Hersha Hospitality Management. In addition, Mr. Colket has
asset managed many of the Starwood's key hospitality investments.
Prior to joining Starwood Capital Group in 2007, Mr. Colket worked as Director of Acquisitions and
Development for Edinburgh Management, a hotel Joint Venture with the Bank of Scotland, where he
managed all acquisition and development activities. Prior to Edinburgh Management, Mr. Colket held
various finance and investment banking positions at Goldman, Sachs & Co., Bank of Boston (now Bank
of America), and Paine Webber (now UBS).
Mr. Colket earned an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Economics from Trinity
College.
Page 11 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Dominique Colliat
Sofitel Luxury Hotels
Driven by a passion for excellence, Dominique Colliat has successfully implemented strategic
business development and operations initiatives in the international hospitality arena. Her recent
promotion in 2013 to Senior Vice President, Sofitel Americas marks 26 years of increasing business
development responsibility at Accor, the leading European hospitality company.
A graduate in marketing and management, Dominique began her career at Accor managing a
succession of hotels in the Caribbean, France and Great Britain. In 1998, after 20 years at Accor, she
left Europe and joined Club Méditerranée as Director for the Bahamas and Caribbean. Three years
later, she was appointed Vice President Operations of Club Med North America, Mexico and the
Caribbean to help reposition Club Med in the upscale travel market.
She returned to the Accor group in late 2006 to create in-depth business development strategies for
repositioning the Sofitel brand, first as Director of Operations France and then for Sofitel Southern
Europe and the Maghreb. In 2009, she was promoted to the newly created role of Senior Vice President
Operations for Sofitel Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) where she continued to implement global
repositioning plans to increase market share.
During her tenure, she was the driving force leading successful business development efforts that
included hotel openings in Rabat, Dubai, Bahrain, Mauritius and Vienna. She was also instrumental in
establishing the first Sofitel Legend in Europe, the Sofitel Grand Amsterdam. Now based in New York,
she will focus on implementing targeted business development strategies to increase profitability and
expand Sofitel’s share of market in both North and South America.
She remains actively involved in Accor Foundation projects, particularly in Morocco and Algeria,
where she supports several local causes.
Thomas J. Corcoran, Jr.
FelCor Lodging Trust
In 1991 Mr. Corcoran co-founded FelCor, Inc. with Hervey Feldman. In 1994 FelCor went public as
a hotel REIT. In 1996 FelCor Lodging Trust was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Corcoran
served as President and Chief Executive Officer of FelCor since its formation until his appointment to
Chairman of the Board in 2006.
FelCor, a real estate investment trust, owns a diversified portfolio of primarily upper-upscale fullservice hotels that are located in major and resort markets. FelCor partners with leading hotel
companies to operate its 64 hotels, which are flagged under globally renowned names and premier
independent hotels. Additional information can be found on the Company’s website at www.felcor.com.
Mr. Corcoran’s board appointments include: past Chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging
Association (AH&LA), and past Chairman of the IHG Owners Association.
After serving as independent board member since December 2010, Mr. Corcoran was appointed
Chairman of the Board of Sammons Enterprises. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, in the United States,
with assets approaching $50 billion, Sammons ranks among the largest privately owned companies in
the world.
Ryan N. Cotton
Bain Capital
Mr. Cotton joined Bain Capital in 2003. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Cotton was a consultant at Bain
& Company. Previously, he worked in baseball operations at the Boston Red Sox. Mr. Cotton leads
Bain Capital’s real estate investment efforts. He serves on the board of International Market Centers
and Apple Leisure Group.
Mr. Cotton received an MBA from The Stanford Graduate School of Business where he was a Seibel
Scholar, an Arjay Miller Scholar, and the winner of the Alexander A. Robichek Award for Outstanding
Achievement in Finance. He received an AB in Philosophy from Princeton University.
Page 12 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Richard F. Davis
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Richard F. Davis has more than 30 years of experience in the global recreational and resort real
estate industry and is Co-Chair of the Hotel, Resort and Club Group of the U.S. based international law
firm of Greenberg Traurig. Rick has counseled owners, developers, investors, operators, lenders, and
advisors in connection with major global hospitality industry projects. He is a Trustee of the American
Resort Development Association, a member of the Urban Land Institute and its Recreational Product
Council, the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Mexican Tourism Developers, and
the Caribbean Hotel Association. He has been a member of industry task forces in Florida, California
and other U.S. jurisdictions as well as with respect to Mexico, the Caribbean and other foreign locations.
Rick holds political science and law degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
and is admitted to practice law in California, Washington D.C. and before all U.S. district federal courts,
the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Warren de Haan
Starwood Property Trust
Warren de Haan is the Chief Originations Officer at Starwood Property Trust and a Managing
Director at Starwood Capital Group. He is responsible for national originations including bridge loans,
mezzanine loans and preferred equity and is a member of the investment committee. Starwood
Property Trust is the largest commercial mortgage REIT with a market capitalization of approximately
$4.53 billion.
Prior to Starwood, he was co-head of national originations at Countrywide Financial Corporation and
was on the management team that founded and built Countrywide Financial Corporation’s CRE finance
business into one of the largest in the United States, closing over $1 billion in loans monthly.
Countrywide’s CRE debt business unit remained profitable throughout the financial turmoil of 2007 and
2008. Mr. de Haan was also a founding partner of Coastal Capital Partners, LLC ("CCP") where he
focused on acquiring distressed debt and advising clients on restructurings. Prior to that he worked at
Nomura Securities where he was a member of the New York based large loan group. He is a member
of the Urban Land Institute and the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Mr. de Haan received a B.S. degree (with concentrations in Real Estate and Finance) from the
Cornell School of Hotel Administration, where he graduated with distinction. He also graduated from
Hotel Institute Montreux, Switzerland, where he obtained his Swiss Hotel Diploma and American Hotel
and Motel Association Diplomas.
Jack DeBoer
Value Place
Jack DeBoer is the founder of the extended stay hotel concept. His holdings have included The
Residence Inn, Summerfield Suites and Candlewood Suites which were sold to Marriott, Hyatt, and
Intercontinental Hotels respectively. DeBoer founded Value Place, a short-term apartment concept,
which continues to expand with 175 locations. He serves as Chairman of Consolidated Holdings, Inc.
He also co-owns Pittsburg-based HIX Corporation and serves as Chairman of the board for this
global supplier of equipment for the food and printing industries.
Jack's belief in a life of significance has led to his involvement with numerous business and civic
organization including World Vision projects around the world.
Page 13 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Michael J. Deitemeyer
Omni Hotels & Resorts
Mike Deitemeyer is the president of Omni Hotels & Resorts, which offers luxury accommodations at
58 hotels and resorts in leading business gateways and leisure destinations across North America.
Since his appointment in 2004, Deitemeyer has established the company as a leading luxury hotel
brand known for delivering superior quality, award-winning service and exceptional guest experiences.
Under his leadership, the brand portfolio has expanded to include a growing luxury resort and
convention hotel collection, and most recently, the addition of five iconic luxury resorts including The
Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA., and The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. Omni
Hotels has been ranked “Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Upper Upscale Hotel Chains” in the J.D.
Power and Associates North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study(SM) five times since 2000.
Deitemeyer also serves on the Board of Directors for the Global Hotel Alliance. He earned a degree in
business from Fitchburg State College in MA.
Patrick Deming
Eastdil Secured
Patrick Deming is a Managing Director of Eastdil Secured’s Los Angeles office with responsibility for
sourcing and placement of the firm’s hospitality related investment property sales, debt placements, and
secondary loan sales. Mr. Deming also supports the firm’s hospitality public market investment banking
activities executed through Wells Fargo Securities.
Since joining the firm in 1997, Mr. Deming has completed approximately $18 billion of hospitality
transactions comprising approximately 300 properties and over 75,000 hotel rooms. Notable 2013
completed transactions include the investment sales of London West Hollywood, Hyatt Regency
Waikiki, Barton Creek Resort, and Hilton Los Cabos Resort; the financing placements of Terranea
Resort, Four Seasons Hualalai, and Doubletree Marina del Rey; and the secondary sale of a loan
secured by a nationwide portfolio of 27 select service and extended stay hotels. Mr. Deming played a
role in sourcing the development financing of the JW Marriott Los Angeles – the 2014 home of ALIS.
Prior to joining Eastdil Secured, Mr. Deming was employed in the Real Estate Consulting practices
of Arthur Andersen and KPMG and held a position with Mirage Resorts in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr.
Deming holds a degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.
Michael A. DeNicola
FelCor Lodging Trust
Michael A. DeNicola is responsible for FelCor’s portfolio management, acquisitions, dispositions and
development. Since joining FelCor, Mr. DeNicola assisted in the creation of “New FelCor” by leading
the Company’s disposition activities relating to 67 hotels as well as the acquisition of selected hotels. In
his role, Mr. DeNicola has directed FelCor’s development of condominiums at Kingston Plantation in
Myrtle Beach, SC, and has identified additional redevelopment opportunities throughout its portfolio.
Mr. DeNicola has led the renegotiation of many of FelCor’s management agreements with its strategic
partners including Hilton Hotels, Starwood, Interstate Hotels and InterContinental Hotels Group resulting
in better alignment of its managers’ interests with the Company’s ownership interests.
Prior to joining the Company, Mr. DeNicola was with Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, where he
was Principal and Head of the Lodging and Leisure Group, responsible for managing a $1.1 billion hotel
portfolio of 21 properties. Prior to Lend Lease, he held a number of leadership positions with Carlson
Hospitality Worldwide. Prior to his tenure with Carlson Hospitality, he held management positions with
Kenneth Leventhal & Company and VMS Realty Partners. Mr. DeNicola is a graduate of Cornell
University’s School of Hotel Administration.
Page 14 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Michael Depatie
Kimpton
Michael Depatie is President and Chief Executive Officer of Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, LLC
and is also a Member of Kimpton’s Board of Directors. Under Depatie’s leadership Kimpton has been
named to FORTUNE magazine’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For list four times ranking 28th in
2012. Depatie also serves as Managing General Partner of the Kimpton Hospitality Partners Funds
overseeing the investment of over $550 million of investor equity in Kimpton Hotels.
After completing his MBA at the Harvard Business School in 1983, Depatie started his career with
the Trammell Crow Company. He went on to become the Senior Vice President of finance and
development with the Residence Inn Company. After the sale of Residence Inn to Marriott in 1987,
Depatie co-founded Summerfield Suites which was sold to Patriot American Corporation and
subsequently to Hyatt. Depatie also served as Chief Financial Officer of NYSE-listed La Quinta from
1992 to 1996. Depatie then served as CFO of NYSE-listed Sunterra.
Depatie is a member of the Hotel Development Council of the Urban Land Institute and he is also a
member of the Real Estate Roundtable. Depatie also serves on the Board of Directors of Nasdaq traded
Jamba Juice. He lives with his wife and fifteen year old son in San Francisco Ca.
Tina Edmundson
Marriott International
Tina Edmundson is the Global Officer for Luxury and Lifestyle Brands at Marriott International. In her
role, Tina leads the strategy, positioning and development of the Luxury and Lifestyle brands in
Marriott’s portfolio. Prior to this role, Tina was the Global Brand leader for Renaissance hotels and
Autograph Collection hotels worldwide and played an integral role in repositioning the Renaissance
brand to move into the lifestyle category.
Tina has been with Marriott since 2008, and has more than two decades of experience in the
hospitality management industry. She came to Marriott from Starwood Hotels, where she spent many
years focusing on the Luxury and Lifestyle category within Brand Operations. Her experience includes
several field positions at US hotels including Rooms, Revenue Management, Sales and General
Manager.
She has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Bombay, India and got her start in
the hotel industry at the Four Seasons Houston Center, where she worked while getting her Masters in
hotel and Restaurant Administration from the Conrad N. Hilton School at the University of Houston.
Joel Eisemann
IHG
Joel Eisemann joined the InterContinental Hotels Group ("IHG") in September 2011 and is Chief
Development Officer, The Americas. He is responsible for all development and conversion activities
(both managed and franchised) for the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels,
Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands in the Americas.
Mr. Eisemann is also responsible for the company's Capital Investments & Transactions group for the
Americas which handles asset dispositions, workouts and restructurings and asset management.
Further, he heads up the region's Owner & Franchise Services team which leads the IHG organization
to attract, support and grow with those owners and franchisees who will help the company to continue
to grow its brands' distribution and preference.
Previously, Mr. Eisemann was with Marriott International for 29 years, where he held a number of
senior positions.
Page 15 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Mark W. Elliott
Hodges Ward Elliott
Mark joined Hodges Ward Elliott in 1983. Mark has personally sold more hotels than any other
individual. Since 1992, he has personally sold and/or financed approximately 1,125 hotels, totaling
approximately 227,000 rooms, with a dollar volume of approximately $32 billion. Mark is currently a
member of Industry Real Estate Finance Advisory Council (“IREFAC”). He authored a chapter in Hotel
Investment Handbook, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal as a lodging industry expert.
Mark was the recipient of the prestigious “Jack A. Shaffer Financial Advisor of the Year” Award and “C.
Everett Johnson” Award. Mark has been a speaker at the Harvard Business School.
Mark’s noteworthy transactions are as follows: $1.7 billion White Lodging Hotel Portfolio; $1.6 billion
Archon Hotel Portfolio; $900 million RLJ Hotel Portfolio; $746.1 million Ocean Properties Portfolio; $420
million CNL Hotel Portfolio; $287 Marriott East Side, NY; $470 million Hilton Garden Inn Times Square
and Hampton Inn Times Square North, NY; $330 million Metropolitan Hotel, NY; $201.5 million
Lexington Hotel, NY; $514 million Starwood Hotel Portfolio; $440 million Westin St. Francis, San
Francisco; $330 Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel; $475 million Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel; $124.4 RitzCarlton, Half Moon Bay; $250 million Montage Hotel & Resort, Laguna Beach.
Anthony A. Emanuelo
Wyndham Hotel Group
Anthony Emanuelo is Wyndham Hotel Group’s vice president of operations for Latin America. In this
role, he is responsible for setting and executing the Company’s development strategy in the growing
region, as well as driving business directly to Wyndham Hotel Group properties by optimizing the
utilization of company resources.
Previously, Emanuelo served as senior director of operations and strategy for Latin America,
fostering the company’s rapid development by supporting the acquisition and on-boarding of new hotels
and managing the operational needs and performance of the company’s portfolio of hotels throughout
the region. He simultaneously served as senior director of integration for the TRYP by Wyndham
brand, successfully incorporating the select-service brand into the company after Wyndham Hotel
Group acquired it in 2010.
Emanuelo has been with Wyndham Hotel Group for over eleven years and held various roles in
finance before transitioning to operations and strategy.
Prior to joining Wyndham Hotel Group, Emanuelo worked as a senior financial analyst for Simon &
Schuster, a publishing company based in New York City. He began his career with International Paper,
based in Memphis, Tenn., as a financial analyst for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
Emanuelo earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Maryland and his Master of
Business Administration in strategic analysis from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.
He is based in Wyndham Hotel Group’s Parsippany, N.J., offices.
William D. Emery
InterMountain Management
David Emery joined InterMountain as Director of Finance in 2008. He was previously employed for
14 years by the JP Morgan and Regions Bank franchises as a commercial lender. He has been
responsible for capital formation, negotiating partnerships and joint ventures, valuing and negotiating
acquisitions and dispositions, creating incentive compensation plans and supporting the hotel operating
teams in budgeting and forecasting. In 2012, David was appointed to his current position of Chief
Financial Officer, in which he leads a team of 15 managing the financial operations of over 70 hotels in
21 states.
Page 16 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Michael R. Evans
MGM Hospitality
Michael Evans serves as Chief Operating Officer for MGM Hospitality, a division of MGM Resorts
International focused on developing and operating non-gaming Bellagio, MGM Grand, and Skylofts
hotels in key international gateway cities and prime resort destinations around the world. In his role as
Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Evans is responsible for leading the MGM Hospitality team. Mr. Evans
joined the Company in January 2008, and prior to becoming Chief Operating Officer in February 2013,
he served as Executive Vice President of Global Development, and was responsible for the
implementation of MGM Hospitality’s strategic development plan and leading the Company’s regional
development teams.
Mr. Evans is a seasoned executive with global development experience in the U.S., Europe, the
Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Prior to joining MGM Hospitality, he held key senior management
positions with Marriott International from 1998 to 2008. His last position with Marriott International was
as Senior Vice President of International Hotel Development based in London, where he was
responsible for the development of all of Marriott International’s hotel brands in parts of Europe and all
of the Middle East. Prior to this position, he served as Vice President of Hotel Development Asia/Pacific,
based in Hong Kong, and Vice President of Global Asset Management, based in Washington, D.C.
Prior to joining Marriott International in 1998, Mr. Evans was an attorney in private practice in Miami,
Florida.
Michael Fishbin
Ernst & Young LLP
Michael is the Global & Americas Hospitality & Leisure Sector Leader and a member of EY’s Global
Real Estate Advisory Board. Michael is an active advisor to hospitality and leisure companies,
developers, owners, private equity funds, lenders and governments in all aspects of the hospitality,
leisure and tourism industries. The hospitality practice focuses on transactions, development, valuation,
lead advisory, operations and strategy.
Michael is a member of the Executive Planning Committee for the NYU International Hospitality
Industry Investment Conference. He is also an adjunct faculty member at NYU Tisch Center for
Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management. He holds a B.A. from Union College and received his
Masters Degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. He is a member of the
advisory board of Rock and Wrap it Up, a non-profit organization that serves the sports, music
education, government and hotel industries in the fight to alleviate hunger around the world.
John W. Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick Hotel Group
John Fitzpatrick began his career in Ireland, where the Fitzpatrick name is synonymous with
hospitality. For most of the past two decades, John has overseen the operation of two very successful
hotels in New York.
