SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Paul Adan
Marriott International
Paul Adan is the Vice President of Lodging Development for Marriott International Inc. and The RitzCarlton Hotel Company for the Caribbean and Latin America region and is based in Miami, Florida. Mr.
Adan is responsible for hotel development of all the brands for Central and South America including
Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Edition, Autograph Collection Hotels,
Renaissance Hotels, AC Hotels, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn and
Marriott Executive Apartments.
Mr. Adan is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and brings 20 years of
experience within the international hospitality industry, working extensively across the Americas and
the Caribbean.
Mr. Adan began his career with Hilton International, working with their Board of Directors on the
development of the group's properties in Brazil. Since then, Paul has held executive positions with Meliá
Inversiones Americanas, Sol Meliá, NH Hoteles, CB Richard Ellis, and Amerisud, working on
development deals from all perspectives. Paul has focused his career to hospitality development in
Latin America and the Caribbean.
Paul brings an intimate knowledge of the hotel industry coupled with fluency in English, Portuguese
and Spanish.
Roger R. Alfaro
Real Hotels and Resorts
He joined Real Hotel and Resorts in 2010 and is in charge of both Legal and Development Area.
RHR has 20 Hotels in USA, México, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica,
Panama, Dominican Republic and Colombia. RHR owns and operates Hotels under the following
brands: InterContinental, JW Marriot, Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, Clarion, Quality Inn and Comfort
Inn. RHR is also the Master Franchisee of Choice Hotels International for Central America, Dominican
Republic and Colombia.
Before joining RHR he was Director of Investment Banking, Business Director and CEO of some
Banks and Financial Institutions and also acted as Legal Counsel and Advisor to several Multinational
companies with operations in Central America.
He is a Lawyer, Notary Public and Insurance Broker. Also he has been a Professor of
entreprenurship and business economics at Escuela Superior de Negocios ESEN de El Salvador. BA
in Law. Universidad Dr. José Matias Delgado. El Salvador 1994: MBA Incae Business School. Costa
Rica 1997; Legal Issues of International Trade. Georgetown University 2000; Stonier School of Banking
of ABA at University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) 2007.
Carlos A. Alonso
PKF Hotelexperts SA
Director at PKF Hospitality Consulting Latin America, worked for Intercontinental Hotels group for
fourteen years has general manager & executive positions in the U.S, Brazil, Argentina and Central
America.
Since 2007 he directs the PKF South America Hospitality office based out of Buenos Aires, Argentina
and Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has overseen and directed hospitality projects, feasibility studies and Hotel
valuations for private investments and financial institutions in Brazil, Panama, Argentina, Honduras and
Colombia.
Carlos speaks fluent English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Page 1 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Rogerio Basso
Terranum Hotels
With over 17 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. Terranum Hotels is an owner, developer and operator of all-inclusive,
select-service, full-service and luxury properties across seven countries, operating under seven
different brands. The company is sponsored by Colombia-based Santo Domingo Group, Estrategias
Corporativas, a premier investment bank focused on complex M&A transactions, and Equity
International, the Sam Zell-founded private equity firm focused on emerging markets.
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. In this capacity, Rogerio led numerous complex consulting assignments and multi-billion dollar
transactions, and is well versed on a variety of asset classes. 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.
Embree Bedsole
Alvarez & Marsal
Chuck Bedsole is a Managing Director and the Global Leader of A&M’s Hospitality & Leisure Group.
He advises companies on hospitality, tourism and real estate projects across the globe. Mr. Bedsole has more than 33 years of industry experience, including eight years with Big Four
professional service firms and five years of corporate-level experience with hospitality companies in the
areas of acquisitions, development, finance and marketing. He has domestic and international
experience with various hospitality asset types including hotels, mixed-use resort developments, hotel
condominiums, interval ownership, all-inclusive resorts, marinas and experience with residential,
commercial and industrial projects in Latin America. Bedsole's advisory experience includes strategic planning, asset management, due diligence,
feasibility, valuation, marketing and financing engagements for multinational companies, capital
sources, developers, financial institutions and governments. His clients have included private equity
funds, investment banks, bankruptcy estates, institutional capital sources and international lodging
companies. Mr. Bedsole also has restructuring/workout experience including assignments as the chief
restructuring officer for a large destination resort in Mexico and as a debtor/creditor advisor for multiple
master-planned resorts and lodging portfolios. Mr. Bedsole received a degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin,
and is fluent in Spanish and conversant in Portuguese.
Andrea 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.
Page 2 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Stuart M. Berkson
DLA Piper LLP (US)
Mr. Berkson focuses his practice on international business transactions, with an emphasis on
international investments and mergers and acquisitions.
He is well versed in international investment issues and legal and business concerns for investors,
including tax. Mr. Berkson has extensive experience in matters involving jurisdictions throughout the
Americas. He is licensed as a foreign consultant in Brazil by OAB-SP, the bar association of São Paulo.
Mr. Berkson has been ranked by Chambers Latin America for Latin America-wide Corporate/M&A,
and also has been named several times as one of the leading US advisors on Latin American tax issues
by International Tax Review. In 2012 & 2014, Legal 500 Latin America recognized him for his
Corporate/M&A practice. Latin Business Chronicle has named him to its list of Latin America's Legal
Stars. He currently teaches at Duke Law School on issues related to investments in Latin America.
While in law school, Mr. Berkson served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He is also a
certified public accountant and was awarded the Elijah Watt Sells Gold Medal for the highest score in
the United States on the May 1977 Uniform Certified Public Accountants examination.
Roland Marie Bonadona
Accor
Roland de Bonadona (64) is the CEO of ACCOR AMERICAS. He graduated in Business
administration at Paris IX Dauphine University.
He began his career with ACCOR GROUP in 1973 where he held different management positions
in public restaurants, airport catering and later SOFITEL development for Europe. At the end of 1989,
he moved to Sao Paulo to settle the Sofitel brand and take in charge Accor Hotels development in
Brazil.
In 1994, Bonadona was entrust with the mission to assume ACCOR in Brazil, taking benefit of the
new economic perspective opened after “plano real” to re-launch the then 40 hotels company.
Leaning upon existing platform, Bonadona took in charge the renovation and fast expansion of the
network.
Bonadona is the co-founder and first President of FOHB (Forum de Operadores Hoteleiros do
Brasil). He is a member of ABIH Nacional, Academia Brasileira de Eventos and also a member of the
Board of Directors of the French Brazil Chamber of Commerce.
He is member of Accor Worldwide Committee (COMEX).
ACCOR is the main hotel Group in the region, operating 8 brands, Sofitel Luxury hotels, Pullman
Upscale hotels, Novotel and Mercure Midscale full service hotels, Adagio, Ibis hotels, full service
economy hotels, Ibis Budget 1 limited service budget hotels and Ibis Styles. This operation benefits
from São Paulo logistics platform, relais of Accor resources, and expertise, for Latin American Region.
After the recent 275 MUSD purchase from Grupo Posadas of Ceasar Park and Ceasar Business
Hotels in South America, ACCOR has grown up to 279 hotels and 47.170 rooms in the American
Continent.
Patricia Boo
STR Global
Patricia Boo is based in Brazil and is responsible for the organization’s expansion throughout Latin
America. Patricia spent her career in the hotel industry at property level, between Madrid and London,
until she joined STR Global in 2008. Patricia often attends and presents at industry conferences and
client meetings. Patricia has been a regular lector at the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid, Spain
specializing in benchmarking for their Revenue Management courses. Patricia holds a degree in
Tourism.
Page 3 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
James E. Burba
BHN
Jim Burba is the co-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 hosts
ten events each year around the world including: ALIS, ALIS Law, ALIS Summer Update, AOCAP,
HICAP, HICAP UPDATE, HIFI, CHRIS, HOLA, and Hot.E. In 2008, BHN and Google teamed up to
host Digital Discovery Day (D3) and in 2011, Burba was retained by the ITC, a joint agency of the UN
and WTO to help organize WEDF which focused on tourism development in the least developed
countries of the world.
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.
Eduardo Calderón
BLP Abogados
Eduardo Calderón is a Costa Rican lawyer, with more than 18 years of experience in Real Estate
and Corporate Law. He is a Partner at BLP, one of Central America’s largest law firms and has ample
experience in real estate developments and in coastal and rural areas. Eduardo has provided advice to
real estate developers, financial institutions involved in real estate projects, hospitality investors, and
hotel operators in Costa Rica. He also has extensive experience in corporate matters such as M&A and
private equity investments.
A Columbia University graduate, he has been a speaker at various international legal and hospitality
conferences. Ranked in top tier in Costa Rica by Chambers and Partners, he is currently recognised –
and has been for multiple consecutive years– as a Leading Lawyer in Costa Rica in his fields of practice
by highly acknowledged publications such as the Chambers Global, Legal 500, Chambers & Partners,
Latin Lawyer, IFLR 1000, Who’s Who Legal.
Eduardo is currently the President of the Costa Rican Bar Association and was a director of the
International Center for Arbitration and Conciliation at the American Chamber of Commerce in Costa
Rica. He is also a member of the New York State Bar Association and the International Bar Association.
Chambers and Partners describes Eduardo Calderón as a “smart diligent and responsive” person
and as “a pleasure to work with”.
Page 4 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Raul F. Calvet
Calvet & Associates
Calvet & Associates is a consulting company specialized in Hospitality, Tourism and Real Estate
Development. It is Nicaragua’s leading Tourism and Real Estate Investment Consultant, having
achieved a 71% market share of the specialized local consultancy industry. Its Central American
expansion started in 2008 with projects in Honduras, Panama, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, El
Salvador and Costa Rica.
Raul F. Calvet, a graduate in Business Administration was during many years Commercial Director
for the national airline of Paraguay. Later became the founding “Member of the Board” of the Tourism
Institute of Nicaragua, contributing to the formation of CATA and CCT, both Central American official
marketing organizations, the Conventions Bureau and the Tourism Marketing Commission. Calvet has
a large number of business accomplishments having contributed to more than 270 development
projects since 1999. He developed as well the Air Charter Program from Canada and the Cruise Ship
programs to Nicaragua. To date Calvet has consulted for 69 residential real estate development
projects, 18 commercial projects, 53 hotels, 34 investments and 6 Tax exemptions administration
projects. Calvet has delivered presentations to the UN Finance for Development Committee and to
other high level organizations and is a speaker in major investment forums like ALIS, CATHIE, RCI’s
Luxury Markets, IMN, VISION, ISHC and HOLA. He is a member of ISHC (International Society of
Hospitality Consultants), and has been an independent advisor for RCI’s Fractional and Time Share
projects in Central America.
Calvet & Associates specializes in Market analysis, Financial Feasibility studies, Strategic Planning,
property and project valuation, financial structuring and project development management.
Javier Coll
Apple Leisure Group
Javier Coll holds more than 25 years of operations and finance experience in the international
hospitality industry.
Prior to Coll’s appointment as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Apple Leisure
Group®, he played a pivotal role in the development of the company’s luxury resort management
subsidiary, AMResorts®.
As AMResorts’ Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Coll was directly involved in
negotiating contracts, analyzing and selecting existing hotels for rebranding, plus supervising the
development and construction of new hotels.
Before joining AMResorts, Coll was the Deputy Managing Director of MAC Hotels, where he oversaw
sales, marketing, operations and administration for the hotel chain. He has also held various
international and corporate positions for Spain’s Barceló Group.
Originally from Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Coll graduated from Universitat de les Illes Balears with
a B.A. in Marketing & International Taxation and received an M.B.A. in Business
Administration/Economics from Universitat de Barcelona.
Page 5 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Clay B. Dickinson
JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group
Mr. Dickinson is Managing Director of Advisory and Asset Management Services for the Latin
America Region of JLL Hotels & Hospitality. Mr. Dickinson combines deep industry experience with the
global resources of the firm to help clients to continually improve their operating performance and to
conceive, plan and execute their strategic business initiatives.