John began his formal hospitality training with a four year hotel management course at the
Fitzpatrick Hotels in Ireland, followed by the prestigious hotel management course at UNLV in Las
Vegas. After honing his skills with two major hotel organizations in Chicago, John returned to Ireland to
work at the family hotels in Dublin and Bunratty. He made the move back to the U.S. and opened his
first New York hotel in 1991.
Devoted to the industry, John served three terms as Chairman of the Hotel Association of NYC. In
2011 AH&LA elected John as Secretary/Treasurer and is currently serving as Vice Chairman and will be
the incoming Chairman in 2014.
In 2008, John was recognized for his contributions to the peace process in Northern Ireland by being
invested with an honorary OBE by Her Majesty the Queen. In July 2011, Queen’s University Belfast
conferred upon John an honorary Doctorate of Science in Economics and in June 2013, Dublin City
University awarded John with an honorary degree of Philosophy.
In his spare time, John is an avid aviator, flying both helicopters and airplanes. He also enjoys water
sports, snowboarding, skiing, kitesurfing and golf.
Page 17 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Alan Flatt
Bank of America
Alan has over 20 years of experience providing debt for commercial real estate properties in west
coast and mid-west markets. For the past 11 years, he has worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch
where he is currently the west coast regional manager for the Real Estate Structured Finance Group. In
this position he is responsible for the origination of fixed and floating rate, non-recourse commercial real
estate loans. Alan joined Bank of America, NA in 2002 in San Francisco and relocated to the Irvine, CA
office in 2005. During his time at Bank of America, Alan has originated loans in every major west coast
market.
Before joining Bank of America, Alan was a loan originator at Acacia Bank in San Francisco, Nomura
Securities in both San Francisco and Chicago and GE Capital in Chicago. Prior to working for lending
institutions, he was a mortgage banker in Chicago with Northmarq.
Alan has an undergraduate degree in engineering from the University of Michigan. He also received
a MBA degree from the University of Michigan.
Christopher Flick
PIMCO
Mr. Flick is a vice president in the portfolio management group in the Newport Beach office, focusing on
commercial real estate investments. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2011, he structured real estate
transactions throughout the U.S. as a vice president for acquisitions/originations and portfolio
management at Lowe Enterprises. He holds an MBA and an undergraduate degree from the University
of California, Berkeley. JP Ford
Lodging Econometrics
J.P. leads all of the Strategic Sales and Marketing Initiatives for Lodging Econometrics, National
Hotel Realty, and New England Hotel Realty. He is an industry leading real estate advisory specialist
with over 25 years experience providing acquisition and disposition services in the United States.
J.P. serves as a trusted advisor to Ownership and Management Groups throughout North America
looking to add real estate assets and management contracts to their portfolios; Franchise Companies
looking to identify new construction and potential brand conversion opportunities; and Wall Street
analysts wanting to evaluate real estate development and valuation trends as well as assess investment
potential in various hotel companies and particular markets.
Additionally, J.P. chairs the committee responsible for gathering nominations and selecting the
finalists for the America’s Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) “Development of the Year” award, which
recognizes the most outstanding achievement in hotel construction and design in the country. He is
also a speaker at various hotel industry events and conferences and regularly contributes to several
lodging real estate publications, such as the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Lodging
Magazine, the IHIF Newsletter, and the New England Real Estate Journal. J.P. is a Certified Hotel
Broker (CHB), and a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC).
Page 18 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Gregory I. Forester
GE Capital Real Estate
Gregory I. Forester is managing director of the Hotel Lending Group for GE Capital Real Estate’s
North America division. He leads lending programs for national accounts of public and private lodging
companies, opportunity funds and large owners. Greg has been directly involved in the origination,
transaction leadership or underwriting of approximately $5.3B of funded investments for the Company.
He has been with GE Capital Real Estate since January 1998 and has specialized in large debt
transactions originated for balance sheet, CMBS and loan syndication executions.
Greg’s professional experience prior to his tenure at GE includes five years as a senior underwriter
for CW Capital, a conduit, FNMA DUS and HUD lender, three years at Berkshire Mortgage Corporation
underwriting participating mortgage investments, and three years as a project development professional
at FD Rich Company of Boston.
Greg received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, with a concentration in real estate, from
Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
Neil D. Freeman
Aries Capital, LLC
Neil Freeman is Chairman and CEO of Aries Capital, LLC, a full-service real estate lender and
mortgage banking firm offering long-term, interim and mezzanine loans, equity arrangement, and
government tax credit advisory and placement. Throughout his 30-year career, he has funded more
than $4 billion for all commercial property types, with a strong focus in hospitality assets. Financed
hotels include The Roosevelt New Orleans (Waldorf Astoria), The Whitehall Hotel Chicago, Embassy
Suites Riverwalk San Antonio and Hotel 21 C in Louisville. Freeman’s entities have also held equity
interests in real estate worth more than $250 million, including both flagged and boutique hotels.
Freeman is also President of Urban Development Fund, LLC (UDF) a New Markets Tax Credits
CDE. UDF has received approximately $500 million in federal and state New Markets Tax Credits
allocations, translating to $1 billion in transactions. UDF focuses on the rehabilitation of hotels, mixeduse properties, retail developments, theaters, hospitals and medical facilities in highly distressed census
tracts nationwide.
Formerly a licensed CPA, Freeman received his BSBA degree in Accounting from the University of
Florida, and his MBA degree from Stanford University. He is an adjunct Real Estate professor at DePaul
University in Chicago and serves on The Executive Board of DePaul’s Real Estate Center.
Jan Freitag
STR
Mr. Jan Freitag is a Senior Vice President at STR, the recognized leader in lodging industry
benchmarking services. During his 10+ year tenure at STR he has overseen a variety of projects, all
charged with the accumulation and interpretation of global lodging data.
Mr. Freitag is a frequent public speaker at, among others, the American Lodging Investment Summit,
Hunter Investment Conference, Global Spa Summit, Mountain Travel Symposium, and numerous
brand, owner, HSMAI and GBTA meetings.
In addition, he is a trusted source for industry insights, quoted in trade publications and the general
news media such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Bloomberg, HotelNewsNow, etc. .
Prior to joining STR, Mr. Freitag was the Director of Content Integrity at hotelreports.com in upstate
New York and a hospitality consultant with Ernst & Young in Phoenix.
Mr. Freitag holds a Bachelor Degree, with distinction, from the School of Hotel Administration,
Cornell University, where he lectures frequently, and received his Executive MBA, with honors, from
Vanderbilt University.
He is a member of the advisory board for STASH Rewards, the independent hotel loyalty program.
Mr. Freitag resides in Nashville, TN, and plays basketball every Saturday (when he is not on the
road).
Page 19 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Kevin Frid
FRHI Hotels & Resorts
Kevin Frid is president, Americas for FRHI Hotels & Resorts (FRHI), the parent company of leading
hotel brands Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts and Raffles Hotels & Resorts
As one of the key members of FRHI’s senior leadership team, Mr. Frid oversees hotel operations in
the Americas, the company’s single largest region with more than 45 hotels under management. With
FRHI’s corporate vision to be “the world’s preferred hospitality company,” his regional mandate also
includes maximizing hotel performance, building long term value for hotel owners and successfully
opening new properties.
Mr. Frid, an accomplished hotelier with an extensive hospitality background spanning more than 30
years, most recently served as executive vice president, operations, FRHI. Prior to joining the company
in 2000, Mr. Frid spent 18 years with Canadian-based Delta Hotels in general manager and operations
roles including the position of regional vice president & general manager, Delta Ottawa.
Mr. Frid holds a M.B.A. from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, as well as a B.A., Hospitality &
Tourism Management from Ryerson University, Toronto.
Alan Fuerstman
Montage Hotels & Resorts
Alan J. Fuerstman is founder and chief executive officer of Montage Hotels & Resorts, a company
that he established in 2002. The portfolio of hotels, resorts and residences includes Montage Laguna
Beach, Montage Beverly Hills, Montage Deer Valley, Montage Kapalua Bay (opening Spring 2014), and
The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, a Montage Resort (February 1, 2014). Montage also manages seven highlyacclaimed golf courses.
Prior to launching Montage, Mr. Fuerstman was the Vice President of Hotel Operations at Bellagio in
Las Vegas. Previously, he served as President and Managing Director of The Phoenician in Scottsdale,
Arizona, where he was also responsible for the St. Regis Aspen and the St. Regis Houston, as well as
all ITT Sheraton properties in Arizona. He began his distinguished career with Marriott International.
Mr. Fuerstman has been recognized with many accolades including: Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur
of the Year” 2013 and “Resort Executive of the Year”.
Mr. Fuerstman currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Gettysburg College, the Northern
Arizona University School of Hotel and Restaurant Management Advisory Board, and the Resort
Committee of the AH&LA.
A native of New Milford, New Jersey, Mr. Fuerstman graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from
Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.
Stephen L. Galbreath
RTKL
Steve Galbreath is a Vice President with RTKL, an international architecture, planning and design
firm. With two decades of experience around the globe, Steve's focus has been exclusively on the
design of hospitality, gaming and mixed-use projects with a particular expertise on sustainable design
and LEED-certified projects.
Galbreath is currently the President of the ISHC (International Society of Hospitality Consultants)
and is a frequent speaker at industry events, including multiple engagements at the International
Society of Hospitality Consultants annual conferences; The Tourism Conference at
InfoMax/ProInversion, Lima, Peru; The Hotel Developer’s Conference in Palm Springs, CA; BITAC
Hotel Luxury Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico; XIII Congreso International de Arquitectura in
Monterrey, Mexico; HD Asia conference in Hong Kong, and HD (Hospitality Design) Expo in Las Vegas.
Steve has recently authored a chapter in a textbook on Hospitality Design and Sustainability, and
has published articles and been quoted in numerous industry journals, including Forbes.com, Hotel &
Motel Management, Texas Architect, The Hotel Yearbook, Hotel Interactive, Hotel Design, and a
number of others.
Steve lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife Laura, their daughter Madeleine and their dog Winston.
Page 20 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Laurence Geller
Geller Investment Co LLC
Laurence S. Geller CBE is currently Chairman, Geller Investment Co. Laurence is an accomplished
businessman who has led multi-national corporations in the lodging industry, most recently as President
and Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Hotels, a company he founded in 1997. Prior to Strategic Hotel
Capital, L.L.C., Mr. Geller was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Geller & Co., a gaming, tourism
and lodging advisory company he founded in 1989. Geller & Co. specialized in domestic and
international hotel, corporate and real estate development, financing and structuring. Previously, Mr.
Geller held positions as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hyatt Development
Corporation, Senior Vice President of Holiday Inns, Inc. and Director of Grand Metropolitan Hotels in
London. Mr. Geller is a former Vice Chairman of the Urban Land Institute’s Commercial and Retail
Council and has held the position of Chairman of the Industry Real Estate Financing Advisory Council of
the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Mr. Geller serves on the boards of Choose Chicago,
Children’s Memorial Hospital, and the American Jewish Committee (where he serves as a member of
the National Leadership Council). He also serves on the President’s Council of the Midwest Region of
the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Mr. Geller is Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Churchill Centre and
serves on its Executive Committee. Mr. Geller is Ambassador for North America for the Hotel and
Catering Institutional Management Association of the U.K. Mr. Geller is a graduate of Ealing Technical
College’s school of hotel management and catering and in May 2011 was appointed Chancellor of West
London University, the successor to Ealing Technical College. On December 31, 2011, Mr. Geller was
named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Mr.
Geller previously served on the Board of Directors and Audit Committee of Gaylord Entertainment
(NYSE: GET) from 2002 until July 2006. Mr. Geller has over 40 years of experience in the lodging
industry and has received numerous awards for his service to the lodging industry and for his civic and
philanthropic endeavors.
Michael George
Crescent Hotels & Resorts
With over 30 years of hotel, resort & restaurant operating experience, Michael, as Founder,
President & Chief Executive Officer of Crescent Hotels & Resorts, a nationally ranked Top 10
independent hotel & resort management firm, is responsible for strategic & investment oversight of the
hospitality organization, which specializes in management, acquisition and development of hotels,
resorts & conference centers in the US, Canada & Caribbean.
Prior to Crescent Hotels & Resorts, Michael served as Senior Vice President Operations for
Destination Hotels & Resorts, a large operator of luxury independent hotels, resorts and conference
centers. Prior to Destination, Michael was a senior officer for three top 20 national hotel management
organizations: Hudson Hotels, as President & Chief Operating Officer; Sunstone Hotels, as Chief
Operating Officer; and MeriStar Hotels, as Senior Vice President Operations.
Additionally, Michael has served as Managing Director and General Manager for hotels with brand
affiliations of Westin, Marriott, Sheraton, & Hilton Hotels, with singular annual revenues ranging from
$15m to over $70m, representing quality designations of the Mobile Four-Star & AAA Four-Diamond
awards. Michael currently serves on the Owners Advisory Board of Hilton Hotels, Starwood NA,
Sheraton Hotels, and Marriott Residence Inns. Michael previously served on the Advisory Boards for
Westin, Marriott Food & Beverage, and Radisson. Michael has served on the Board Of Directors of
publicly traded hotel companies along with involvement in two initial public offerings and three
secondary offerings.
Thomas F. Gilbane III
Rockpoint Group
Tom Gilbane is involved in Rockpoint’s eastern U.S. investment activities. Mr. Gilbane resides in
Rockpoint’s Boston office. Mr. Gilbane joined Westbrook Real Estate Partners, L.L.C. (“WREP”) in
August 1999. Prior to joining Rockpoint, Mr. Gilbane was involved in WREP’s eastern U.S. and
European investment and asset management activities. Prior to joining WREP, Mr. Gilbane worked for
two years in the Real Estate Investment Banking Group at Merrill Lynch. Mr. Gilbane received a B.S. in
Engineering from Brown University in 1997.
Page 21 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Federico J. Gonzalez Tejera
NH Hoteles
Federico González, was born in Madrid in 1964. He is married and has three children. He studied
Economics (Complutense) and International Trade and Finance (EAP).
Federico boasts an extensive professional track record, having worked at several multinationals in
the consumer goods, leisure and tourism industries, where he held senior sales positions.
He has worked for world-leading companies such as Procter & Gamble (16 years) and Disney (8
years), where he held the position of Deputy General Manager at Disneyland Paris, among others.
He has spent the last 18 years of his career abroad, working in Belgium, Sweden, Portugal and
France, among other countries.
As CEO of NH Hoteles, he runs all the Company’s divisions and is responsible for the compliance of
the strategic plan, the expansion, brand consolidation and development of the Group´s various lines of
business.
In addition, Federico has published a number of books about national cultural differences and the
experience of being a business executive abroad (“How to be a successful Manager in Sweden”,
“Portuguese and Spaniards, a guide to get to know each other better” and “Living and working abroad,
a survival guide”).
Thomas Gottlieb
Geolo Capital
Tom has been the Managing General Partner of Geolo Capital, the investment arm of the John
Pritzker family office, since 2004. Geolo invests in and manages a diversified portfolio of consumer and
hospitality companies. He brings to Geolo more than 30 years of experience in banking, real estate
development, the hospitality industry and in managing private equity investments in the US and the
Pacific Rim. After a career in banking and international finance, Tom worked as the Chief Investment
Officer and one of the founding partners for the InterPacific Group, the Asian investment vehicle for
Charles F. Feeney, a Founder of Duty Free Shoppers. InterPacific created and managed a $500 m
portfolio of companies throughout the Pacific Rim in the hospitality industry, consumer services and
products, real estate development and recreational facilities. In 1995, Tom co-founded and served as
the Chief Executive Officer of Mandara Spa, which he built and grew to become the largest operator of
resort spas in the world. He then founded The Odyssey Club, a destination club, which was purchased
by Exclusive Resorts. Today Tom serves on the boards of Commune Hotels and Resorts, Local TV,
Western Athletic Clubs and Exclusive Resorts.
Benji Greenberg
BCV
Benji Greenberg is BCV’s CEO and Cofounder and a respected voice in social media within the
hospitality industry. Since launching BCV in 2009, Benji has grown the once three-person company to
an office of 40, which currently manages the daily social media needs of more than 22 different global
hotel brands such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, InterContinental, Hyatt, Rosewood Resorts and
Marriott, Benji continues to innovate in the social space.
He has been a featured speaker at the Hotel Asset Managers Association, The American Lodging
Investment Summit, as well as the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
He has also been featured as a social media expert in the following publications: Lodging, Hotel
News Now, Meetings&Conventions, Hotel Executive and Luxury Daily. Page 22 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Kenneth R. Greger
Greger/Peterson Associates, Inc.
Kenneth R. Greger is CEO and Managing Director of Greger/Peterson Associates, Inc. a strategic
advisory firm focused on executive selection & success. Exclusively-retained, Greger/Peterson enjoys a
sterling reputation and specializes in filling senior executive leadership positions for the Hospitality &
Leisure industry.. Clients range from Fortune 500 conglomerates to entrepreneurial businesses at
various stages of growth, and independent, world-class resorts.
Greger/Peterson Associates works closely with its clients as a strategic partner to help build the
business, versus just filling jobs. The firm is passionate about leadership, corporate culture and
retention, and has offices in Los Angeles, California and Portland, Oregon.
Mr. Greger has 30 years of executive search experience spanning a wide range of positions,
industries and disciplines. Prior to forming his own firm in 1990, he spent approximately 10 years in the
management group of two international search practices. Mr. Greger holds a B. S. degree in Business
Administration - Accounting emphasis and is a Certified Public Accountant in Oregon, Washington and
California. He is a member of the ALIS Program Planning Committee and ISHC (International Society
of Hospitality Consultants), and remains active in a variety of Advisory Board roles and nonprofit
activities. He has been published numerous times in key industry trade publications and often speaks
at hotel industry conferences.