Mr. Dickinson has over 30 years of experience helping a broad range of public and private clients
achieve their goals. His experience includes advising on over $8 billion dollars of hospitality industry
transactions; producing global expansion plans for leading global hospitality companies; valuing large,
complex international property portfolios; and assessing the market and financial viability of projects all
over the world. Lastly, Mr. Dickinson has vast experience in international arena, having led assignments
in more than 50 countries around the world. He is highly proficient in Spanish and Portuguese.
Mr. Dickinson earned his undergraduate degree from The American University School of
International Service. Mr. Dickinson has held leadership positions in industry organizations including
the AH&LA, HFTP, ULI, OpenTravel Alliance and the ISHC. He regularly contributes to industry
conferences and publications
Denis Ebrill
Meliá Hotels International
Denis Ebrill is Vice President of Development-The Americas, for Spanish-based Meliá Hotels
International, a 60-year-old international hospitality company with over 350 hotels in 30 countries on
five continents. His responsibilities include expansion opportunities for hotels in Mexico, the USA,
Canada, the Caribbean, and Spanish-speaking Latin America, in addition to the growth of Club Melia’s
Vacation Club operations internationally.
Prior to his current role, Denis was responsible for Club Melia, part of a growing and expanding
leisure lifestyle concept that includes exotic destinations, designer-appointed luxury suites, exclusive
services and unforgettable leisure experiences for Members. In his role as the senior executive in the
company’s vacation club, Ebrill’s responsibilities included vacation club sales & marketing, finance and
operations in the Canary Islands and in Costa del Sol in Spain, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in
Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, Mexico and in Puerto Rico.
Previously, Ebrill was Senior Vice President of Real Estate Acquisitions & Development for Starwood
Vacation Ownership. He also held the position of Senior Vice President for the Latin America Division
and Director of Operations of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. for Mexico and Central
America and was in charge of operations for the Luxury Collection, Westin, Sheraton and Four Points
hotels in the region. He was responsible for overseeing the integration of all Westin and Sheraton
hotels in Mexico and Central America and the addition of new hotels, including a number of boutique
properties in the Luxury Collection and a new W Hotel in Mexico City. Prior to his Mexico assignment,
he served as Vice President, Latin America Division and Area Director for ITT Sheraton in Brazil.
Ebrill has also held several corporate and hotel general manager positions with Starwood and
Sheraton in Alaska, Boston, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Mexico, and Venezuela.
A veteran hospitality and leisure real estate executive with over 40 years experience in the industry,
Ebrill is a native of Dublin, Ireland and graduated in Hotel Administration from St. Mary’s College in
Dublin. Besides his native English, he speaks Spanish and Portuguese and he and his wife, Susan,
have an international family with four children.
Page 6 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Guillermo Estrada
Hotel 6 / Estudio 6
Guillermo Estrada, International Business Development Director, joined G6 Hospitality in August of
2013 to lead the international expansion, development and strategic business planning in Latin
America. Previous to G6 Hospitality, he was President of Pizza Patron, Inc. Estrada has over 15 years
of experience in International Development, Strategic Planning and Sales.
Estrada earned his bachelor’s degree in Business at the Iberoamericana University and also holds
a Master’s degree in Business from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Brian Finerty
Equity International
Brian Finerty is a senior vice president with Equity International and co-leads the Company’s
investments group. Mr. Finerty and the team are responsible for originating, executing and managing
investments. He is a director of various portfolio companies including Advance Real Estate, Terranum
Corporate Properties and Decameron Hotels & Resorts.
Prior to joining Equity International in 2009, Mr. Finerty was a vice president at Madison Dearborn
Partners, responsible for sourcing and executing transactions across various real estate sectors
including retail, hospitality, healthcare, multifamily and homebuilding. Previously, he held various
positions at Merrill Lynch, ultimately as a vice president in the global commercial real estate group. At
Merrill, Mr. Finerty advised leading real estate firms on transactions in a number of sectors, with a focus
on office, retail and student housing.
Mr. Finerty received a BBA from the University of Michigan and earned his MBA with high honors in
analytic finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he received the
Barclays Capital Award in Finance for highest academic achievement.
Arturo García Rosa
HVS Argentina
With over 35 years experience in the industry, Arturo is a major reference in the hotel, tourism and
related real estate business in Latin America.
His publications and presentations clearly attest to his interest in keeping updated with industry
developments, as well as to his broad and in-depth knowledge of the current and, specially, of the future
state of industry.
VP & Managing Director of the Alvear Palace Hotel (1983-1994), he led the project to recover
Buenos Aires’ finest hotel, and created the first national luxury management.
Since 1995, the year he founded Arturo García Rosa & Asociados (RHC Hospitality Consulting), he
has been dedicated to providing consulting services and has become a renowned specialist in the major
markets. In 2000, RHC became HVS Argentina.
Besides his ongoing involvement in the development of new projects, some of which are
trendsetters, he actively collaborates with regional governments on the formulation of hotel and tourism
policies and provides assistance to the institutions of the private sector regarding the promotion of travel
destinations.
His social commitment and clear business vision has led him to face such challenges as the
development of Argentina 2010 Travel & Tourism Plan and the creation of Destino Argentina.
In addition to his role as consultant, he has become increasingly involved as a speaker at the major
industry conferences worldwide. His ideas and opinions are regularly published in the main newspapers
and industry magazines.
Page 7 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Agustin García Villa
Ministry of Tourism of Mexico
B.A. in Economics. UNAM. Mexico; M.A. in Economics. Catholic University of Leuven. Belgium.
Diploma in Economics. University of Colorado. U.S.A.
Diploma in Prospects & Issues for Long Term Development. World Bank & Korean Development
Institute. Korea.
Diploma in Corporate Finance, London Business School. University of London. England.
Edgar Garin
La Quinta Inns and Suites
Edgar Garin is Director of Franchise Development for Latin America, for La Quinta Inns and Suites.
His mandate is to establish the presence of the brand throughout the continent. His hospitality
management experience includes areas as diverse as Asset Management, Revenue Management,
Sales, Distribution, and Operations.
Prior to joining La Quinta he was Vice President of Development for Radisson Hotels & Resorts
Latin America. His first forays into the Latin American markets were with ITT Sheraton in the
development arena. Subsequently, he joined VMS Realty as Asset Manager, working with a portfolio
that included midmarket and trophy properties, and everything in between. He has held corporate
management positions at Lexington Services; Carnival Hotels & Resorts, and Sonesta International
Hotels, all of which included working with hotels in Latin America and the Caribbean. His operations
background includes positions at Omni International Hotels and Hilton Hotels, capping that off with
stints as General Manager with Taj Hotels and Potomac Hotel Group.
He holds a B.S. from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and a Master’s degree in
International Business from Florida International University. In academia, he has been an adjunct
faculty member and a guest lecturer at South Florida Universities. Among the topics he has covered
are Revenue Management, Distribution, and Rooms Administration.
Edgar and his wife Vikki have been residents of Miami Beach since before the Magic City rose to
national prominence, although airplanes had already been invented. On weekend mornings, one may
find Edgar bicycling along the bay with his dog running by his side.
Julio Gavinho
2.0 Hotéis S/A
Senior Executive with growing career mostly developed within both national and international
environment. Mister Gavinho has over 30 years of experience acting on hospitality and tourism in Brazil.
Gavinho studied hotel management at Estacio de Sá University/RIO and communications/PR at
Positivo University/CWB. He also has an extension in strategic planning at FGV/SP, marketing at
ESPM/SP and hotel management through quality, at Disney University.
His professional background holds experiences at family owned hotels in Rio de Janeiro, Rio
Convention & Visitors Bureau, Rio Quente Resorts, Marriott and Hyatt.
Today, Mr. Gavinho is the President and partner of 2.0 HOTÉIS. The company started up with
Gavinho’s development of Zii Hotel brand and its trendy concepts of sustainability, technology and
modern hospitality. He founded the company along with WTORRE and executed the sale of WTH
Hotéis S/A for South Hemisphere Investments (HSI), his partner today. 2.0 HOTÉIS acquired ARCO
HOTELS in June 2014, and added 10 hotels (1,100 rooms) to its portfolio. The company has 2,500
rooms in different stages of development and is planned to have 32 hotels under its management and
property by 2017.
Page 8 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Felipe P. Gomes
BHG
Mr. Felipe Gomes, 33, holds a degree in Business Administration and a MBA from Universidade
Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). He began his career at Telecom Italy Mobile (Tim) in Brazil in 2003
working for 5 years in various financial areas of the company. In 2008 he worked at SulAmérica
insurance, coordinating the M&A area of the company. In 2009 he joined the Latin America Hotels
(Current BHG) as responsible for Mergers and Acquisitions, remaining until 2011. Over two years (2011
to 2013) the executive headed the Business Development area, for Latin America, of Host Hotels &
Resorts (Host), the largest Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) focused on hospitality, in the world,
returning to BHG on August 2013 as the Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Felipe Gomes has extensive
experience in the acquisition and development of hotels.
Steve Haggerty
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Steve Haggerty was selected Global Head of Capital Strategy, Franchising and Select Service in
August 2014. Mr. Haggerty is responsible for implementing our overall capital and franchising strategy
and overseeing our select service business. Prior to assuming his current role, Mr. Haggerty was the
Executive Vice President, Global Head of Real Estate and Capital Strategy from October 2012. In that
role, Mr. Haggerty was responsible for implementing our capital strategy, managing our hotel asset
base and providing support to our development professionals around the world. Mr. Haggerty has been
with Hyatt since 2007 when he joined the company as Global Head of Real Estate and Development,
overseeing the global development, feasibility and development finance and asset management teams.
Before joining us, Mr. Haggerty spent 13 years serving in several positions of increasing
responsibility with Marriott International, Inc., including finance, asset management and development
roles in various locations around the world.
Ryan Hawley
Starwood Capital
Mr. Ryan Hawley is a VP in Acquisitions for Starwood Capital Group. Mr. Hawley has overseen the
acquisitions and asset management activities of Starwood Capital’s São Paulo office since its
establishment in 2010. Mr. Hawley has been with Starwood since January 2006 and was previously
based in Starwood's Greenwich headquarters. Prior to Starwood, Mr. Hawley was in the real estate
investment banking group of Bear, Stearns & Co. He received a B.A. in Political Economy from the
University of California, Berkeley and an M.S. in Political Economy from the London School of
Economics.
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 9 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Carlos Hernandez
Pellas Development Group
As Chief Executive Officer of Pellas Development Group, Carlos Hernandez oversees a land and
resort development portfolio in excess of $1 billion dollars in asset value and more than 21 million
square meters of land in Central America. He has directed the conceptualization of the most innovative,
sustainable, imaginative and iconic communities in the region, including Santa Maria Golf & Country
Club in Panama, and Guacalito de la Isla in Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast, Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa, the
first ultra - luxury boutique hotel in Nicaragua, the “Best 2014 New Beach Resorts” in list of Conde Nast.
He is also currently overseeing Las Mareas Resort and SPA, in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, which opened
in November 2014.
Mr. Hernandez has 20 years of experience in hotel, master planned communities and real estate
development for companies including Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, for which he led the development of
Fairmont Heritage Place in Mexico. His being involved in significant resort projects like the famous Las
Ventanas al Paraíso Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, and the Atlantis Resort & Casino in the Bahamas.
Hernandez graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the Universidad
Iberoamericana in Mexico City, and he earned a Master of Science in Finance at Florida International
University. He is an active member of the Recreational Council of the Urban Land Institute in
Washington, DC, and lives with his wife and three children in Costa Rica.
José Koechlin
Inkaterra
As Chairman & CEO of Inkaterra and Inkaterra Association (ITA), José Koechlin is a pioneer
developer of eco- friendly tourism in Peru, while generating rural economic growth via research for
conservation. Mr. Koechlin is Chairman of the Sociedad Hoteles del Peru, Board Member of the
Asociación Peruana de Gastronomía (APEGA) E-Meritus Board Member of Conservation International
(Washington DC); and sits in various Peruvian University Tourism Councils.