Steve Haggerty
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Steve Haggerty was appointed Executive Vice President and Global Head of Real Estate and
Capital Strategy for Hyatt Hotels Corporation in October 2012. In this role, Haggerty is responsible for
implementing Hyatt’s overall capital strategy, M&A and related transactional activity, hotel and joint
venture asset management, project management, and strategic oversight and transactional support to
Hyatt’s development professionals around the world.
Haggerty previously served as Global Head of Real Estate and Development, where he was
responsible for Hyatt’s global development, including global feasibility and development finance,
corporate transactions, and global asset management. He joined the company in 2007 as Executive
Vice President – Real Estate and Development. Prior to joining the company, Haggerty spent 13 years
serving in several positions of increasing responsibility with Marriott International, Inc., most recently in
London as Senior Vice President, International Project Finance and Asset Management for Europe,
Africa and the Middle East from 2005 to 2007. Prior to this position, Haggerty served as Marriott’s
Senior Vice President of Global Asset Management and Development Finance and previously lived in
Asia for nine years holding a variety of roles relating to development at Marriott.
Haggerty holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel
Administration.
Efrem Harkham
Luxe Hotels
Efrem Harkham, a visionary, veteran hotelier with more than 30 years of experience in the hotel
industry, is the owner of a leading boutique hotel brand, Luxe Hotels. The brand includes the Luxe
Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Bel Air, California, the Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel, in Beverly Hills, and Luxe
City Center Hotel in Los Angeles. Additionally, it includes LWH Hotels, a privately held company,
headquartered in Los Angeles, California, boasting a portfolio of luxurious independent boutique hotels,
resorts and inns located in 23 countries around the world. Harkham, a seasoned professional, is adept
at increasing the visibility, volume and viability of each property, and is arguably the only hotel owner
who has created a hotel representation company and a global brand. The rapid growth of the Luxe
Hotels brand, can be attributed in large part to Harkham’s intimate understanding of the nuanced needs
of hotels within their specific regions, his unyielding focus on building a brand to which consumers relate
personally and his intent focus on establishing a truly unique corporate identity in an era of “sameness.”
Page 23 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Glenn Haussman
Hotel Interactive
Glenn Haussman is Hotel Interactive's Editor-In-Chief, where he manages all editorial content for the
hotel industry’s leading online information resource. In addition to publishing the daily magazine, he
hosts a weekly on demand radio shows and develops educational content for the company’s BITAC and
HI Connect Design events.
With more than a dozen years with Hotel Interactive, Glenn enjoys the world of hospitality and
traveler as an observer of trends, educator and guest. He is known for his lightning rod viewpoints on
controversial lodging industry issues.
As a frequent moderator and speaker at leading events he uses a unique motivational style and
viewpoint to get people to rethink what’s considered conventional thinking. He also hosts a weekly radio
show style podcast that attracts some of the biggest names in hospitality as guests.
He has also served as an adjunct professor at New York University teaching classes in Consumer
Behavior.
Glenn is sought out as an industry expert and is frequently quoted in leading publications such as
the New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, MSNBC.com, CNN.com, Chicago Tribune and
many more.
Thomas G. Healy
Strategic Hotels & Resorts
Thomas Healy is senior vice president, asset management at Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc., where
he has oversight responsibility for multiple brands, including Four Seasons, Fairmont, Marriott,
Intercontinental, Hyatt and Loews Hotels & Resorts. He joined the Company in 2006.
Mr. Healy has more than 25 years of hotel experience, primarily in development and hotel
operations. Prior to joining Strategic Hotels, he served in development, property operations, sales and
marketing roles for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts and Sheraton Hotels &
Resorts. He has served as the general manager for various properties where he received numerous
awards for his contributions, including “Turnaround Hotel of the Year” for Westin Hotels & Resorts. Mr.
Healy was also general manager for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, where he oversaw the opening of the
Sheraton Overland Park Hotel & Convention Center., and has served in a general manager capacity for
many other brands.
Mr. Healy is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University, where he earned a degree Hospitality
Management. He has held positions on multiple boards, including the Overland Park Chamber of
Commerce, Overland Park Convention and Visitors Bureau, Central New Jersey Boy Scouts of America
and Eden Institute Autism Services Works Board.
Robert Hee
Canyon Equity LLC
Robert Hee is a Managing Director of Canyon Equity LLC, a vertically-integrated private investment
company focused on the acquisition, repositioning, development and ownership of small luxury resorts,
managed by marquis brands in unique destinations around the world. At Canyon Equity, Robert is
responsible for strategic planning, financial underwriting of new investments and administration of the
company including overseeing the finance and accounting functions. Prior to joining Canyon Equity, he
was a Principal on the Real Estate and Lodging Investment Banking platform of Banc of America
Securities in San Francisco. During his nine year tenure there he successfully completed approximately
50 M&A, debt and equity assignments totaling in excess of $20 billion dollars. Robert holds an M.B.A.
from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College and B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of
California, Los Angeles and Stanford University, respectively.
Page 24 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Charles Henry
Hotel Capital Advisers
Chuck Henry founded Hotel Capital Advisers in 1994 to manage the international hotel investment
activities of HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia. Mr. Henry oversees a portfolio of hotel real
estate and operating company investments for Prince Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding Co. with an equity
value in excess of $2 billion. Prominent assets in the portfolio include the Plaza in New York, the Savoy
Hotel in London, and the Four Seasons George V in Paris. In addition, Mr. Henry serves on the Board
of Directors at Four Seasons Hotels, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, and Movenpick Hotels.
Prior to founding HCA, Mr. Henry spent nine years in investment banking at CS First Boston and
Salomon Brothers, where he was responsible for capital raising, property sales, and merger and
financial advisory assignments in the hotel industry, including the sales of Regent International,
Ramada, Holiday Inns, and Motel 6. Earlier in his career Mr. Henry spent two years on the financial
management faculty of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. Additionally, he worked at
Prudential Insurance in hotel asset management and at Hilton International in operations analysis.
Mr. Henry received a BS in Hotel Administration and an MBA in finance from Cornell University.
Christopher M. Henry
Majestic Hospitality Group
Christopher M. Henry co-founded Majestic Hospitality Group in August 2008. Majestic provides
transformative hotel management and property development consulting services to developers,
financial institutions, owners and operators of luxury or unique hospitality properties.
The focus of Christopher’s career has become the growth and success of Majestic Hospitality Group.
Through his leadership, Majestic has had the opportunity to become a leader in eco and culturaltourism. As small company with an international presence, Majestic has been led by Mr. Henry to work
on projects in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. While harnessing this growth, Majestic is actively
working on the launch of its new branded management company.
Over the years, personal and business experiences have created Mr. Henry’s well-rounded
perspective on the tourism industry. Prior to launching Majestic, Mr. Henry has worked for Prince Hotels
& Resorts, Mauna Kea Resort, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Vista del Sol Health Services, and TS
Architects. While working at Four Seasons, Christopher earned his Associate of Science in food and
beverage management from Le Cordon Bleu. He then received his Bachelor of Science degree in hotel
management at Johnson & Wales University, Denver. Currently, Mr. Henry is also a principal at Senior
Wellness Group and Red Diamond Hospitality.
Jeff Higley
Hotel News Now/STR
Jeff Higley is a 25-year journalism veteran who has specialized in the hotel industry for the past
dozen years. He launched HotelNewsNow.com, a division of Smith Travel Research in September
2008. Prior to joining HotelNewsNow.com and Smith Travel Research in March 2008, Higley served in
various leadership positions for Questex Media Group’s Hotel & Motel Management.
Higley began his career in the newspaper industry and worked as a sportswriter for several mediumsized Midwest newspapers, covering everything from high school basketball to the World Series.
Higley and his wife, Cheryl, have three children: Sarah, Emily and Isabella. They reside in Avon
Lake, Ohio.
Clint W. Hodges
Hodges Ward Eliott
Clint Hodges joined Hodges Ward Elliott (HWE) in January 2007 after graduating from Mercer University
with a business degree. During his first two years at HWE, Clint was a member of the full-service division
and focused on analytics, managing the deal flow process, and assisting in the closing of over a billion in
hotel transactions. In 2009, Clint moved to the select-service team and focuses on deals in the Southeast
that are valued at $20 million or less. Representative transactions of Clint's experience include the
Hawthorne Suites Savannah, GA, the Hampton Inn Newark, NJ, the Hampton Inn College Park, GA, and
the Hampton Inn Raleigh, NC.
Page 25 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Jeffrey A. Horwitz
Proskauer
Jeff is a member of the Corporate Department. He is Chair of the Lodging & Gaming Group and
Head of the Real Estate Private Equity Group.
Jeff has handled virtually every type of transaction involving hotels, from single-property deals to
sales of entire chains. In the past year, he handled transactions valued at more than $6 billion,
including Accor's sale of Motel 6 to Blackstone. He regularly counsels sovereign wealth funds, private
equity funds, developers and major financial institutions. He led our representation of management in
the spin-out of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Special Situations Fund III, a $2.9 billion opportunisitic
private equity real estate fund, and the creation of a new asset management business, Proprium Capital
Partners.
He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research. He is a
director of The New York Hospitality Council, Inc., and teaches at NYU and Cornell. He is regularly
rated in Chambers and Best Lawyers.
Jeff is a graduate of Harvard College and The University of Virginia School of Law.
Jackson Hsieh
Morgan Stanley
Jackson rejoined Morgan Stanley in September 2013 focusing primarily on the firm’s Real Estate
and Lodging clients. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Jackson was Joint Global Head of the Real Estate,
Lodging and Leisure Group at UBS.
Jackson has led transaction teams that have completed over $140bn in M&A transactions; such as
the $37bn restructuring of General Growth Properties – which included a $6.8bn new equity investment
by a group of five investors; a $1.9bn spin-off of the Howard Hughes Corporation; and a $2.3bn public
equity offering, the $25.8bn sale of Hilton Hotels Corporation, $11bn sale of Caesar’s Entertainment,
$9.4bn sale of Centro’s US Shopping Center Platform, $7.1bn merger of CCPT II and Spirit Realty,
$6.8bn acquisition and financing of HCR ManorCare by HCP, $6.6bn sale of CNL Hotels & Resorts,
$5.7bn acquisition of Hilton Group’s hotel division by Hilton Hotels Corporation, $3.9bn sale of Fairmont
Hotel & Resorts and $2.2bn KSL Recreation acquisition by CNL Hospitality.
A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley (1983), Jackson received a master’s degree
from Harvard University (1987). Jackson is currently on the Board of Trustees of the University of
California at Berkeley Foundation and Vice Chairman of the CAL Metro committee in New York. He is
the former Co-Chairman of the Industry Real Estate Financing Advisory Council (IREFAC) and recipient
of the IREFAC Chairman’s Award and was awarded the Jack A. Shaffer Financial Advisor of the Year
Award.
Brian Hughes
Ashford Hospitality Trust
Mr. Hughes joined Ashford's predecessor, Remington Hotel Corporation, in 1995 in a Development
Analyst role. Working in various aspects of the deal team throughout his time at Ashford, he has been
part of the successful IPO of Ashford in 2003 and the subsequent growth from 6 hotels at IPO to the
current portfolio of 120+ properties diversified throughout the US. Brian's current role is Senior Vice
President- Acquisitions & Sales and he is responsible for sourcing, underwriting and recommending
investment opportunities to senior management as well as managing the process for dispositions.
Ashford is currently in acquisition mode and is seeking domestic opportunities for strategic growth as
well as exploring international opportunities that are accretive to the platform.
Page 26 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Kyle Jeffers
Starwood Property Trust
Kyle Jeffers has 19 years of experience in commercial real estate including loan originations, due
diligence and underwriting, acquisitions and dispositions, asset management, property management,
advisory services and accounting. Kyle joined Starwood Property Trust in October 2010 and is a large
loan banker covering the west coast; he has originated first mortgage and mezzanine loans in excess of
$2.1 billion.
Before joining Starwood, Kyle was a Managing Director at Coastal Capital Partners in San
Francisco, CA, where he originated and managed a debt fund for healthcare related properties. Prior to
Coastal, Kyle was a Senior Vice President with Countrywide Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. in
Los Angeles, CA, where he was one of the top large loan producers for the company with origination
volumes in excess of $4 billion.
From 2000 to 2004, Kyle was a Vice President at Coastal Capital Partners in San Francisco, where
he provided mortgage brokerage and 1031 advisory services for CMBS, bank, construction and land
loans totaling in excess of $500 million.
From 1997 to 2000, Kyle was an asset manager at Nomura Securities' real estate division in New
York. Prior to Nomura, Kyle was the financial controller at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe,
CA, and earlier in his career, Kyle spent three years at PriceWaterhouse, LLP and KPMG Peat
Marwick, LLP in Dallas, TX.
Kyle received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin,
with a major in Accounting.
Stephen Jennings
Monitor Deloitte
Stephen M. Jennings is a Principal of Monitor Deloitte Consulting LLP. Prior to joining Deloitte, Steve
was the Managing Partner and a member of the board of Directors of Monitor’s global professional
services practices.
In his twenty five years of consulting Steve has managed domestic and international projects and
relationships in a wide variety of industries. He has done extensive work in financial services,
consumer products, primary metals and travel, hospitality and leisure. In the hospitality field he has
served as the senior advisor to the executive teams of leading global hospitality companies working on
corporate strategy, SG&A rationalization, organizational effectiveness, marketing effectiveness and
loyalty, sales effectiveness and innovation.
Steve received a B.A. Oxon from Oxford University, where he studied PP&E as a Marshall Scholar.
He earned his undergraduate B.A., summa cum laude, at Dartmouth College in Economics.
He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of New Profit, Inc., and a Trustee of the Rivers
School.
Dave Johnson
Aimbridge Hospitality
Dave Johnson oversees the management of Aimbridge’s entire portfolio consisting of over 185
hotels and over $650 million in annual revenue. Through his dedication and leadership, Aimbridge is
already being recognized as one of the fastest growing hotel management companies in the United
States. Aimbridge Hospitality’s portfolio includes assets under ownership and management from
Marriott, Hilton, Starwood and Hyatt Hotels.
Prior to joining Aimbridge, he spent 17 years at Wyndham International helping them grow from 10
hotels to over 200 at the time of his departure. While at Wyndham, Johnson served in various
capacities including Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer and President of Wyndham
Hotels, overseeing approximately 15,000 employees and responsible for approximately 1.5 billion
dollars in annual revenue.
Mr. Johnson received his bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University in Business
Economics, graduating with highest honors. Mr. Johnson currently serves on several Boards of
Directors including: The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, Meeting Professionals
International, and Active International, and was recently on the Board of Directors for Gaylord
Entertainment (GET-NYSE). Johnson serves on the Hilton Owners Council, is Chairman of the
Doubletree Brand Advisory Board and was most recently named to Starwood’s Real Estate
Development Advisory Board. In 2003, he was named as one of the 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in
Hospitality Sales & Marketing by HSMAI.
Page 27 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Nancy Johnson
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
As executive vice president, Midscale Development, Americas, Nancy Johnson oversees business
development efforts for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s midscale brands in the Americas including
Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM and Park Inn by Radisson.
Johnson was recently inducted as chair of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA)
board of directors for 2012. She is the founding chair of the Women in Lodging Council for the AH&LA.
Johnson also serves on the board of directors of the International Hotel and Restaurant Association and
has been named one of the 200 Most Powerful Women in Travel by Travel Agent magazine.
Johnson serves on the board of directors for The Travel Partnership Corporation (TTPC), a
consortium of travel industry organizations representing all key segments of the industry. The
organization enables the travel industry to have its own dedicated domain on the Internet.
Johnson attended St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn., majoring in business marketing and
St. Benedict College in St. Joseph, Minn., where she studied business management. She became a
Certified Hotel Administrator in 1985 and received her Minnesota Real Estate License in 1988.
John R. Karver
CBRE Hotels
John Karver is the senior most member of the Midwest regional hotel brokerage practice for CBRE
Hotels. Since joining the company in early 1997, John has been the lead broker on the successful sale
of approximately 150 hotel and resort assets totaling over $1 Billion; specializing in large single asset
transactions, portfolio sales, and the pre-sale of new hotel developments throughout North America. His
assignments are most often described as “Unique and/or Complicated” and require highly creative
marketing and a true hands-on approach to ensure success.
Prior to joining CBRE, John was a senior executive at Omni Hotels responsible for expansion of the
Omni brand from 1987 through 1997. He has had a long and successful career in the lodging industry
since mid-1970, acting in both an advisory and acquisition/development capacity in addition to hotel
brokerage over the past 16 years.
Phil Keb
Commune Hotels & Resorts
Phil is leading the international expansion efforts of Commune by overseeing all aspects of new
business development—from site selection to financing and everything in between—for all of the
company’s individual brands. In addition to the development team, Phil also oversees the design,
technical services, and project management teams. Phil has a rich 25-year history in hotel development
spanning many countries. Most recently, he was Executive Vice President, Resort Development at
Kiawah Development Partners. He also led development efforts for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company for
a decade, as well as for Hyatt and the Capella Hotel Group (formerly West Paces Hotel Group). Phil is
based in Atlanta.
Richard M. Kelleher
Pyramid Hotel Group
Richard (Rick) M. Kelleher has founded two hospitality companies in his career and led a total of
five. Pyramid Hotel Group (Pyramid), which Kelleher is principal and CEO, is the second of his startups. Pyramid is comprised of a portfolio of 60+ lodging properties under management or asset
management, including the Boston Harbor Hotel.
Pyramid, as published by Hotel Management Magazine in 2012, is the 2nd largest management
company in the USA. In 1983, Kelleher co-founded Beacon Hotel Corporation, a Boston-based hotel
development and management firm that grew to 40 properties in four years. He is former CEO of
Doubletree Hotels and former chairman of the Board of Trustees of Legacy Hotels REIT Canada. Mr.
Kelleher received his BS from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and his MS from Purdue
University.
Page 28 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Sandra Kellman
DLA Piper
Sandra Kellman is global co-chair of DLA Piper's Hospitality and Leisure practice. She concentrates
her practice on commercial real estate development and finance, focusing on acquisition, disposition,
development, management and financing of hotels and mixed use projects, representing owners and
brands in single property and complex portfolio transactions. She works on projects throughout the
United States and abroad, including the Middle East.
Ms. Kellman has been recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business,
which praises her as "a fabulous lawyer" who is "practical, pragmatic and effective." One commentator
notes, "Sandy is extraordinarily experienced and she will get the deal done. If I need someone with
creative solutions on complex matters she is terrific."
Ms. Kellman is also recommended by Legal 500. She has been selected as one of Real Estate
Forum's Women of Influence, and has been named a Top 50 Women Real Estate-Related Lawyer in
Illinois by the Leading Lawyer Network.
Ms. Kellman writes and speaks frequently on real estate development topics. She co-chairs DLA
Piper's Global Real Estate Summit. Ms. Kellman is on the planning committee and regularly speaks at
the ALIS Hotel Investment Conference. She is a guest lecturer at the McCombs School of Business.
Greg Kennealey
KSL Capital Partners
Mr. Kennealey joined KSL Capital Partners as a Portfolio Manager in 2011 after serving as Vice
President of Asset Management for Strategic Hotels & Resorts. During his five years at Strategic, he
was responsible for an international portfolio of hotels located in London, Paris, Prague, Hamburg, San
Diego, and Chicago. From 2003 until 2006, he was an Asset Manager at LaSalle Investment
Management, overseeing a diverse portfolio of office, industrial, multifamily, and parking properties. He
was also actively involved in the acquisition process, participating in the purchase of over $1 billion of
real estate in the United States and Canada. Prior to LaSalle Investment Management, Mr. Kennealey
held leadership positions at IBM Global Services Strategy Consulting Group and Forrester Research.
Mr. Kennealey has a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.B.A from The Kellogg School of
Management at Northwestern University.
Douglas A. Kessler Ashford Hospitality Trust Douglas A. Kessler is the President of both Ashford Hospitality Trust (NYSE: AHT) and Ashford
Hospitality Prime (NYSE: AHP). He is currently on the Board of Directors of AHP, and was previously
on the Board of Directors of AHT. Mr. Kessler has spearheaded virtually all of Ashford's key initiatives
including: investments, sales, capital market activities, property financing, corporate credit facilities,
joint ventures, and strategic direction.
Previously, Mr. Kessler served as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Acquisitions for Ashford
Hospitality Trust. Mr. Kessler was a Managing Director of the Company’s predecessor before leading
Ashford’s initial public offering. Prior to that time, Mr. Kessler spent approximately 10 years with
Goldman Sachs’ Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds where he asset managed more than $11 billion of
real estate and served on the Board or Executive Committee of several companies. Mr. Kessler has
approximately 30 years experience in real estate strategy, investments, sales, finance, asset
management, and capital markets.
Mr. Kessler earned his MBA and BA from Stanford University.
Page 29 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Brian J. King
Marriott International
Brian King is the Global Brand Officer for Marriott Endorsed Brands at Marriott International. In this
role, Brian has overall responsibility for brand positioning, long range strategy, marketing
communications and product development for the diverse portfolio of brand’s carrying the Marriott
name. Brian has led senior level management teams through many high-profile and dynamic projects
including the global repositioning of Courtyard by Marriott, the creation and launch of MOXY HOTELS
and most recently the launch of AC Hotels by Marriott in the United States which is expected to debut in
mid-2014.
Joining Marriott in 1993, Brian has held multiple positions across the company in both the market
and headquarters roles, including in Revenue Management, Reservations, Operations, Sales and
Marketing. Previously, he held roles in Operations Management for the Six Flags Corporation and held
multiple positions with Allen & O’Hara, LLC’s hospitality management division. Brian is a distinguished
speaker and panelist at many industry conferences including Association of National Advertisers,
Western Lodging Conference, Americas Lodging Investment Summit, NYU Hotel Investment
Conference, and Interactive Advertising Business Mixx meeting. He has been a contributor to highprofile media outlets such as USA Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Time
Magazine along with a host of hospitality industry publications.
Brian has a B.A. in Marketing Communications from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, WI
and has completed executive education at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern
University and the School of Hotel Management at Cornell University.
Rick S. Kirkbride
Paul Hastings LLP
Rick Kirkbride represents real estate development companies, institutional lenders, investment
banks, opportunity funds and other capital providers, owners and operators. His practice encompasses
the development, acquisition and sale, finance, leasing, operation, licensing, roll-up, foreclosure,
workout and restructuring of hotels, condo-hotels, resorts, branded condominiums, private residence
clubs and timeshare projects, spas, restaurants, casinos, golf courses, tennis stadiums, theme parks,
and other hospitality based entertainment properties and businesses in North America, Latin America,
the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Mr. Kirkbride speaks on various hospitality topics at seminars and conferences throughout the world.
He is founder and chair of UCLA Extension and UCLA Richard S. Ziman Center for the Real Estate
Conference and has been an instructor for UCLA Extension on Hospitality Law. He also serves as
General Counsel to and a member of the Planning Committee of the American Lodging Investment
Summit; is a member of ULI and is Vice President at Large of its Hotel Development Council; and is a
member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants. He has been repeatedly named one of
only three lawyers within “Band 1” of the list of “Leaders in their Field” for the Leisure & Hospitality
(National) category in Chambers USA, and has also been repeatedly named by the Los Angeles and
San Francisco Daily Journals as one of the Top 100 Lawyers and one of the top 25 real estate lawyers
in the state, in the State of California.
David Kong
Best Western International
David Kong is a hospitality industry leader with more than three decades of experience and an
impressive track record of success.
Since he was named President & CEO in 2004, he has guided Best Western International through a
brand resurgence. In recent years, Best Western has won numerous awards for its training, social
media and ecommerce initiatives. TTG Asia has named Best Western the best midscale hotel chain for
the past six consecutive years.
Prior to joining Best Western, Kong held leadership positions with other hotel brands, including
Hyatt, Omni and Hilton. Kong has also worked for KPMG Consulting. He was the Chairman of the
Board of the American Hotel & Lodging Association in 2010 and was appointed to the United States
Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board for three years. He is a recipient of
many awards recognizing his contributions to the industry.
Page 30 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Cristina Lanao-Rossel
The BDC Group
Cristina Lanao-Rossel has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 15 years. She is
President of The BDC Group, focusing on doing business development throughout the Latin
America/Caribbean region on behalf of consulting firms working in the hospitality industry.
Previously, Ms Lanao-Rossel was Director of Business Development for the prestigious global
design firm WATG. In this position, she played a key role creating project opportunities in Latin America
and the Caribbean. Before that, she was Director of Marketing and Business Development for OBM
International, which she successfully positioned from a Caribbean-based architectural firm to a major
international resort design consultancy.
Ms. Lanao-Rossel graduated from Florida International University with Bachelor’s degree in
Business Administration, Marketing and International Business. She is a member of the Women
Leaders of Hospitality Development and a member of the advisory boards for hotel investment
conferences CHRIS for the Caribbean region and HOLA for Latin America. Ms. Lanao-Rossel has
traveled the world extensively and has lived and worked in Bogotá, São Paulo, Barcelona, Paris and
currently resides in Miami, Florida, USA.
Guy Langford
Deloitte
Guy is an accounting principal in the Deloitte M&A Transaction Services practice with over 24 years
of public accounting experience. Based in New York, Guy is Deloitte’s National M&A Real Estate
Leader and has worked on some of the largest and most complex real estate and hospitality
transactions in recent years including both domestic and cross border transactions in the public and
non-public arenas. Guy is the National AERS Real Estate Advisory Leader for Deloitte, focused on a
provision of a myriad of accounting and advisory services to both Real Estate clients and clients with
significant holdings of commercial Real Estate.
Guy has extensive experience in advising both financial sponsors and corporate buyers on due
diligence, accounting structuring matters, financial and operating aspects of transactions. He also works
closely with many real estate and hospitality participants on post-transaction activities, including
integration efforts to ensure maximum transaction value is secured and well as consideration of various
exit strategies including sale and IPO processes.
Guy has worked with a number of prominent real estate and hospitality investors including Apollo
Real Estate Advisors, Blackstone Real Estate Partners, Lazard Real Estate Investors, Marriott
International, Starwood Capital and Rockwood Capital Corporation.
Originally from Australia where he received his bachelors of Commerce at the University of
Melbourne, he is both a Chartered Accountant (Australia) and a licensed CPA (USA).
Mark Lanspa
Wells Fargo
Mark is an Executive Vice President with Wells Fargo Commercial Real Estate’s Hospitality Finance
Group, where he is responsible for hospitality clients based in New York City and London.
The Hospitality Finance Group provides debt products and financial services to leading public and
private hotel companies and owners throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Mark has more than 25 years of real estate finance experience and joined Wells Fargo in February
2012. Previously, Mark was a Managing Director at Credit Suisse, was Principal at Oasis Real Estate
Partners, a real estate debt advisory firm, and held positions at Goldman Sachs and GE Capital.
Mark earned a BS degree in accounting from Georgetown University and an MBA from Columbia
University.
Mark is active in numerous professional and community organizations such as Urban Land Institute,
Student Sponsor Partners, and he currently serves on the boards of the Real Estate Lenders
Association, where he is a past President, God’s Love We Deliver, where he serves as the Treasurer,
and the Alumni Council of Mount Michael Benedictine High School, Elkhorn, Nebraska.
Page 31 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Antonio Lariño
Rockwood Capital
Tony is Managing Director and Head of Hotel Investments for Rockwood Capital, with responsibility
for both acquisitions and asset management. Rockwood, a real estate investment firm with offices in
White Plains, NY, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, manages a portfolio of approximately $7.0 billion
of gross real estate value. Rockwood’s hotel portfolio consists of over 30 hotels ranging from
beachfront resorts to center city select service hotels.
Prior to joining Rockwood, Tony Lariño was a Managing Director with Westmont Hospitality where
he oversaw one of Westmont’s largest portfolio companies, consisting of 11 luxury hotels with over
6,000 rooms in the U.S. and Canada. From 2001 to 2008, Tony held various positions at Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, most recently as Senior Vice President of Americas Development, where
he led the growth of Starwood’s Westin, Sheraton and Le Meridien brands in North America and Latin
America. Tony also served as Starwood’s Senior Vice President of International Investments and Vice
President of Corporate Development.
Prior to joining Starwood, Tony was a Vice President of
Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley, where he completed merger & acquisition and financing
transactions on behalf of clients across all property types. Tony holds a BA from New York University
and a MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Richard Larson
TMI Hospitality
Rick Larson has served as president of TMI Hospitality since 2006. In this role, he oversees all
aspects of operations and development, as well as serving on the Board of Directors. He has also
served as the chairman of the board. Previously, Rick has been the senior vice president of TMI
Development, and as such, was responsible for all facets of hotel development and renovations as the
company grew through the development phases of more than 400 properties across the United States.
He began his career with Tharaldson Development Company in 1993 as the manager of the land
acquisition and finance departments. Prior to his hospitality career, he was a teacher and coach in the
Moorhead (Minn.) Public School system. He received his bachelor of science degree in education from
Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Matt LeMaster
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Matthew LeMaster is a partner with Davis Wright Tremaine. He leads the firm’s mergers and
acquisitions practice group, focusing his practice on business transactions, corporate governance, real
estate, and finance matters for the hospitality industry, particularly hotels and resorts. Matt has
represented hotel owners in connection with establishing and franchising their brand as well as in
strategic acquisitions, disposition of hotel properties, and a broad variety of hotel financing transactions.
Matt also acts as the outside general counsel to hotel owners and operators rendering counsel on the
day-to-day challenges they face.
Matt’s clients include Red Lion Hotels, Ace Group International, and Coast Hotels.
Matt earned his J.D. from University of Washington, and his B.S. from University of Oregon.
Ben Leahy
Goldman Sachs
Ben is head of the Lodging Group in the Investment Banking Division. He is active in strategic
advisory transactions and capital raising activities for companies in the lodging, ski and golf sectors.
Ben joined Goldman Sachs in 2006 in San Francisco and moved to New York in 2008. He became a
vice president in 2006 and was named managing director in 2008.
Prior to joining the firm, Ben was a principal at Bank of America Securities in the Real Estate
Investment Banking Group. He also worked as a consultant for Wharton Econometric Forecasting
Associates.
Ben earned a BA in History from Georgetown University.
Page 32 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Teresa Y. Lee
HVS
Teresa Y. Lee graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Hotel Administration and Minor in
Real Estate Finance in 2011. Upon graduation, she joined HVS in the New York office as a Consulting
& Valuation Analyst. She has been interviewed regarding Millennials on CNN Business Traveller and
her research and articles have been featured in various hospitality outlets such as Hotel News Now,
4Hoteliers, and Hotel Interactive. She will be starting her MBA at Columbia Business School next fall.
Bob Loewen
Wyndham Hotel Group
As executive vice president and chief operating officer for Wyndham Hotel Group (WHG), Bob
Loewen is responsible for managing the company’s global operations and overseeing its management
company, contracts administration, compliance, property openings and quality assurance.
Previously, Loewen was WHG’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, responsible for
financial reporting, forecasting and planning, mergers and acquisitions, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance,
business development investments and IT functions. In April 2011, he also became responsible for
international operations and development.
From 2001 to August 2002, Loewen served as WHG’s vice president, corporate audit, overseeing
the financial audit process and assisting with the implementation of the company’s global risk
assessment process. He joined the company in April 2000 as director, corporate audit.
Earlier in his career, Loewen was division controller for Becton Dickinson’s Healthcare Consulting
Division in Franklin Lakes, N.J., where he managed the integration of newly acquired businesses into
the Becton Dickinson financial reporting process. He previously served Becton Dickinson as manager,
internal audit and has also held several corporate controller and accounting positions for New Jerseybased companies.
Loewen, a certified public accountant, received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the
University of Delaware. He is based in WHG’s Parsippany, N.J., offices.
Katherine Lugar
AH&LA
Katherine Lugar is president and chief executive officer of AH&LA. As the head executive of the
largest trade association representing the U.S. lodging industry, Lugar implements and directs AH&LA's
services and works directly with the volunteer officers and board of directors in determining the direction
of the industry. She also sees AH&LA’s two affiliate organizations, the American Hotel & Lodging
Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) and the Educational Institute (EI).
Lugar comes to AH&LA with 20 years’ experience in private sector public affairs and on Capitol Hill.
She previously served as executive vice president, public affairs, with the Retail Industry Leaders
Association (RILA). While there, she was principal contact for the federal government affairs team and
political outreach program and positioned RILA as the premier organization on the retail industry’s core
priorities, including workforce, healthcare, tax, trade, supply chain issues, asset protection, and credit
and finance issues. She was also principal contact for the association’s government affairs committee,
and was instrumental in doubling the size of the Retail Leaders PAC.
Before joining RILA, Lugar was vice president of federal government relations for Travelers
Insurance, serving as the company’s chief representative before Congress and the administration. She
has also served as vice president of legislative and political affairs at the National Retail Federation,
where she led efforts to update decades-old overtime regulations, championed bankruptcy reform
legislation into law and supervised the association’s political and grassroots outreach programs. Lugar’s
career in Washington began on the staff of Indiana Congressman Tim Roemer.
Lugar is a graduate of The University of Colorado - Boulder.
Page 33 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Mark Lunt
Ernst & Young LLP
Mr. Lunt brings over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry to Ernst & Young and is an
active advisor to developers, owners, operators, private equity funds, lenders and governments in all
aspects of the hospitality, leisure and tourism industries. This experience includes market analysis,
restructuring, litigation support, operator selection, financial analysis, valuation, operational diagnostics,
strategic planning, and transaction due diligence.
Mr. Lunt leads E&Y’s efforts in providing hospitality and real estate advisory services for the U.S.
Southeast Area, Caribbean and Latin American region. Major recent engagements included a detailed
restructure analysis of regional demand characteristics to advise the lender on go-forward alternatives
on major components of a large mixed-use resort, acquisition due diligence for the purchase of multiple
luxury & all inclusive hotels in the US and Latin America, analyses of supply and demand characteristics
for lodging, vacation ownership, golf and residential components as well as strategic guidance on
development & exit strategy, phasing, and critical success factors related to mixed-use resort
development in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, South Florida, the Bahamas, Caribbean and
throughout the United States.
Mr. Lunt has led advisory projects involving all types of hospitality assets, including hotels, vacation
ownership, mixed-use resorts, condominium-hotels, golf courses, marinas, convention facilities and
tourist attractions. He has focused his activities on transaction due diligence and strategic development
consulting. A graduate of Cornell University and serves as Chair of ULI’s Recreational Development
Council, Mr. Lunt is the author of many articles, is often quoted in industry and trade publications, and is
an experienced speaker and lecturer on real estate and hospitality issues. He serves on several
industry organizations and is considered an expert in operations, marketing and development of hotels,
resorts, vacation ownership and other recreational real estate.
Thomas R. Magnuson
Magnuson Worldwide
Thomas Magnuson is co founder and CEO of Magnuson Worldwide, headquartered in London UK
and Spokane, WA. As the world's largest hotel services organisation, Magnuson Worldwide’s holdings
include Global Hotel Exchange, CRS1 and Magnuson Hotels-the world’s largest independent hotel
group.