He was Board Member of The Peruvian National Park Service (SERNAMP); was Chairman of the
Association of Adventure Travel and Ecotourism, 1998-2002; of Peru’s National Chamber of Tourism,
(CANATUR) 1995-1997; and of the Instituto Tecnológico Pesquero (1996)
Other key areas of accomplishment include: Ecology - Sponsorship of major inventories of flora and
fauna in the Amazon basin, resulting in the discovery by E. O. Wilson of more ant species at Cusco
Amazónico / Reserva Amazónica than anywhere else in the world. Creation of the world’s largest
Orchidarium, of native species in their natural habitat, at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Sponsor
of ecological publications on conservation in both the rainforest and the Andean cloud forest.
FILMS - Peruvian producer of Aguirre, The Wrath of God, (1972); Burden of Dreams”; and
Fitzcarraldo (Best Director, Cannes 1982), of which Mr. Koechlin is also author.
PUBLICATIONS - Co-author of Orchids at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel; Co-author with Dr.
William Duelman of Cusco Amazónico Reserva, Perú: Biological Investigations, Conservation and
Ecoturism. University of Kansas, 1991.
EXPLORATION - Discoverer of “The Purification Inca Trail” to Machu Picchu, and of the original
Hiram Bingham Trail.
Page 10 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Wayne Koonce
Koonce & Company, LLC
Wayne Koonce has over the past 27 years compiled a notable real estate M&A record. As president
or managing director of real estate merchant banking firms, he has orchestrated over $8 billion of hotel,
resort and mixed-use transactions.
He engineered the acquisition of Inter-Continental Hotels (109 first-class hotels worldwide - $2.3
billion) – at the time (1989) the largest hotel deal ever done.
His list of credits includes La Costa Hotel and Spa, the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Hotel Washington,
Hotel Hana Maui, the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat, the Dana Point Resort and the Drake Hotel. He
orchestrated the acquisition and repositioning of the mixed-use Washington Harbour complex on the
Georgetown riverfront in Washington, DC. And he engineered the formation of a partnership, including
equity and debt financing, to develop the Peninsula Hotel as the keystone of a large mixed-use
development at 730 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago.
He currently is active in Latin America, the United States and Europe.
Koonce received his Bachelor's degree with highest honors from the University of Illinois, a Master's
degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University, and a Juris Doctor
degree with honors from the Harvard Law School.
Jonathan Kracer
Sion Capital LLC
Jonathan Kracer is the Founder and Managing Principal of SION CAPITAL LLC, a hospitality and
real estate consulting and private investment firm focused on the North American, Latin American, and
Caribbean regions, with offices in Miami and Mexico City.
Mr. Kracer also serves as a columnist for HotelNewsNow.com, a division of STR, Inc., and a leading
online hotel industry information and news portal. Mr. Kracer’s columns cover hotel asset-related
subjects, with a particular emphasis on cross-border topics related to North America, Latin America and
the Caribbean.
Mr. Kracer brings over twelve years of professional experience in the hotel operations, real estate,
finance, and consulting realms.
Mr. Kracer gained his consulting and finance-related skills and knowledge at Resort Development
Consultants and Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels in Miami, Banc of America Securities in New York City,
and Horwath HTL Consulting Asia Pacific in Jakarta and Singapore.
He began his career in hotel operations and management, working at world-renowned hotels and
resorts in the U.S., Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Mr. Kracer attained his Bachelor of Science Degree with Distinction from Cornell University’s School
of Hotel Administration and his Swiss Hotel Management Diploma from the Les Roches International
School of Hotel Management.
Ary Krivopisk
FSA Group
Ary Krivopisk joined FSA in 2012 to oversee the group’s expansion in Brazil. He is an economist
with a strong background in investment analysis, including considerable experience of emerging
markets. Prior to joining FSA Brazil, Ary worked for Pershing where he was responsible for operations
and trades throughout Latin American markets, in addition to responsibilities across the fixed income
and risk management desks.
Previously, he held an advisory and investment strategy role with HSBC Bank (2004-2010) with a
diverse portfolio of clients throughout the world.
Ary has contributed to a number of publications for the Federal Council of Investments.
Page 11 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Petr Kulic
Hilton Worldwide
Petr Kulic oversees and coordinates the Global Feasibility and Investment Analysis function across
Hilton Worldwide’s offices in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East/Asia Pacific. His team’s
financial underwriting primarily supports the Development and Real Estate functions at Hilton
Worldwide. Mr. Kulic joined the company in 2006 at its former headquarters in Beverly Hills, CA shortly
after the acquisition of Hilton International by Hilton Hotels Corporation. In 2007 he relocated to the
Europe Regional Office in the United Kingdom to establish the Feasibility and Investment Analysis
function in the Europe and Africa region. He has been based at the Hilton Worldwide Corporate
Headquarters in McLean, Virginia in his current role since 2009.
Prior to Hilton Worldwide, Mr. Kulic was a Vice President with HVS (Mineola, New York Office).
During his four-year tenure at HVS he completed numerous appraisals, feasibility studies and other
consulting assignments throughout the United States.
Mr. Kulic holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland,
with an academic concentration in market feasibility studies and valuations, management of
international hotel chains and financial issues of hospitality business development.
Mr. Kulic is a native of the Czech Republic and resides with his wife and their son in Northern Virginia.
Ander Legorreta
Cushman & Wakefield
Ander Legorreta joined Cushman & Wakefield Mexico as Executive Director of the Capital Markets
Area in August 2010 and today also heads the hotel practice of the firm. Mr. Legorreta was the Principal
of the Mexico City Office of O’Connor Capital Partners from 2006 to 2010, heading operations and
proposing new investments in Mexico for two $550 million-dollar funds. He worked for six years in the
Mexico City Office Jones Lang LaSalle heading the hotel practice as part of his responsibilities. In 2003
he launched the institutional investment practice for LaSalle Investment Management acquiring two
significant industrial portfolios for two major North American pension funds. Previously he worked for
major Mexican development companies specializing in the financial area.