With global activities in distribution technology, representation, branding and marketing for 120,000
hotels across 200 countries, Magnuson’s key focus is low cost marketing, branding and distribution
across worldwide reservation networks.
Co-founded with his wife Melissa in 2003 as a low cost alternative to hotel franchising, Magnuson
Hotels today represents nearly 2000 independently owned hotels and is a top 10 global hotel chain.
Magnuson Hotels was the #1 Hotel Company of Inc. Magazine’s 2009 annual ranking of the 5,000
fastest growing privately owned U.S. companies. Its Magnuson Hotels Premier Collection provides full
branding services to 130 hotels across three Magnuson brands; Magnuson Grand Hotels, Magnuson
Hotels and M Star Hotels.
Thomas Magnuson is a Graduate of Harvard Business School, Pepperdine University School of
Business and Tufts University. Past board positions have included the Executive Marketing Committee
of Best Western International and HEDNA Board of Directors. Thomas and his family divide their time
between London, Canada and the US.
Page 34 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Kevin E. Mallory
CBRE Hotels
Kevin Mallory is Senior Managing Director and Americas Practice Leader for CBRE Hotels. In this
position, Mallory oversees CBRE’s activity in the lodging sector including: transaction, asset
management, advisory, and capital market services.
Prior to joining CBRE Hotels, Mr. Mallory was Senior Vice President of Hyatt Development
Corporation. In that capacity, he was responsible for all acquisition and investment activity, investment
management, business development, and property development for the company.
Mr. Mallory was a Principal with Lend Lease Real Estate Investments prior to working at Hyatt. He
was responsible for all lodging related capital transactions as well as the company’s asset management
function.
Before joining Lend Lease, Mr. Mallory was a founding executive and COO at Starwood Lodging
Corporation where his responsibilities ranged from the development of new business ventures to
providing strategic and daily oversight for the corporation. Mr. Mallory also worked for Westin Hotels &
Resorts, VMS Realty Partners, and lodging industry consultants Laventhol & Horwath.
Warren J. Marr
PwC
Warren Marr is a Managing Director at PwC, with a specialization in the hospitality and leisure
sector. He has over 30 years experience in both the operations and consulting aspects of the
hospitality and leisure industries. Mr. Marr leads many of the larger hospitality and leisure advisory
engagements across the country, with a focus on strategy and business planning, portfolio transaction
analyses, and market positioning and repositioning. Additional areas of expertise include lease
structuring, management oversight, site evaluation, project concept development, valuation analyses,
contract analysis and support, and casino gaming advisory services.
Mr. Marr is member of the Counselors of Real Estate and Vice Chair - Membership of the Urban
Land Institute's Hotel Development Council.
He is a frequent industry spokesperson, having appeared on CNN, CNN Headline News and CNBC,
and is frequently quoted on hospitality industry issues by numerous news services, including Reuters
and Associated Press, and in various news publications, including the New York Times, USA Today,
and Business Week, as well as industry trade journals. He has authored articles for Lodging Magazine,
Hotel Management, and Convene Magazine. He also oversees the Firm's quarterly publication of
Manhattan Lodging Index, and is editor of the Firm's quarterly publication, Hospitality Directions US.
Daniel GM Marre
Perkins Coie LLP
Daniel Marre's practice is focused in the areas of real estate transactions and development, with
emphasis on international real estate and hotel transactions. He has significant experience with all
facets of the commercial property industry (hotel, office and retail), including acquisitions, dispositions,
construction, development, financing and leasing. Daniel has spent extensive time on the acquisition,
development and financing of hotel properties throughout the world (in particular, Central and Eastern
Europe, and the Caribbean), as well as negotiation of hotel management agreements with some of the
world’s largest hotel management companies. Daniel is nationally ranked in Chambers USA as a
leading lawyer in Leisure & Hospitality.
Lee McCabe
Facebook
Lee is the Head of Travel at Facebook where he is responsible for how Facebook thinks about and
works with travel marketers. As head of Facebook¹s global travel marketing industry efforts, he plays a
lead role in developing the holistic strategy for the travel industry overall. Prior to joining Facebook, Lee
was Senior Director of Market Management for Expedia. During his five years at Expedia, he was
responsible for managing hotel partner strategy and relationships across several regions including US,
Canada, Asia Pacific and Oceania. He has also held roles with eBay, Telstra and Warner Music. Lee
holds a Master of Arts in Media from Sheffield Hallam University and a Masters of Business
Administration from Warwick Business School.
Page 35 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Tom McConnell
Cushman & Wakefield
Tom McConnell is the Head of C&W Global Hospitality, where his primary responsibilities include
hotel real estate transaction advisory, brokerage, investment advisory, asset management and other
related services. Tom joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2005 as a Senior Managing Director to establish
the Hotel Transactions Group. His experience in the hospitality industry spans two decades, and he has
held advisory and consulting roles in numerous market and economic analyses of hotel investments,
valuation, management contracts, finance and hotel company transactions.
Over his 20-year career, Tom has been involved in numerous hotel transaction and consulting
engagements related to investment advisory, finance, operations consulting, workouts and brokerage.
He has worked with virtually all of the major, international hotel companies including Four Seasons
Hotels and Resorts, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Marriott
International. He also counts various Wall Street firms and investors as clients, including Credit Suisse,
UBS, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan Chase and others. Tom received an
undergraduate degree from Brown University and a graduate degree from the Cornell University School
of Hotel Administration.
Joseph A. McInerney
McInerney Hospitality International
Joseph A. McInerney, CHA, is the president & chief executive officer of McInerney Hospitality
International LLC, a full service international consulting practice. McInerney is also emeritus president
and chief executive officer of American Hotel & Lodging Association.
McInerney has over 50 years of experience in the hospitality industry in both the for profit and not for
profit sectors as president of ITT Sheraton’s Franchise Division, and president & CEO of Hawthorn
Suites, Forte Hotels, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, and the American Hotel & Lodging
Association.
Throughout his career, McInerney has been a change agent – growing brands, creating earning
streams, increasing profits, enhancing brand image, and significantly improving employee morale at the
companies and associations he managed.
McInerney’ s extensive international experience living in Asia, working in Moscow, and the
numerous lectures he has delivered at educational institutions and events around the world provide him
with a global prospective and a greater understanding of the various business models as well as cultural
diversity sensitivities throughout the world.
A United States Army veteran, McInerney is an honor graduate of Boston College as well as a
Certified Hotel Administrator via the Educational Institute (EI), an affiliate of AH&LA. McInerney has
been recognized with several industry awards throughout his career.
Michael G. Medzigian
Watermark Capital Partners
Michael G. Medzigian is Chairman and Managing Partner of Watermark Capital Partners, a real
estate investment management firm, and he is also President, CEO and a Director of Carey Watermark
Investors Inc., a publicly-registered Real Estate Investment Trust. He has led some of the world’s
largest real estate private equity funds and has overseen over $14 billion of investments. He was
previously President and CEO of Lazard Freres Real Estate Investors, overseeing the repositioning of
an opportunity fund operation with five equity funds, $3 billion of committed capital and a $7 billion
portfolio of holdings in 12 operating companies in the office, industrial, retail, lodging, senior living,
homebuilding, multifamily, condominium, land, mezzanine lending and net lease sectors. He was
previously a Founding Partner of Olympus Real Estate Corporation, the real estate fund management
affiliate of Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst, which during his tenure invested over $3 billion in a broad range
of real estate holdings. Earlier in his career he was President of Cohen Realty Services, he founded
and was National Director of the Hospitality Consulting Practice at Deloitte & Touche, and he held
various management positions with Marriott Corporation. He has served on numerous public and
private boards and is a graduate of Cornell University.
Page 36 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Suzanne R. Mellen
HVS
Suzanne R. Mellen is the Senior Managing Director of Consulting & Valuation and Gaming Services
for HVS San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles offices. HVS is a full-service valuation and
advisory firm focusing on hotel, gaming, and hospitality-related properties worldwide.
Nationally recognized for her industry expertise, Ms. Mellen specializes in complex hotel and casino
feasibility issues. Over the course of her 35 year career, she has appraised thousands of hotels, gaming
assets, and related real estate throughout the world; has authored numerous articles; and is a frequent
lecturer and expert witness.
Ms. Mellen recently led the valuation of several high-profile multi-billion dollar hotel portfolios. She
has developed innovative appraisal methodologies: a mortgage-equity income capitalization formula for
variable income properties, a refinancing model for hotel investments, and a methodology for valuing
the real property component of casinos. She also authored the chapter on Hotel Valuation for the book
Hotel Investments – Issues & Perspectives, Fifth Edition, recently published by the AH & LA.
Ms. Mellen has a B.S. degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University and holds the following
designations: MAI (Appraisal Institute), CRE (Counselor of Real Estate), FRICS (Fellow of the Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors), and ISHC (International Society of Hospitality Consultants).
James T. Merkel
Rockbridge
As President and CEO of Rockbridge, Mr. Merkel is responsible for establishing the strategic
direction and managing the affairs of the firm, and is actively involved in the firm's capital markets,
investment origination, and investment management activities. He also chairs the firm's Investment
Committee and is a member of the Investment Management Committee, which has responsibility for
strategic decisions related to Rockbridge's hotel investments. Mr. Merkel has been instrumental in
establishing Rockbridge as a premiere private equity firm focused on the hospitality sector, having
formed and managed 10 hospitality funds and facilitated the firm’s growth to over $1.5 billion in assets
under management.
Prior to Rockbridge's formation, Mr. Merkel was an executive with the firm's predecessor, the Real
Estate Investment Group of Banc One Capital Markets, Inc. (now JPMorgan Chase). While there, Mr.
Merkel and Rockbridge's other founders formed and managed four closed-end, hospitality-focused real
estate funds.
Mr. Merkel currently serves or has served on industry boards such as the Starwood North American
Advisory Council, Sheraton Franchise Advisory Board, Lodging Industry Investment Council, and
Hunter Hotel Conference Advisory Board. In addition to serving on industry boards, Mr. Merkel is a
featured speaker at many industry events and has been a regular columnist for Hotel and Motel
Management magazine. He is also an active member of his local business and civic community,
serving on various boards including the Key Bank Regional Advisory Board and Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Central Ohio (BBBS), receiving the 2010 Milton Lewin Award for outstanding leadership and
contributions to BBBS.
Mr. Merkel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Michigan.
Ted Middleton
Hilton Worldwide
Ted Middleton was named Senior Vice President for Hilton Worldwide in 1996. His responsibilities
include overseeing the managed and franchised development of Hilton’s family of brands in Latin
America and the Caribbean. He also assists Hilton Grand Vacations Company with timeshare
development.
Prior to joining Hilton, Mr. Middleton served as Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Finance for
Host Marriott Corporation where he successfully completed numerous hotel financings, acquisitions and
dispositions. He also managed, as owner’s representative, the construction and completion of three
hotels.
Middleton joined the Marriott Corporation in 1986 as Director of Feasibility and Market Planning. He
later served as Regional Vice President of Development for Residence Inns where he supervised field
offices responsible for Residence Inn development in the Western United States and as Vice President
of Project Finance.
Middleton has a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from LeMoyne College and his MPS
degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.
Page 37 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Stephen K. Miller
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
®
Stephen K. Miller is Senior Vice President, Development, for the Wyndham Hotel Group,
®
responsible for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts upper upscale brands in the United States, Canada and
the Caribbean, and the newly acquired TRYP® brand. As one of its original team members in 1999, Mr.
Miller was responsible for the Wyndham brand’s strategic growth throughout the U.S. and was
instrumental in securing most of Wyndham’s original flagship locations. Mr. Miller returned to
®
®
Wyndham in 2009. Prior to returning to Wyndham , he was Managing Director of DTZ Rockwood’s
Hospitality Investment Services Group. Before DTZ, Mr. Miller was Senior Development Officer at
Strategic Hotels and Resorts, a Public Hospitality REIT, focusing on upscale-luxury hotel acquisitions
and ownership, where he was involved in the acquisition of over $1.0 billion of luxury hotel assets. Mr.
Miller has also held senior positions at other major hospitality firms. Mr. Miller received a B.S. in hotel
business administration from the University of New Hampshire.
Robert J. Morse
IHG
Bob is Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, the Americas region of IHG
(InterContinental Hotels Group) PLC.
Bob is responsible for leading Americas operations for franchised and managed hotels, including
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn Hotels &
Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.
Bob joined IHG in February 2012 from Noble Investment Group; a leading lodging and hospitality
investment organization, where he served as managing principal and chief operating officer.
Prior to joining Noble, Bob was the chief operating officer for Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
Additionally, he has served in senior management positions for Millennium and Copthorne Hotels PLC,
Homestead Suites and with ITT Sheraton Hotels & Resorts overseeing worldwide franchise
organization for the Sheraton and Four Points brands.
Bob began his foray into the hospitality industry at The Flatley Company where he rose through
several positions, including F&B director, general manager, corporate director of operations, and, finally,
president, hotel division.
Bob earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Management from the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst.
Roland Mouly
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Mr. Mouly is overseeing all development activities for the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group in the
Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America. His duties encompass negotiating and structuring agreements
to expend Carlson’s presence in the region (today over 50 hotels) leveraging his contacts with
owners/developers, institutional investors and regional equity funds/REITs as well as directing Carlson’s
investment, key money and loan/guarantees initiatives to seek and secure brand enhancing acquisition,
management and franchise opportunities. He is currently expanding the company in the upper upscale
segment in all major gateways with Radisson Blu, directly managed by Carlson, whilst focussing on an
initiative to establish a network of mid market Park Inn by Radisson hotels in most gateways of Latin
America.
Leveraging his leadership skills he manages and maintains communication between owners,
operators, JV Partners and Carlson to provide services and support to Carlson’s branded hotels in the
region.
Over the last 25 years, Roland has successfully acquired, built and negotiated a number of first class
assets, positioning several prominent international hotel companies as leading operator and franchisor
in various segments (Regent, Radisson Blu, Renaissance, Park Inn, Country Inn, Ramada)
Mr. Mouly is a graduate of Arizona State University, USA and Universite des Sciences Sociales
Toulouse, France, where he respectively obtained an MBA in finance and a Master of Economics. He
is fluent in Spanish, French and proficient in Portuguese.
Page 38 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Craig Mueller
IHG
Craig Mueller is Vice President Development, the Americas, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)
PLC.
In this role, Craig is responsible for the development of hotels under the InterContinental, Crowne
Plaza and Hotel Indigo brands in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean, as well as for the management
contracts of all IHG brands. He also oversees development efforts for all brands in Latin America and
the InterContinental brand in Mexico.
A 28 year industry veteran, Craig has held positions spanning various areas of hospitality real estate
investment. He served as Vice President and then Principal of Lend Lease Real Estate Investments
Hotel division with responsibilities for both hotel asset management and leading acquisitions and
disposition efforts with a hotel portfolio valued at $1 billion. Prior to that, he led the hospitality real
estate consulting practice for Deloitte & Touche in Atlanta. He previously served as the Director and
Assistant Vice President of development for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
Craig is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.
Michael Murphy
Choice Hotels International
Michael Murphy is senior vice president, upscale brands at Choice Hotels International (NYSE:
CHH), one of the world’s largest hotel companies. As leader of the Cambria Suites brand and the
Ascend Hotel Collection, Mr. Murphy leads all aspects of Choice Hotels’ work in the upscale hotel
segment. Mr. Murphy brings a 30 year track record of success in the hospitality industry to Choice
Hotels. He is also an officer of the company.
Mr. Murphy is leading Choice Hotels’ surge into the upscale segment, which has seen the Ascend
Hotel Collection become the company’s fastest growing hotel brand and remarkable growth for the
Cambria Suites brand.
Joining Choice Hotels in 2009, Mr. Murphy previously held the position of senior vice president of
global sales. In this role he led a transformation of the global sales team and the company’s B2B sales,
surpassing annual goals and driving an average of more than $500 million annually in group, corporate
and leisure travel to Choice brand properties. Mr. Murphy held responsibility for leading the company’s
global sales and intermediary marketing efforts in collaboration with the Choice Central Reservations
Systems team, all corporate groups and both the domestic and international brand teams.
Prior to joining Choice Hotels in May 2009, Mr. Murphy served as senior vice president of global
sales for Marriott International, Inc. Prior to assuming this role at Marriott, Mr. Murphy advanced through
several senior sales and marketing roles at Renaissance and Stouffer Hotels
Mr. Murphy holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from the Rochester Institute of
Technology’s (RIT) School of Hotel Tourism Management.
Michael Murphy
First Fidelity Companies
Mr. Murphy serves as Head of Lodging and Leisure Capital Markets of the First Fidelity Mortgage
Corporation and as a director of Ashford Hospitality Prime, listed on the NYSE (AHP) and as a director
of American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol
HOT.UN. From 1998 to 2002 Mr. Murphy served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Development
Officer of ResortQuest International, Inc., a public, NYSE-listed company. Prior to joining ResortQuest,
from 1995 to 1997, he was President of Footprints International, a company involved in the planning
and development of environmentally friendly hotel properties. From 1994 to 1996, Mr. Murphy was a
Senior Managing Director of Geller & Co., a Chicago-based hotel advisory and asset management firm.
Prior to that Mr. Murphy was a partner in the investment firm of Metric Partners where he was
responsible for all hospitality related real estate matters including acquisitions, sales and the company’s
investment banking platform. Mr. Murphy served in various development roles at Holiday Inns, Inc. from
1973 to 1980. Mr. Murphy has been Co-Chairman of the Industry Real Estate Finance Advisory Council
(IREFAC) three times and currently serves on the board of the Atlanta Hospitality Alliance. He also has
served as Lead Director of Ashford Hospitality Trust, listed on the NYSE under the symbol AHT.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Memphis and a Master of Arts degree
from the University of Iowa.
Page 39 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Francis J. Nardozza
REH Capital Partners, LLC
Francis (“Frank”) J. Nardozza is Chairman and CEO of REH Capital Partners, LLC, a national real
estate and hospitality investment and advisory services firm headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Mr.
Nardozza has over 36 years of diversified experience in real estate and hospitality investment, finance,
and consulting. He is recognized nationally and internationally for his work in the areas of mergers and
acquisitions, investment, development, and strategic advisory services in the fields of real estate and
hospitality, and has advised on over $15 billion in real estate and hospitality transactions throughout his
professional career.
Prior to launching REH in 2001, Mr. Nardozza was a partner and served as the National and Global
Real Estate and Hospitality Consulting Practice Leader for KPMG, LLP and KPMG Consulting, Inc.
Mr. Nardozza is the founding Chairperson of the U.S. Lodging Industry Investment Council, and
serves on the Executive Advisory Committee of NYU Hospitality Industry Investment Conference and
the Executive Planning Board of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit. He also active with other
industry programs and forums including the Urban Land Institute, the American Hotel & Lodging
Association, and the American Resort Development Association.
Mr. Nardozza is a member of the Executive Advisory Board of the Real Estate Program of Florida
State University and has established and endowed the “Nardozza Real Estate Scholars Program” at
FSU. Mr. Nardozza is a Trustee of the Florida State University Foundation and in April 2013 was
inducted into the Florida State University College of Business Hall of Fame.
Christopher J. Nassetta
Hilton Worldwide
Christopher J. Nassetta is President and Chief Executive Officer of Hilton Worldwide. He joined the
company in 2007.
Previously, Mr. Nassetta was President and Chief Executive Officer of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., a
position he held since 2000. He joined Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., in 1995 as Executive Vice President
and was elected Chief Operating Officer in 1997.
Before joining Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., Mr. Nassetta co-founded Bailey Capital Corporation in
1991, where he was responsible for the operations of the real estate investment and advisory firm.
Prior to founding Bailey Capital Corporation, he spent seven years at The Oliver Carr Company,
ultimately serving as Chief Development Officer. In this role, he was responsible for all development
and related activities for one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the mid-Atlantic region.
Mr. Nassetta graduated from the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce with a degree in
finance. He currently serves on the McIntire School of Commerce Advisory Board.
David B. Nelson
DRW Holdings
David B. Nelson joined DRW Holdings in May of 2009 to head the newly created Global
Opportunities Group. This entity was created to utilize Mr. Nelson’s fundamental skill set in order to
evaluate and execute on investments across a global market. Mr. Nelson currently heads DRW Real
Estate Investments LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of DRW Holdings which is the holding company for
all real estate investments. Mr. Nelson also runs the Tactical trading book which looks for opportunities
in the liquid trading arena including bonds, equities and options. Since joining DRW, Mr. Nelson has
acquired over 43 properties and sold 5 utilizing 250 million of proprietary capital. The current portfolio
consists of three main strategies: Hotels, Multi-Family Apartments including Student Housing, and
Retail Commercial in urban locations. Prior to joining DRW, Mr. Nelson was a founder of Pentwater
Capital, a hedge fund with $1.3 billion of capital where he ran all credit investment strategies. Mr.
Nelson has been in the hedge fund and portfolio management industry since 1998. Prior to hedge fund
investing, he was a Principal at two Private Equity firms managing over $1.5 billion in equity. Mr.
Nelson began his career at Kidder, Peabody in Mergers & Acquisitions in 1992. Mr. Nelson holds an
MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a BA from Northwestern University. He is also
a Charter Financial Analyst Charter Holder.
Page 40 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Dennis P. Nessler
Hotel Business
Dennis Nessler is the Editor of Hotel Business magazine and has covered the lodging industry for
better than 10 years now as part of his more than 21 years of experience in trade journalism. In his
position, Dennis covers all aspects of lodging, both writing and editing news stories for the magazine as
well as items for HotelBusiness.com, the publication’s website. Dennis is also a Contributing Editor for
Hotel Business Design, a sister publication of Hotel Business specializing in hotel design.
Barry Olson
Goldman Sachs
Barry is a Managing Director of Goldman Sachs and is the Co-head of the Real Estate Credit
Investing group within the Realty Management Division which sources and structures new investments
for the Goldman Sachs Real Estate Mezzanine Partners fund (GSREMP). GSREMP is a $2.6 billion
fund investing in a range of senior and subordinate debt, preferred equity and other high-yield
investments in the real estate industry in connection with acquisitions, refinancing or recapitalizations of
individual properties, portfolios, or real estate operating companies.
Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, he worked in the Commercial Real Estate lending departments of
Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase. At JP Morgan Chase, Barry ran the Commercial Real Estate
Mezzanine and Syndications Group for the Texas operations. He received a BBA from the University of
Wisconsin in 1983 and an MBA from Southern Methodist University in 1991.
Barry is a member of the Urban Land Institute (past chair of a product council), the Dallas Real
Estate Council, and the Business Associates Program at Southern Methodist University.
Bob Olson
R.D. Olson Development
Robert Olson is the founder of R.D. Olson Development, an Irvine, California-based firm engaged in
the development and repositioning of commercial properties nationwide. He established the company in
1997 following nearly 20 years as founder and CEO of R.D. Olson Construction.
Mr. Olson guides the strategic vision for R.D. Olson Development with an active, hands-on approach
toward every facet of construction and development. He works closely with design and development
teams on some of the company's most prestigious projects, providing valuable input for marketing,
investment analysis, debt and equity structures, planning and entitlements, budgeting, constructability
and end-user requirements. R.D. Olson Development is recognized for its ability to identify and act on
opportunities, delivering solid execution through all phases of design and development while
maintaining focus on the business strategy and the bottom line.
The majority of the firm’s developments have occurred in the Western U.S. and Hawaii, though Mr.
Olson has built projects on a nationwide basis. A specialist in developing hospitality properties, the firm
is also experienced in the development of office, retail, multifamily and recreational projects. Mr. Olson’s
longstanding experience as a builder has proven to be highly beneficial for development projects.
Robert Olson has been recognized as a business leader and entrepreneur on numerous occasions.
He is the recipient of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award, Construction Financial
Management Association’s Construction Executive of the Year and the Orange County Business
Journal’s Excellence in Entrepreneurship award. He was recently recognized as a 2012 Hotel Icon by
Real Estate FORUM magazine, and is a frequent speaker at leading industry events.
Page 41 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Alex Ovalle
LoanCore Capital, LLC
Alex Ovalle joined LoanCore in June 2011 and serves as a Managing Director in the company’s Los
Angeles office. Prior to joining LoanCore, Mr. Ovalle was a Principal in OGP, Inc., a debt advisory firm
he co-founded in late 2008. From July 2002 through December 2008, Mr. Ovalle was a managing
director in RBS Greenwich Capital’s real estate finance group where he managed a banking team
originating fixed-rate first mortgages, floating-rate bridge loans, and various forms of subdebt. While at
RBS he originated $2.1 billion in transaction volume. Prior to joining RBS, Mr. Ovalle spent three years
as the head of the Los Angeles office of J.P. Morgan Mortgage Capital, overseeing the company’s
commercial mortgage originations in the western United States, and occupied a similar role before that
as the co-head of the Los Angeles office of Daiwa Real Estate Finance Corp. From 1994 to 1998, Mr.
Ovalle was a senior banker in the Los Angeles office of Nomura Securities’ real estate finance group.
Before beginning his tenure with Nomura, Mr.Ovalle was a Financial Analyst in the Corporate Finance
group of LaSalle Partners. Mr. Ovalle holds an AB in Economics from Harvard College.
Dharmesh Patel
Colliers International
Based in Silicon Valley, Dharmesh Patel serves as the Executive Managing Director of the Colliers
International Hotels USA Group, uniquely specializing in the acquisition and disposition of hotels,
resorts, and gaming properties across the nation.
With over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Dharmesh’ s experience ranges beyond
just acquisition and divesture of hotel assets but also extends to hotel development and management,
new hotel operations, hotel conversion and reconditioning.
In addition to Dharmesh’ s first-hand
knowledge working as a broker, Dharmesh and his family have owned and operated hotels in California
and various other locations throughout the country for over 60 years. Complimentary to his real estate
experience, Dharmesh was trained as a CPA and has a BS in Accounting at Santa Clara University
while also having completed post graduate studies at New York University, Stern School of Business in
the areas of Corporate Valuations, Mergers & Acquisitions.
Throughout his career, Dharmesh has been recognized within the hospitality industry as a top
performer; he has been an active sponsor and frequent panel participant of prominent hospitality
conferences.
Mehul Patel
NewcrestImage
Mehul Patel is characterized by intelligent, innovative, and industry-leading solutions -- both in his
role as Chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and as a principal with
NewcrestImage.
At AAHOA, he leads more than 11,200 members who together own 20,000 hotels with a combined
property value of almost $130 billion. His priorities include bold programs in fair franchising, bank
financing, professional development, and charitable “giving back.”
Mehul arrived in this country from India at age 14 and bought his first business two years later while
still in high school. He increased the sales of that bulk mail company five-fold before selling the firm.
At age 17, Mehul and his brother bought their first hotel based on the opportunities they saw firsthand as their parents worked at a Dallas-area hotel. They renovated, rebranded, and resold the
property, then repeated the process with almost 30 hotels.
In February of 2013, they formed NewcrestImage, a partnership that includes three separate entities
-- a real estate development company, a hotel construction and renovation company, and a hotel
management company. The firm owns and operates 15 hotel properties, with another 15 properties
under construction or in various stages of development.
Mehul is active in the leadership of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the
National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, plus he serves on the LaQuinta Brand
Council and on the board of the IHG Owners Association. He earned his undergraduate degree in
computer information systems at the University of Texas at Arlington.
During his 20 years in the hospitality industry, Mehul Patel has given wings to his dreams and made
them fly. Now as Chairman of AAHOA, he is helping others further their dreams.
Page 42 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Brian Payea
TripAdvisor
Brian Payea is the Head of Industry Relations for TripAdvisor, and is responsible for global
educational and policy outreach to the travel industry. He focuses on strengthening the ties between
TripAdvisor and the hospitality community. His department builds tools for hotel brand management,
hoteliers and other hospitality professionals to leverage the insights available from the wealth of
traveler-contributed information on TripAdvisor and other social media. Brian has more than 30 years of
experience in communications and marketing leadership, and is a member of the HSMAI Americas
board as well as the HSMAI Foundation board and the Lodging Industry Ratings Advisory Council at
AH&LA. He is a frequent speaker on the subject of social media in travel at industry events around the
world.
Brian joined TripAdvisor in 2006. Previously, he led public relations, marketing, government
relations and investor relations at several technology and internet companies.
Daniel C. Peek
HFF
Mr. Peek is a Senior Managing Director and head of the Tampa office of HFF. He is also the leader
of the firm’s hospitality practice group and is primarily responsible for institutional-grade hotel and resort
property transactions throughout North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. During the course
of his career, Mr. Peek has completed nearly $9 billion in investment sale, debt and structured finance
transactions.
Mr. Peek joined the firm in October 2007. Prior to HFF, he was a co-founder and Managing Director
of Regent Street, an affiliate of The Plasencia Group, Inc. (TPG), a boutique firm specializing in sale,
financing and advisory services for distinctive hotels and resorts throughout the Americas. He also
served as Senior Vice President at TPG, handling hotel and resort property transactions in the
Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions. Before TPG, Mr. Peek worked in hotel operations
and consulting, including a variety of management positions with Marriott International and Wiengardner
& Hammons, and as a consultant with HVS International in New York.
Mr. Peek is a full member of the Urban Land Institute, a member of the Hotel Development Council
and a member of the Cornell Hotel Society.
David Pepper
Choice Hotels International
David Pepper is senior vice president, global development for worldwide lodging franchisor Choice
Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH). In this position, he is responsible for driving unit growth for each
of the company’s brands in key markets worldwide. A member of the executive team of Choice Hotels,
he also is an officer of the company.
Mr. Pepper joined Choice in 2002 as vice president of franchise sales and development for the
company’s new construction brands. In 2004, he was promoted to senior vice president of franchise
development for North America. In January 2005, Mr. Pepper served as an integral part of the team that
launched the Cambria Suites brand and in September 2005, he led the company’s acquisition of the
Suburban Extended Stay Hotel brand.
During his tenure at Choice, Mr. Pepper has been responsible for leading franchise sales to record
levels. In 2009, in recognition of his proven track record in driving significant unit growth for the
company, Mr. Pepper was named to his current position as senior vice president, global development.
Prior to joining Choice, Mr. Pepper spent six years with US Franchise Systems as vice president of
franchise sales for Hawthorn Suites and Microtel Inns. He also spent five years with Holiday Inn
Worldwide as a director of franchise sales.
A graduate of Tufts University, Mr. Pepper has 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and
is actively involved in a number of organizations.
Page 43 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Chuck Pinkowski
Pinkowski & Company
Mr. Charles G. Pinkowski, founder of Pinkowski & Company, has over thirty five years of experience
in the hospitality industry both in the field of consulting and national chain hotel development. Since
creating his Memphis based company in 1987, Chuck has provided consulting assistance for his clients
in 46 states. This consultation includes development planning, investment analysis, market feasibility
studies, chain/brand evaluations and litigation assignments for a variety of issues.
Clients who seek consulting assistance from Pinkowski & Company include financial institutions,
hotel companies, management companies, investors, attorneys and real estate investment trusts.
Chuck has been involved in the evaluation, planning and development of destination resorts, convention
hotels, conference centers, extended stay lodging facilities and limited service hotels. The consultation
and advice provided by Pinkowski & Company is objective, candid, and to the point. It is based on
comprehensive research and analysis and many years of experience in the hospitality industry.
A graduate of Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Chuck is a member of the American and
Tennessee Hotel and Lodging Associations and the founding chairman of the International Society of
Hospitality Consultants, an organization of over 2000 professionals worldwide providing professional
consulting to the hotel industry. He also is a frequent speaker at numerous hotel industry conferences
throughout the nation.
Stephen D. Plavin
Blackstone Mortgage Trust
Stephen Plavin is a Senior Managing Director of The Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies Group
and the Chief Executive Officer of Blackstone Mortgage Trust (NYSE: BXMT). Before joining
Blackstone, Mr. Plavin was Chief Executive Officer of Capital Trust, Inc. (predecessor to Blackstone
Mortgage Trust) and CT Investment Management Co., LLC, a commercial real estate debt investment
manager and rated special servicer that was wholly owned by Capital Trust, Inc. and acquired by
Blackstone in December 2012. Prior to joining Capital Trust in 1998, Mr. Plavin was co-head of Global
Real Estate for The Chase Manhattan Bank and Chase Securities Inc. Mr. Plavin received a B.A. from
Tufts University and an M.B.A. from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern
University. He is also a board member of Omega Healthcare Investors and WCI Communities, Inc.
Julie Purnell
Denihan
Julie Purnell joined Denihan in 2012 to lead the expansion of its hotel collection in the western US
through new development, acquisitions, joint venture partnerships and management contracts.
Denihan is focused on expanding to major West Coast markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco,
San Diego, Seattle and Portland and Julie is responsible for identifying and securing opportunities that
will add to The James and Affinia brands and Denihan’s portfolio of independent luxury hotels.
Before joining Denihan, Julie spent six years at Marriott International and successfully expanded
Marriott’s full-service hotel portfolio in key markets in the western US. Prior to joining Marriott, Julie was
Vice President, Development for Loews Hotels and was responsible for expanding the hotel portfolio
into major gateway cities and resort destinations throughout the US.
Julie also served as Vice President, Development for House of Blues, a multi-faceted entertainment
company. Prior to House of Blues, Julie was the Vice President, Strategic Planning & Development for
Kimpton Hotels and was instrumental in the company’s US expansion, more than doubling the company
in size.
Julie began her career at Laventhol & Horwath. A graduate of Washington State University, she
resides in San Francisco.
Page 44 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
John Putrino
BMO Capital Markets
John Putrino is a Managing Director in the Real Estate, Lodging & Leisure group at BMO Capital
Markets. John has over 18 years of investment banking experience providing strategic and financial
advice to companies and financial investors in the hotel, resort, cruise, travel distribution, leisure and
real estate sectors. He has extensive experience in domestic and cross-border mergers & acquisitions,
private placements, leveraged finance, IPOs, joint ventures and equity-linked financings. Prior to joining
BMO Capital Markets, he was Founder & CEO of Sachem Street Capital Advisors, as well as a
Managing Director with both Imperial Capital and Credit Suisse. John joined BMO Capital Markets in
2013.
He has been a speaker at numerous conferences including ALIS, Deloitte & Touche Annual Lodging
Sector Partners Meeting, NYU Hospitality and Yale Alumni Real Estate Association.
John earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (summa cum laude) in Accounting from Pace
University and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Yale University.
Daniel Quan
Cornell University
Daniel Quan joined the School of Hotel Administration as an associate professor of financial
management in the fall of 1999 and in January 2007 became a full professor. His teaching and research
interests include real estate and real estate finance, with a special emphasis on securitization and
structured finance. Prior to his Cornell appointment, Quan was the chief mortgage economist at the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C. He was responsible for monitoring and
reporting on all matters relating to both the primary and the secondary mortgage markets for both the
residential and the commercial sector. Before joining the Federal Reserve Board, he held academic
appointments at the University of Texas, Austin’s McComb School of Business, UCLA’s Anderson
School of Business, University of British Columbia and Uppsala University. Quan attended the
University of British Columbia, the London School of Economics and the University of California at
Berkeley where he received his PhD in business administration in finance and real estate. He serves on
the editorial boards of several academic journals and is a board of director member for the Asian Real
Estate Society. His publications include papers on auction theory, international performance of
commercial real estate, role of information in real estate markets, and the pricing and hedging of risk in
the hospitality industry.