He has been a board member Amexcap (Private Equity Mexican Association), AMPIP (Mexican
Association of Industrial Park Developers), ADI (Mexican Association of developers), ICSC
(International Council of Shopping Centers) and ULI. He is a founding member and a Vice-President
AMFII (Mexican Association of Real Estate and Infrastructure Funds). Ander holds a major in
Economics from ITAM and an MBA from IPADE where he graduated with honors. He is a board member
of Fundacion Mier y Pesado, a major Charity Foundation.
Francisco Levine
Atton Hotels
Francisco Levine is the Chief Executive Officer of Atton Hotels, a hospitality development and
operating company, aimed at establishing a leading brand in Latin America for business travelers.
Since Francisco joined Atton in 2008, the company has grown from two hotels to currently owning and
operating 1,200 rooms via six properties throughout Chile, Peru and Colombia. In addition, the brand
is developing a growing pipeline of 400+ announced rooms in Brickell - Downtown Miami, and
secondary cities.
Earlier in his career, Francisco worked as a strategic management consultant with McKinsey &
Company, serving large corporations in the hospitality, airline, banking, retail, television and basic
materials industries in Latin America.
Francisco holds a Master degree in Business Administration from UCLA Anderson School of
Business in California, and an undergraduate degree in Business from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in
Chile.
Francisco serves as a board member at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez and at the Chilean Hotel
Association. He enjoys cooking and has often been told he makes the best Spaghetti Vongole west of
the Andes.
Page 12 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Abelardo Loscos
Hoteles City Express
Mr. Loscos joined Hoteles City Express in 2011 and is responsible for the corporate finance, risk
management and investor relations activities. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Loscos was Vice
President of Global Banking at HSBC Mexico. He also previously worked in the investment banking
division at Goldman, Sachs & Co., focusing on Latin America generally and Mexico in particular. Mr.
Loscos holds a degree in Business Administration from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de Mexico,
as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration from IESE Business School.
Mark Lunt
Ernst & Young
With over 20 years of experience, Mark 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.
Mark 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. Mr. Lunt is a graduate of Cornell University and serves as Chair of ULI’s Recreational
Development Council. He 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.
Ricardo Mader Rodrigues
JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group
With over 25 years experience in the consulting field, Ricardo Mader Rodrigues has developed
comprehensive expertise in the hospitality and tourism industries in 10 countries in Latin America and
other regions. His consulting experience includes market research and analysis, facilities evaluation,
financial projections, feasibility studies, development of marketing strategies and marketing plans,
planning and development assistance, hotel companies selection and contract negotiation, and asset
management.
Mr. Rodrigues has been a guest speaker on numerous topics in hospitality seminars, including
market analysis and the state of the lodging industry in Brazil.
Professional experience includes, responsible for the annual industry report "Lodging Industry in
Numbers - Brazil". Managing consulting assignments for international hotel companies such as Marriott,
Starwood, Hyatt as well as other domestic organizations.
Mr. Rodrigues is a member of ISHC and is graduate of the Business Administration School of
Fundação Getulio Vargas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has undertaken further study in hotel management,
strategic planning for the hotel industry, and consulting for hotels and related industries at the "School
of Hotel Administration, Cornell University". His professional training was supplemented by a formal onthe-job training program with an international consulting firm in the United States.
Page 13 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
John McCarthy
Leisure Partners S.A.
Born in Mexico, received his degree from the school of Business Administration at La Salle University
in Mexico City.
McCarthy specialized in tourism early in his career, when he became involved in the development,
marketing, sales and operation of a resort project in Ixtapa
He was later appointed head of the Tourism Division of Bancomer, Mexico´s largest bank.
In February 2000, he was elected Chairman of the National Tourism Business Council.
In December 2000, President Vicente Fox of Mexico named McCarthy to the post of General Director
of the National Trust for the Development of Tourism (FONATUR), where he was part of the expanded
cabinet of the Mexican presidency.
McCarthy sat, on the Board of Mexican Tourism Promotion Board, and has been a member of the
Boards of the Presidente Intercontinental Hotels, Raintree Resorts International. He also sits on the
Boards of Christel House de México A.C., International Cruise and Excursions Inc. and Doc Solutions.
Currently, he is developing and marketing various resorts throughout Mexico, as well as acting as
an independent consultant in tourism real state.
Ted Middleton
Hilton Worldwide
Ted Middleton joined Hilton Hotels Corporation in 1996. His responsibilities include growing Hilton’s
brands in the region through management contracts and franchising agreements.
Prior to joining Hilton, Middleton served as Senior Vice President - 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 - 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
- Project Finance.
Middleton has a BS degree in economics from LeMoyne College and a MPS degree in hotel
administration from Cornell University.
Luis Mirabelli
Wyndham Hotel Group
Luis Mirabelli is vice president, development for Latin America and Caribbean, where he is
responsible for leading Wyndham Hotel Group’s development efforts in the region, including executing
strategic deals in key markets, establishing and maintaining a strong network of multi-unit development
partners and strengthening synergies between Wyndham Hotel Group and sister company RCI to help
further growth in the region.
Mirabelli joins Wyndham Hotel Group from RCI Latin America, where he served as vice president of
business development for South America. There, he focused on the development of the shared
ownership industry and business alliances in South America, including expanding affiliated resort and
new member bases, increasing new member acquisition and helping create and grow the South
American Shared Ownership Investment Conference (SASOIC), an annual event for the shared
ownership industry in Latin America.
Mirabelli began his career with RCI in 1992, returning in 2006 after serving as General Director for
Royal Holiday South America for four years, where he was responsible for the company’s planning,
business-to-business sales and administration.
Fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese, Mirabelli earned a degree in Industrial Engineering from
the University of Buenos Aires and attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Executive
Program for the Americas.
He is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Page 14 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Fabian Monsalve
Baker & McKenzie
Mr. Monsalve joined the firm in 2000. He is National Partner in the Real Estate & Infrastructure group
and leads the Tourism and Entertainment sector in Mexico. He has been a professor at the School of
Law and at the School of International Business of the Universidad Panamericana Guadalajara.
Mr. Monsalve focus on Real Estate, Trust, Development, Construction, Foreign Investment, General
Corporate Matters, Banking and Finance and Mergers & Adquisitions. The type of clients to which Mr.
Monsalve serves are Real Estate developers, single real estate units purchasers, inheritors. The type
of industries regularly served are manufacturing, commercial, construction and mining. The jurisdiction
of practice is Mexico, however in certain transactions Mr. Monsalve has coordinated with other
jurisdictions like the USA, Europe and Asia.
Professional affiliations includes, active member of the Tourism Committee of the American
Chamber in Guadalajara and an active member of the Tourism Council for the State of Jalisco.
Admission, Mexico (1995)
Education, Universidad Panamericana Guadalajara (LD) (1995), Universidad Panamericana
Guadalajara (LDEC) (1997), Universidad de Warwick, Inglaterra (LLM) (1999)
Roland Mouly
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Mr. Mouly is directing all development activities for the Carlson Rezidor hotel group in the Caribbean,
Mexico and Latin America. His duties consist of 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 secure brand enhancing acquisition, management and
franchise opportunities. He is currently expanding the company in the upper upscale segment in major
gateways with Radisson Blu whilst focusing on initiatives to establish a network of mid-market Park Inn
by Radisson hotels to complement the extensive Radisson portfolio. Roland is also developing
Radisson Red, Carlson’s new upscale lifestyle offering, with a selective group of owner/developer
seeking a contemporary and efficient hotel concept.
Leveraging his leadership skills he manages and maintains communication between owners,
operators, JV partners and Carlson executive leadership to coordinate 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
hotel assets, positioning several prominent international hotel companies as leading operator and
franchisor in various segments (Regent, Radisson, Renaissance, Park, Country Inn and 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.
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.
Page 15 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Fernando Mulet
Playa Hotels & Resorts
Mr. Mulet heads the Acquisitions Group for Playa Hotels & Resorts. Prior to joining Playa Hotels &
Resorts, he was the Director of International Investments & Asset Management with Highland
Hospitality (NYSE: HIH). He brings more than 10 years of International hotel experience in both hotel
operations and corporate positions. A native of Spain, Mr. Muletbegan his career within the hospitality
industry at Barceló Hotels & Resorts in Mexico, Spain and Orlando, Florida. He earned his degrees at
the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE) and Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He continued
his education in the US at Cornell University where he earned a certification in Real Estate,
Development and Hotel Investment.
Jose Pepe Munoz
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Jose “Pepe” Munoz is Senior Director of Franchising & Development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Latin America and Caribbean based in Miami, Florida. In this role, he is responsible for expanding
Starwood’s footprint in the region through franchise agreements across the company’s distinctive
design-led brands The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft.
Starwood’s franchise hotel portfolio in Latin America and the Caribbean has increased to 54 hotels in
15 countries and Jose has been instrumental to this growth.
Pepe joined Starwood more than four decades ago and brings a wealth of expertise to the
organization. A seasoned hotelier, he has held on-property and corporate positions in operations and
sales & marketing across the Americas. He also held the position of Vice President, Director of
Development for Latin America for Carlson Companies where he was responsible for the growth of the
Radisson brand in Latin America. He began his career as international project coordinator for Holiday
Inn Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.
A member of the US Military, Jose served on the United States Air Force. He received a Bachelor
of Arts Degree from the University of Puerto Rico where he majored in Political Science with a focus on
Latin America politics.
Michael Murphy
First Fidelity Companies
Mr. Murphy serves as Head of Lodging and Leisure Capital Markets of the First Fidelity Mortgage
Corporation. He is a director of Ashford Hospitality Prime, listed on the NYSE under the symbol AHP
and a director of American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange
under the symbol HOT.UN. He was previously Lead Director of Ashford Hospitality Trust, listed on the
NYSE under the symbol AHT.
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)
four times and currently serves on the board of the Atlanta Hospitality Alliance. He is the 2014 recipient
of the IREFAC C. Everett Johnson Award.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Memphis and a Master of Arts degree
from the University of Iowa.
Page 16 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Fernando Olivera
Gobierno del Edo de Guanajuato
Born in Mexico City, at November 14th, 1969, Mr. Fernando Olivera was declared Minister of
Tourism of Guanajuato by the Governor Miguel Márquez Márquez. Has a degree in Tourism Business
Administration for the Anáhuac University, in Mexico, and a Master in Commercial Direction and
International Marketing by the Business Institute of Madrid, Spain; Candidate to Doctorate in Tourism
by the UNWTO and the Antonio de Nebrija University of Madrid, Spain.
Mr. Olivera is the former Tourism Operation Vice Minister of the Federal Government, also
developing his career as General Director on the Tourism Office of Mexico in Spain and Portugal, and
as Director of several Hotels and National Associations. He is one of the principal elaborators of
National Agreement for the Tourism of Mexico, the principal directive policy of the Tourism in our
country. In FITUR 2015, he was awarded for his Professional Career with the Excelencias Awards 2014.
As the prime directive for our State, the Minister of Tourism is committed with the main goal of our
Administration, headed by the Governor Miguel Márquez Márquez: to establish Guanajuato as the
Cultural Destination of Mexico.
Santiago L. Porta
IFC - World Bank Group
Santiago Porta works at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the
World Bank Group, where he is a Principal Investment Officer at the Manufacturing, Agribusiness and
Services group. He is responsible for the origination and execution of transactions in the Tourism,
Retail and Property sectors including Latin America. He has worked at the IFC for ten years across all
regions including the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Prior to IFC, he worked in the
corporate finance and structured finance groups of Price Waterhouse Coopers and Enron respectively,
mainly in South America. He lives in Washington DC, US.