Lalia Rach
UW-Stout School of Hospitality Leadership
Dr. Lalia Rach is Associate Dean of the College of Management and Director of the School of
Hospitality Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin. She is the
former divisional dean and professor at the New York University Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality,
Tourism and Sports Management.
Founder of Rach Enterprises, Lalia is a trusted business consultant, popular moderator, and a
professional keynote speaker. Her messages stand above the rest for their relatable honesty and timely
nature presented in a practical and entertaining manner.
As a keynote speaker, her balanced blend of professional expertise and modern cultural
understanding is always educational and entertaining. As a facilitator of focus groups, panel
discussions, and customer service training she punctuates the professional with the personal, adapting
her approach to fit any organization. As a trusted advisor to executives, she offers unbiased and
straightforward recommendations that often attack the status quo.
With a resume that blends education with an impressive professional background and memberships
in some of the most prestigious and well-respected associations her approach to business issues is
more clearly defined.
Page 45 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Allison Reid
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Allison Reid is Senior Vice President of Development and Acquisitions North America for Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood has a portfolio of nine distinctive and compelling brands St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Westin, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, Le Méridien,
Aloft and Element - and is the world’s largest luxury hotel operator. Ms. Reid joined the company in
2000 and oversees managed and franchised development for all nine Starwood brands. She reports
directly to Simon Turner, President of Global Development, and is a member of the North America
Senior Leadership team.
A seasoned, established business leader with more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality
industry, Reid has held spent the last 10+ years in leadership roles in real estate, development, finance,
operations and branding. These roles include: SVP Global Development – focused on developing
and implementing Starwood’s global development strategy including finding creative financing solutions
for owners and developers; SVP of Real Estate Investment – overseeing Starwood’s global joint
venture and lease positions; VP & CFO of W Hotels during the growth phase and roll-out of related
brands; VP Investor Relations and VP Owner Services. She holds a gaming license from the State of
Nevada and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, W
Montreal, and the Westin Savannah Resort. Prior to Starwood, Reid spent six years at Interstate Hotels
& Resorts Worldwide in various finance and regional roles. She began her career with ITT Sheraton, as
a corporate trainee at the St. Regis New York.
Reid is based at Starwood’s corporate headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.
William H. Reynolds
MCS Capital LLC
Bill Reynolds heads MCS Capital LLC, an affiliate of The Marcus Corporation, (NYSE) in Milwaukee,
WI. He also heads development for Marcus Hotels & Resorts.
The Marcus Corporation formed MCS Capital to expand its focus on value-add lodging investments.
Marcus has more than 50 years of experience with branded and independent upscale properties,
historic hotels, complex resorts and public-private partnerships.
Prior to starting MCS, Reynolds served as Secretary of the College at Trinity College ; Managing
Director and Chief Investment Officer at Thayer Lodging Group; EVP & Chief Investment Officer of
MeriStar Hospitality and SVP Development of Interstate Hotels & Resorts and CapStar Hotel
Company. Reynolds started his career in the hotel industry in 1985 as a principal of Metro Hotels in
Dallas,TX.
Reynolds is a member of the Urban Land Institute Hotel Development Council, He serves on the
board of directors of Carey Watermark Investors. He serves on the ALIS steering committee.
Reynolds graduated from Trinity College in Hartford and served on Trinity’s Board of Trustees (1999
– 2008 and is on the board of directors of The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, MD.. He and his wife, the
Rev. Nancy Lincoln Reynolds, reside in Annapolis, MD.
Struan B. Robertson
Host Hotels & Resorts
Struan B. Robertson joined our company in January 2013. From 1994 to 2012 he held various
positions at Morgan Stanley most recently as co-head of global real estate investment banking. He is a
founding member and former board member of the European Public Real Estate Association, a trustee
of the Urban Land Institute, and a former advisor to the World Economic Forum for Real Estate.
Page 46 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Rachel Roginsky
Pinnacle Advisory Group
Rachel J. Roginsky, ISHC, is a principal, owner, and founder of Pinnacle Advisory Group, a premier
hotel consulting firm with offices in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and Southeast Florida. Over the
past 21 years, Pinnacle Advisory Group has provided advisory services for the hospitality industry
throughout the United States and the Caribbean These services include market and economic feasibility
studies, operational analysis, appraisals, litigation support, due diligence, and asset management.
Pinnacle Advisroy Group employs 12 individuals. Clients include major pension funds, insurance
companies, lenders, REITS, private equity funds, government agencies, and hotel developers.
In addition to her 25 years of consulting experience, Ms. Roginsky has four years of operational and
management experience with Walt Disney World and a major restaurant chain. She is a graduate of
and a regular guest lecturer at The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University is a board
member of the Massachusetts Lodging Association, and an executive board member for the
International Society of Hospitality Consultants. She has written numerous articles in business and
hospitality industry periodicals, and is quoted regularly in newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal,
the Boston Globe, and the NY Times. Ms. Roginsky is also certified as an arbitrator and mediator for
Hospitality Alternative Dispute Resolution. She has co-authored five editions of Hotel Investments, a
book written for the Educational Institute of the AHLA.
Rick Ross
Dentons
Rick Ross is the Global Chair for Dentons’ Hotels and Leisure practice. Regarded as an industry
leader, Rick advises owners, operators, investors and lenders in all aspects of the acquisition, sale,
development, financing and/or operation of hospitality/leisure properties, including hotels, resorts, hotels
with serviced residential condominiums, serviced apartments, convention centers, spas, wellness
facilities, golf courses, and mixed-use projects throughout North, South and Central America; Europe;
the Middle East; Asia; the Caribbean; Australia; and the Pacific Islands.
Rick advises hotel operator clients regarding corporate-level policies and strategies for positioning
their brands, as well as strategies and structuring pertaining to new brand rollouts, and all aspects of
hospitality management and operations.
He is actively involved in assisting our owner/developer clients in identifying, structuring, negotiating
and documenting the capitalization of projects regarding equity investments/joint ventures, mezzanine
and traditional debt financing. He regularly advises clients on complex single or multiple asset
transactions and has significant experience representing both public- and private-sector clients in
public-private partnerships involving hotel projects.
Rick and the practice are consistently ranked National "Band 1" in the Leisure and Hospitality
category by Chambers USA. Under Rick’s leadership, the group is one of the top two ranked Hotels and
Leisure practices in the US, and is regarded as one of the top few in the world.
Dean Savas
Motel 6/Studio 6
Dean Savas is executive vice president of franchise development and management with the goal of
expanding G6 Hospitality brands further internationally and into all North American major markets,
Savas is responsible for these new initiatives and the continued accelerated growth of the franchise
business in the US.
Savas joined G6 Hospitality as a Regional Vice President for Motel 6 in 1992 and was instrumental
in the strategic development, operations and administration for the over 650 open or under development
franchise locations within the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands.
Savas came to G6 Hospitality with over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry with
development and operation of mid-scale, economy and budget hotels in the U.S. Page 47 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Paul D. Scialla
Delos
Paul spent 18 years on Wall Street, most recently the last 10 years as a Partner at Goldman Sachs
where he ran the US Interest Rates Cash Trading businesses, including Government Bond Trading and
Agency Mortgage Trading. Prior to joining Goldman, Paul spent 6 years at Morgan Stanley as the Head
of Mortgage Bond trading. In addition to his roles on Wall Street, Paul’s interest in both altruistic
capitalism and in sustainability led him to found Delos, the pioneer of Wellness Real Estate. He is a
member of the Board of Directors for the Chopra Foundation, and also a founding board member of the
JUST Capital Foundation. Paul graduated from New York University with a degree in Finance, and
currently resides in New York City. Jay Shah
Hersha Hospitality Trust
Jay H. Shah is the Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Trustees of Hersha
Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT). Hersha is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that owns interests in 65
hotels in major urban gateway markets with high barriers to entry including Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Miami and Southern California, totaling 9,616 rooms. Hersha focuses
on owning and operating high quality, upscale, urban transient hotels. The company follows a highly
selective investment approach and creates operational advantage by leveraging rigorous and
sustainable asset management practices.
Mr. Shah is involved in all areas of the business with a particular emphasis on investor relations,
capital transactions and acquisitions. Prior to his role as CEO, Mr. Shah served as the President and
Chief Operating Officer of Hersha Hospitality, as well as the Managing Director of the Hersha Group, a
private affiliate of Hersha Hospitality Trust that provides hotel management, development and
construction management services to hotel owners.
Before joining Hersha, Mr. Shah formed Shah & Byler, LLP, a law firm focusing on real estate and
construction. Mr. Shah was also a consultant for accountancy firm Coopers & Lybrand LLP, and a
legislative assistant to the late Senator John Heinz.
Mr. Shah currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Temple University and the Temple University
Health System, The Episcopal Academy, a co-educational college preparatory school for grades K- 12
and Cornell University Dean’s Advisory Board for the School of Hotel Administration. He is also a Fellow
at the Cornell Center for Real Estate Finance. Mr. Shah is a member of Real Estate Roundtable and of
both the Philadelphia and International Chapters of the Young Presidents Organization. Mr. Shah was
recently named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013, for Greater Philadelphia. In addition, he
joined fellow CEOs from Marriot and Hilton, who were selected as the top three hospitality executives of
the year by Commercial Property Executive magazine.
Mr. Shah received his Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University School of Hotel
Administration, a JD from the Beasley School of Law at Temple University and an MBA from the Fox
School of Business at Temple University.
Neil Shah
Hersha Hospitality Trust
Neil H. Shah is President and Chief Operating Officer of Hersha Hospitality Trust. Mr. Shah leads
Hersha's hotel acquisitions, development, and asset management platforms. Across the last ten years,
Mr. Shah has been instrumental in the acquisition and management of over $2 billion of hotel real
estate in major markets. Prior to Hersha, Mr. Shah served as a Director and Consultant with The
Advisory Board Company and the Corporate Executive Board, strategy research firms based in
Washington D.C. Mr. Shah has also worked with the Phipps Foundation, contributing to urban renewal
projects in New York City. Mr. Shah earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of
Science in Management, both with honors, from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton
School. He earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School. He serves on the Corporate Council for
the National Constitution Center and the Barnes Foundation, and is a Research Sponsor at the Wharton
Real Estate Center in Philadelphia. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Educational
Foundation Institute and the Institutional Real Estate Finance Advisory Council (IREFAC) of the
American Hotel & Lodging Association. Mr. Shah is also an active supporter of the United Way
Worldwide and its Leadership Council for India.
Page 48 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Bernie Siegel
KSL Capital Partners
Mr. Siegel joined KSL Capital Partners as Principal in June 2006, bringing over 22 years experience
in the hospitality business. Prior to joining KSL Capital Partners, Siegel was Executive Vice President
of Lowe Hospitality Group, serving as chief investment officer of its wholly-owned subsidiary Destination
Hotels & Resorts. While at Lowe, Siegel helped raise a $270 million private equity fund, Lowe
Hospitality Investment Partners, and was responsible for $615 million in lodging investments and
dispositions between 2004 and 2006. Mr. Siegel previously was Managing Director Hospitality Division
of Secured Capital Corp, where he was responsible for the firm’s $4.1 billion in hospitality investment
banking transactions over a 10-year timeframe, which included Resolution Trust Corp distressed loan
portfolio underwriting and workouts. Mr. Siegel also held real estate positions at Marriott Corporation
and Pannell Kerr Forster. Siegel is an active member of Urban Land Institute and Cornell Society of
Hotelmen. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Colorado and a B.A. from Cornell University's
School of Hotel Administration.
Philip Silberstein
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Phil Silberstein serves as executive vice president, Full Service Development, The Americas for
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. Silberstein oversees the growth of full-service franchise development and
management contracts in the Americas focusing on the Radisson and the Park Inn By Radisson brands.
Silberstein is a 36-year veteran within the hotel industry. He was with the ITT Sheraton Corporation
from 1976 to 1992 where he served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Eastern Region of
North America. In a previous role at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Silberstein served as vice president
of development and responsible for the expansion of the Radisson brand in the Northeast and Midwest
within the U.S. For his outstanding work, Silberstein was made a Carlson Fellow in 2004, the company's
prestigious lifetime achievement award. Prior to joining Carlson, he served as Executive Vice president
of Development for the Sonesta Collection
Silberstein is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is based in Newton, MA
where he lives with his wife and daughter.
Vanessa Sinders
AH&LA
Vanessa Sinders is senior vice president and department head of governmental affairs for the
American Hotel & Lodging Association. In this role, she oversees the association’s advocacy efforts on
Capitol Hill and with Administration policymakers, and is responsible for directing the governmental
affairs department in the development and execution of key strategies for addressing the issues facing
the lodging industry, including immigration, tax, healthcare, and labor. She also directs the
association’s political action committee, HotelPAC, and grassroots program.
Sinders comes to AH&LA from her previous position as chief of staff for the Campaign to Fix the
Debt, a bipartisan organization advocating for a solution to the nation's long-term debt problems. Prior
to that, she was chief of staff for former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown (R), where she directed his
legislative, communications, state, and constituent service efforts and managed all office operations in
Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts. She was previously policy director for former New Hampshire
Senator Judd Gregg (R) and served as an analyst for the Senate Budget Committee.
Page 49 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Richard A. Smith
FelCor Lodging Trust Inc
Since his appointment as FelCor’s President and Chief Executive Officer in February 2006, Rick
Smith has led the company’s successful repositioning program, which improved the overall quality and
growth profile of its hotel portfolio. In addition, Mr. Smith planned and executed the strategy to
restructure FelCor’s balance sheet with enhanced strength and flexibility to thrive throughout industry
and economic cycles. Mr. Smith first joined FelCor in 2004 as Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer.
Prior to joining FelCor, Mr. Smith was most recently Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of with Wyndham International, Inc., where he was responsible for that company’s financial
strategy and operations. Mr. Smith originally joined Wyndham in September 1999 as Senior Vice
President and Treasurer. Mr. Smith also previously worked for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide,
Inc., Atlantic Richfield Company and Coopers & Lybrand.
Mr. Smith is a certified public accountant. He graduated from the University of Tennessee, where he
received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Business Law. Mr. Smith serves on the
National Corporate Development Committee of Autism Speaks, the Travel Advisory Board of Active
International, Inc., and is a member of the World Presidents Organization.
FelCor, a real estate investment trust, owns a diversified portfolio of primarily upper-upscale, fullservice hotels that are located in major and resort markets. FelCor partners with leading hotel
companies to operate its 66 hotels, which are flagged under globally recognized names such as
®
®
®
®
®
®
®
®
Fairmont , Hilton , Doubletree , Embassy Suites , Renaissance , Marriott , Sheraton , Westin and
®
Holiday Inn , and premier independent hotels in New York. Additional information can be found on the
Company's website at www.felcor.com.
Arne Sorenson
Marriott International
Arne M. Sorenson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International, Inc., a leading
global lodging company with over 3,800 lodging properties in 74 countries and territories and reported
revenues of nearly $12 billion in fiscal year 2012. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels
and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 18 brands.
Previously, Mr. Sorenson was Marriott’s president and chief operating officer. Earlier, he served as
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and President of Continental European Lodging.
Prior to joining Marriott in 1996, Mr. Sorenson was a partner with the law firm Latham & Watkins in
Washington, D.C., where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions litigation.
Mr. Sorenson is chairman of Marriott’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Council and serves on the
Marriott Board of Directors’ Committee for Excellence. He co-founded Marriott’s Global Sustainability
Council in 2007. Mr. Sorenson was elected to Marriott International’s board of directors in 2011. He
also serves on several boards, including the Brand USA and Luther College.
Mr. Sorenson is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and of Luther College in
Decorah, Iowa. He resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his wife, Ruth. They have four children.
Matthew Sparks
Hilton Worldwide
Matthew Sparks is senior vice president of Luxury and Corporate Development for Hilton Worldwide.
Mr. Sparks leads the company’s corporate and luxury brand growth & development in North America. A
seasoned hospitality executive, Mr. Sparks has held positions with some of the leading hospitality
companies in the world in both the Americas and Asia Pacific, including Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, and Marriott International.
Mr. Sparks has been active in all aspects of hospitality real estate and brand development including
acquisitions, joint venture structuring, repositioning and new construction. Mr. Sparks has a strong
knowledge of all major North American and Asian lodging markets and hotels.
A graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Hospitality Business, Mr. Sparks currently
serves on the Alumni Board of Directors and the Real Estate Counsel for the program and has been a
featured speaker at numerous industry events, including the ALIS, the Lodging Conference, and the
Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific.
Page 50 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Robert L. Steele, III
AHLEI
Steele’s responsibilities includes representing EI as its spokesperson and leader, formulating
profitable and productive strategic business alliances to enhance EI, increasing penetration of the
international markets, and enhancing marketing efforts within the industry.
With more than 30 years of hospitality experience, Steele has spent his entire career with Hyatt
Hotels Corporation, serving as general manager of the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay; the Hyatt Regency
Baltimore, Baltimore, Md.; Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington, D.C.; and Hyatt Fairlakes, Fairfax,
Va., prior to his current position.
Steele is the past chairman of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), having held the
position of 2007 chairman of the board. An active and long-time supporter of AH&LA, Steele has
served on various committees and boards, including the Strategic Planning Committee; Multicultural &
Diversity Advisory Council; Membership/Sales & Marketing Committee; Credit Card Advisory Council;
Financial Management Committee; Lodging Industry Rating Advisory Committee; ADA Task Force;
Audit, Certification & Credentials Committee; Engineering & Environment Committee; Human
Resources Council; and Loss Prevention Committee.
Steele is a graduate of Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tenn., where he received a Bachelor
of Science degree.
Steele resides in Orlando, Florida with his wife Sheila, and they have three children, Robert IV,
Tiffany and Adam.
Louis Stervinou
Eastdil Secured
Louis Stervinou is a Managing Director with Eastdil Secured. He is responsible for sourcing and
placement of hotel related investment sales, financings and loan sales. Over the past 23 years, he has
focused on hospitality transactions totaling over $20 billion comprising over 300 properties and
approximately 70,000 rooms. Notable completed transactions include Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Le
Meridien (San Francisco), Westin St. Francis, One&Only Palmilla, The Four Seasons Mexico City,
Viceroy Santa Monica, The Hotels AB Portfolio, Kahala Mandarin, The Fairmont Canadian Hotel
Portfolio and Four Seasons Resort Maui. Representative clients include AEW Capital Management,
Host Hotels and Resorts, Colony Capital, Farallon Capital Management LLC, Goldman Sachs, Kimpton
Hotels and Restaurants, Dubai Investment Group, Chartres Lodging Group LLC and Starwood Hotels
and Resorts.
Prior to joining Eastdil Secured, Mr. Stervinou was employed as a Managing Director with Colliers
International Hotels and held an Associate position with Knowlton Realty. Mr. Stervinou holds a
Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration from Florida International University in 1987 and AOS from
The Culinary Institute of America in 1985. Louis has called the Bay Area home since 1987 and resides
just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Mill Valley, California with his wife Mary and two sons, Luc (16)
and Lane (13).
Robert Stiles
RobertDouglas
Rob Stiles is a founding Principal & Managing Director of the national hotel investment banking
services platform, RobertDouglas. Mr. Stiles specializes in structuring and executing capital solutions
and sales for hotel investors and owners.
Prior to his role at RobertDouglas, Rob was the Co-Head of the National Hospitality Group at
Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick-Goldman. He joined Sonnenblick-Goldman as a Managing Director
and Partner in early 1999 and has since completed many of the largest and most complex hotel sale,
financing and development transactions internationally.
Before joining Sonnenblick Goldman, Rob was a founding partner and Group Managing Director of
HorwathHTL in Hong Kong and Singapore, where he was responsible for advising both US and Asian
clients on over US$5 billion in development, finance and investment transactions since 1986.
Rob serves on the International Advisory Board of HOTELS Investment Outlook magazine, is the
founder of HICAP (HICAPconference.com), Asia’s premiere hotel investment conference in Hong Kong,
and is a Co-Chairman of the International Lodging Finance Council (ILFC). He has a Bachelor of
Science degree with a focus in development and finance from Cornell University’s School of Hotel
Administration.
Page 51 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Rick Swig
RSBA & Associates
Rick Swig operates RSBA & Associates, which was founded in 1986. Since that time, Mr. Swig has
provided advisory services to both major hotel management and operating companies, as well as
owners of individual hotels and portfolios. Along with his asset management and consultancy work
associated with RSBA & Associates, he has also been an investor in hotels since 1989. He currently
owns the Harvest Inn in Saint Helena, California and the Napa Winery Inn in Napa, California. His past
background also includes a career with Fairmont Hotels, where he rose to be the Vice-President and
Managing Director of the Fairmont Hotel Management Company.
RSBA & Associates is a consultancy firm for the hospitality industry. Primary activities include asset
management, hotel operations reviews, asset strategy development, and acquisition due diligence.
Rick Swig is past President of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA) and a member of
the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) of which he is past Chairman. He is currently
on the Board of Directors of Visit Napa Valley; President of the Napa Valley Tourism Corporation; and
Chairman of the St. Helena Tourism Improvement District. He was the 2005-2006 Chairman of the San
Francisco Travel Association Board of Directors. In 2008 Mr. Swig was Chairperson of the San
Francisco Tourism Improvement District (SFTID) committee, and he continues to serve on the 20122013 SFTID Board of Directors. He served as Commissioner and President of the San Francisco
Redevelopment Agency Commission from 2008 through 2012. He is a graduate of Stanford University.
Rob Tanenbaum
DiamondRock Hospitality Company
Mr. Tanenbaum brings over 20 years of experience in the hotel industry to the Company. Most
recently he was the Principal of Madison Hotel Advisors, LLC, which he founded in 2004. Prior to
founding Madison Hotel Advisors, LLC, he was a Vice President of Asset Management with Host Hotels
& Resorts from 1996 to 2004. His experience prior to that includes PKF Consulting in San Francisco,
CA and Four Seasons Hotels in Chicago, IL and Maui, HI. Mr. Tanenbaum is an active member of the
Hospitality Asset Managers Association and is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a
B.S. degree in Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Management.
John D. Tishler
Sheppard Mullin
John D. Tishler practices corporate and securities law as a partner at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter &
Hampton, LLP, an international law firm with offices through the U.S. and in Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul,
London & Brussels. For more than 20 years, Mr. Tishler has helped large and small clients to design
and execute successful investment programs. Mr. Tishler is a frequent writer and speaker on EB-5
investment programs and other corporate and securities topics. He was named a 2013 Top 25 EB-5
Attorney by EB-5 investors magazine. Mr. Tishler received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1992 and
his B.A. from Cornell University in 1989. Page 52 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Rob Torres
Google
With over 20 years of travel industry experience, Rob Torres serves as Google’s Managing Director
of sales and marketing for the travel sector. In this role, Rob oversees the strategy development and
profitable growth of integrated marketing campaigns. His team serves some of the largest travel brands
in the US.
Prior to joining Google, Rob was Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Expedia.com. During his
seven year career at Expedia, Rob managed a team that had Global responsibility for 30 strategic
accounts, generating gross bookings in excess of $2 billion.
Rob is active in the hospitality industry and community affairs. He currently serves chairman of the
Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association (HSMAI) and is on the board of directors for the
Association of Travel Marketing Executives (ATME), the US Travel Association, Fareportal, Regatta
Solutions, the Adventure Travel & Tour Association (ATTA), and Sustainable Travel International (STI).
Twice Rob has been listed among HSMAI’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing.
Rob holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern
California and a Masters of Business Administration from Georgetown University.
Simon Turner
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Simon Turner is President, Global Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Turner
is responsible for the company’s global development activities including hotel and resort development,
property acquisitions and dispositions, franchise and management pipeline expansion and real estate
investment management.
Prior to joining Starwood, Turner spent more than 12 years as a Principal of Hotel Capital Advisers,
Inc., a hotel investment advisory and asset management firm. In that position, he led a number of highprofile hotel projects including the acquisition, financing and repositioning of the Hotel George V in Paris
and the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston. Turner previously served on the board of directors of Four
Seasons Hotels, Inc. for almost 10 years, and was also a member of the board of Fairmont Raffles
Hotels International. Earlier in his career, Turner held positions at Salomon Brothers, based in both
New York and London; Pannell Kerr Forster, and Gustar Hoteliers.
Turner received his Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration from Cornell University and is based
in Starwood’s corporate headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.
Russ D. Urban
Destination Hotels & Resorts
Russell Urban brings more than 30 years of knowledge as a senior real estate professional to the
Destination Hotels & Resorts team. Urban joined Destination in January 2013 to oversee asset
acquisition and business growth efforts, including sourcing and securing new management contracts.
His hotel acquisition expertise and proven capacity to lead all aspects of complex hotel real estate
acquisition and development projects support the portfolio expansion and opportunities for growth in key
markets.
Prior to joining Destination, Urban served as principal and senior vice president of acquisition and
development for HEI Hotels and Resorts in Norwalk, Connecticut. He has also held leadership
positions at leading hospitality companies including Marriott International, Hotel Partners, CapStar
Hotels, Island Resort Collection and Urban Hotel Corporation.
Urban is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on alumni
boards.
Page 53 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Frits van Paasschen
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Since 2007, Frits van Paasschen has led Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, the world’s largest
and most global operator of high-end hotels with over 1,150 properties in 100 countries. Its nine brands
are: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points by
Sheraton, Aloft and Element. During his tenure, Starwood has transformed itself into a global company
with nearly 60 percent of its existing hotels – and over 85 percent of its planned openings – outside of
the United States.
Van Paasschen spent most of his career working for global lifestyle brands, previously serving as
President and CEO of Coors Brewing Company and running Nike’s business in Europe, Africa and the
Middle East. He began his career as a management consultant, and holds an MBA from Harvard
Business School and a BA in economics and biology from Amherst College. Van Paasschen currently
serves on the Board of Barclays PLC and on Conservation International’s Business Advisory Board.
Homi Vazifdar
Canyon Equity LLC
Homi Vazifdar is CEO and Managing Director of the Canyon Group based in Larkspur, California just
of north San Francisco. The Canyon Group owns and/or develops ultra-luxury resorts in exotic
destinations around the world. The Company currently owns assets in Europe, North America, Latin
America and the South Pacific. The Canyon Group’s resorts are managed by marquis brands such as
Amanresorts and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.
Vazifdar is extremely passionate about the wonderful world of lodging and over the years has
“touched” almost every aspect of the industry, and worked with some of the stalwarts in the business.
He is a frequent speaker at lodging and tourism conferences around the world and has over 25 years of
multi-faceted lodging and hospitality experience ranging from development, design and investment
banking. Before founding Canyon Equity in 2005, he was the global head of lodging at Banc of America
Securities in San Francisco where he was involved in numerous high profile transactions.
Jack Vissicchio
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Jack Vissicchio is a Co-Head of Americas Real Estate in Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Real
Estate and Lodging Investment Banking Group. Jack joined Merrill Lynch in 1992 and has worked on
over $100 billion of transactions for private and public companies within the real estate and lodging
industries. From 1997 through 2002, Jack was based in London focused on Merrill Lynch’s European
Real Estate and Lodging activities.
In early 2003, Jack relocated to New York, where he currently resides. Noteworthy transactions
include RLJ Lodging Trust IPO, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust IPO, Starwood Financial IPO, Colony Financial
IPO, Simon/Farallon’s acquisition of Mills Corporation, Four Seasons Hotels Privatization, Sale of
Highland Hospitality, Sale of Extended Stay America, Morgans Hotels IPO, Sunstone Hotels IPO,
Blackstone’s acquisition of Trizec, Boca Resorts, Meristar, La Quinta, Hilton Hotels and Savoy Hotel
PLC, hostile defense for Thistle Hotels and Chateau Communities, Hilton PLC’s merger with Scandic
Hotels, Nomura’s acquisition of Le Meridien Hotels and Blackstone’s acquisition of Savoy Hotel PLC.
Prior to Merrill Lynch, Jack worked in Smith Barney’s Capital Markets Division as well as for Tishman
Hotel Corporation. Jack graduated from Georgetown University in 1988 and received a Masters of
Business Administration with honors distinction from Columbia University in 1993.
Page 54 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Lance Walker
WATG
Lance Walker offers nearly 20 years of experience in the field of landscape architecture. Project
types he has led range from 5-star international hospitality to large-scale master plans to metropolitan
urban parks to high-end residential. This broad experience base has enabled him to work on large
complicated multi-disciplinary projects as well as design the most intricate details. Most importantly,
Lance understands the need to balance design passion with project economics. He excels in the
director role with strengths in leadership, management, and design.
Lance has a solid understanding of the guest experience, which proves to be a benefit to the
integrated design team. His experience on numerous hospitality projects around the world allows him to
develop a project based on the needs of the client, the guest, the site's opportunities, as well as current
design influences. Further, Lance believes that a full understanding of the project including market
demographics, environmental, physical, and cultural issues - is crucial to the project's success. He
strives to use a design-based approach that is both evocative and functional. He believes that great
design adds value, quality, and enhances people’s experiences.
John Wallis
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
In 2013, John Wallis assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer after serving as Global Head of
Marketing and Brand Strategy since November 2008.
Mr. Wallis’ career with Hyatt began in 1981. Prior to the Global Head of Marketing and Brand
Strategy role, Mr. Wallis served as Senior Vice President, Product and Brand Development since
August 2007.
From 2004 through 2007, Mr. Wallis served as our Senior Vice President, Global Asset
Management, where he was responsible for the management of more than 40 Hyatt-owned properties
across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
Mr. Wallis has also served in a variety of other management positions, including Senior Vice
President of Marketing and Sales, and Vice President of Marketing for Hyatt International Corporation;
General Manager and Regional Vice President-Gulf States for Hyatt Regency Dubai; Executive
Assistant Manager Food and Beverage for Hyatt Regency Kuwait, Hyatt Regency Fiji and Hyatt
Kingsgate Sydney and various other food and beverage management positions.
A British national, Wallis was educated at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne School in Switzerland.
Jeff Weinstein
HOTELS Magazine
Jeff Weinstein has been Editor-in-Chief of HOTELS magazine since November 1994. In 1996, he
created HOTELS’ Investment Outlook, a quarterly publication for the hotel investment community. He is
also responsible for developing HOTELS website, www.hotelsmag.com. Starting in 1986, Weinstein
was Senior Editor for Restaurants & Institutions, which covered all aspects of the foodservice industry in
the United States. Weinstein, a five-time winner of the Jesse H. Neal award, presented by the American
Business Press, is a 1979 Journalism graduate of Drake University and the father of two residing in
suburban Chicago.
Page 55 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Adam Weissenberg
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Adam Weissenberg is a vice chairman and the leader of the U.S. Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure
(“THL”) practice. Adam also leads the Global Hospitality practice for the Global THL industry and is a
partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP.
Adam specializes in serving the THL industry, where he provides business advisory services for
various segments of the industry. Adam regularly exchanges ideas and discusses emerging issues with
client service teams serving other large, complex companies, in order to share insights and best
practices. Adam also serves as the lead client service partner for some of the largest hotel companies
in the world.
Adam is widely published and speaks frequently at national industry conferences. He is also a
frequent speaker at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, where he serves on the Hotel
School Advisory Board. Adam is sought after by the media to discuss his insights on industry trends and
issues. Adam is quoted regularly in national publications including, Forbes.com, The New York Times,
Travel & Leisure, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. He has also been a reoccurring guest on
Fox Business News, Bloomberg and CNBC.
Adam received a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University in Hotel and Restaurant
Administration, and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University where he majored in
accounting and finance.
Graeme White
Scottish Development International
Graeme White is head of Tourism at Scottish Development International, leading a team responsible
for identifying and supporting innovative and commercially attractive investment opportunities which will
boost tourism and help Scotland cement its position in the global hotel and resort development
landscape.
He works with developers, investors and operators to help secure successful investments and
maximize the opportunities that Scotland offers, helping Scotland’s tourism sector to contribute to the
£500 million of inward investment that Scotland attracted last year..
Prior to joining Scottish Development International Graeme spent over 20 years as a sales and
marketing professional in companies such as Shell, Fisons and Olympus. He also ran an award-winning
marketing practice which provided support to some of Scotland’s leading events and venues.
Graeme is an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Dundee.
Bruce Wiles
Thayer Lodging Group
Mr. Wiles is a Managing Director of Thayer Lodging Group and serves as its President and Chief
Operating Officer. Thayer has over $1B of AUM which is entirely invested in lodging assets. He also
serves as the CEO of HAC a company which owns Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc. HAC is a joint
venture between Jin Jiang Hotels and Thayer. Mr. Wiles is the lead director for IHR and chairs the
Finance, Audit and Compensation committees. Mr. Wiles is also a Senior Advisor to Thayer Ventures, a
travel industry focused, venture capital sponsor.
Mr. Wiles joined Thayer in 2007 from Alcor Inc., a hotel investment subsidiary of Blackstone Real
Estate where he served as Chief Executive Officer. Alcor acquired the assets of MeriStar Hospitality
Corporation, an NYSE listed company then one of the largest hotel real estate investment trusts.
Mr. Wiles was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Meristar and a member of its Board of
Directors. He had previously served as Chief Investor Officer of the Company and of its management
affiliate, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc., itself then a NYSE listed company.
Mr. Wiles was previously Executive Vice President and a Board member of American General
Hospitality Corporation, a NYSE listed REIT which merged with CapStar Hotels & Resorts to form
MeriStar. That merger occurred two years after the IPO of American General.
American General had an affiliated hotel management concern in which Mr. Wiles directed all
business development and investment activities. The management company grew from 18 managed
hotels at the date of his association to over 100 properties in less than five years, which then ranked it
as the largest independent hotel manager in the US.
Mr. Wiles has developed, financed or acquired a variety of commercial real estate and hospitality
assets since 1982. He worked as a CPA for the international accounting firms of Grant Thornton and
KPMG after graduating from Georgetown University, summa cum laude.
Page 56 of 57
January 27-29, 2014
JW Marriott & NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, CA
SPEAKERS
As of January 21, 2014
Mark Woodworth
PKF Hospitality Research
Mark Woodworth has over 30 years of hospitality industry advisory experience and is based in
Atlanta and is responsible for PKF-HR’s national practice.
Before forming PKF-HR in 1999, Mr.
Woodworth was a Partner and Industry Chairman of the Hospitality Industry Consulting practice for
Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P.
Mr. Woodworth has been quoted on hospitality issues in such noted publications as The Wall Street
Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Barron’s, USA Today,
The Financial Times and numerous industry publications. Furthermore, Mr. Woodworth is a frequent
speaker at industry conferences and is a Dean’s Distinguished Lecturer at Cornell University and is a
member of the Conference of Business Economists. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta
Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Finance Committee of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and
advises the Georgia Hospitality & Lodging Association. He also recently completed a three-year term
on the Board of Advisors for the Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University. He holds both a
B.S. and Master’s Degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell.
Mark and his wife Mary Kay, the parents of Harry, Will, Sam and Savannah, reside in Atlanta.
Page 57 of 57