Santiago obtained an Engineering Degree at the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (Argentina),
followed by an MBA at the IESE Business School (Barcelona, Spain).
Scott Preston
Preston Arza LLP
Scott concentrates his practice in the areas of domestic and international real estate development,
finance and investment transactions. He has an extensive background in the areas of international
hotel and resort development and financing, international corporate and tax structuring, property
acquisitions and sales, land use and the development regulatory process, construction, leasing, foreign
investment, and commercial real estate financing.
He currently serves as a Board of Trustees Member of the American Resort Development
Association and also has been a member of the Mexican Resort Development Association
(AMDETUR). He is a member of the California Bar Association (Sections on Real Estate, Corporate
and International Law) and the Los Angeles County Bar Association (Sections on Real Estate, Business
and International Law).
Scott is a graduate of Universidad de Guanajuato foreign exchange program, Mexico (1990), the
University of Michigan (A.B., summa cum laude, 1992) and Harvard Law School (J.D., cum laude,
1995), where he was articles editor and associate editor for the Harvard International Law Review as
well as articles editor and supervising editor for the Harvard Latino Law Review.
Page 17 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Eduardo Quiñónez
Grupo Agrisal
I serve as Director of the Hotel Division of AGRISAL Group since 1994 which now operates 8 hotels
in Central America. During my tenure, I carried out an external and internal transformation of the
organization and a drastic change in the service, which has led the conglomerate to be recognized by
the IHG chain and the "Great Place to Work Institute." Likewise, I was actively involved in the negotiation
of an agreement of "Master Franchise" with IHG that led the group to the acquisition of Holiday Inn San
Salvador, Indigo Hotel in Costa Rica and the development and construction of 4 other hotels in Central
America under the Holiday Inn brand. I also led a strategic alliance between the group and a Latin
American hotel group for the construction of what is now World Trade Center, San Salvador.
I have participated as Board Member, Director and consultant at various companies, government
organizations and NGOs. such as, National Committee INCAE, CORSATUR, CASATUR, Convention
Bureau, Executive Committee of the International Fair, I also chaired the British Salvadoran Foundation,
Sana Mi Corazon Foundation and Active 20-30 Club. I am a founding member of FUSADES FUNTER,
FUNDEMAS and SALVANATURA. I am the past president of IHG Owners Association for Latin America
representing over 100 properties in Central, South America and the Caribbean. I am also a YPO-WPO
member of the El Salvador chapter. Currently I serve on the board of the third largest Insurance
Company in El Salvador.
I hold a Master’s degree in Business Administration from INCAE and two university degrees in
Business Administration and Finance from the University of Southwestern in Lafayette.
Jeffrey Reinstein
Geolo Capital
As a Principal at Geolo Capital, Jeffrey brings his development experience within the boutique and
lifestyle hotel space to his role as a member of the business development team that is responsible for
buying, overseeing and selling the firm’s hospitality real estate.
Prior to joining Geolo, Jeffrey held several positions within Commune Hotels & Resorts, serving most
recently as the Senior Director of Acquisitions and Development, leading the company’s growth efforts
on the East Coast of the United States. Jeffrey’s primary responsibilities included sourcing, acquiring
and negotiating management contracts and investment opportunities for each of Commune’s hotel
brands. Previously, Jeffrey worked at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants on the Acquisitions and
Development team, evaluating new acquisitions for the company’s private equity real estate funds and
third-party management agreements.
Jeffrey graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. from the School of Hotel Administration. Gustavo Ripol
Leisure Partners SA DE CV
Co-Founder and Principal at Leisure Partners, a company dedicated to providing consulting,
development, project management and marketing and sales services for Hospitality and Leisure Real
Estate projects in Mexico.
His recent projects include the Travel Club and Fractional Ownership Projects for Grupo Quinta Real
and for Grupo Presidente (InterContinental Hotels in Mexico), and most recently a joint partnership with
Banyan Tree Capital and Sequentia Consultores to launch the Banyan Tree Mexico Hospitality Fund.
Mr. Ripol has more than 30 years of experience in the tourism industry, particularly in the area of
vacation ownership and hospitality; he participated in projects such as Pacifica Ixtapa Resort, in
Bancomer’s Tourism Division as Planning Director, at RCI as Director of Marketing and Product
development for Latin America, at Raintree Resorts / Club Regina as President and at Grupo Quinta
Real as CEO.
Page 18 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Scott Robinson
ITP
Scott Robinson is Partnerships and Operations Manager for the International Tourism Partnership’s
- Youth Career Initiative (YCI).
YCI teaches life and work skills to at-risk young people using hotels as its learning platform. The
programme boasts a twenty-year track record of success, and currently offers opportunities for
approximately 350 young people annually in 14 countries across five continents. Having joined the
Youth Career Initiative team in October 2014, Scott is working to enable the growth of Youth Career
Initiative, to over 400 hotels, and 2,500 graduates annually by 2019.
Scott has over eight years experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors in roles including
fundraising, communications, programme management and front-line service delivery.
Blanca Rodriguez
Banyan Tree Capital Mexico
With more than 15 years of real estate experience, Blanca has been actively involved in the capital
raising, sourcing, structuring and execution of over $4.0 billion of debt and equity transactions in Mexico
across all property types. Blanca is currently Managing Director of the Banyan Tree Capital Mexico
Hospitality Fund, which will focus on real estate investments in all segments of Mexico’s hospitality
sector.
Blanca is one of the founding partners of Real Capital Investment Management “RCIM” (formerly
DTZ Rockwood Mexico) where she collaborated for 10 years. Prior to RCIM, Blanca was the head of
New Business and Equity for GE Real Estate Mexico and before GE, Blanca worked with AEW Capital
Management and with Beacon Properties, both in Boston, MA.
Throughout her career Blanca has served in various capacities, including asset management and
advisory relationships on behalf of major foreign institutional investors.
Ms. Rodriguez holds a Masters of Urban Planning, Finance and Real Estate and a Bachelor of
Architecture from Cornell University.
Ms. Rodriguez was Elected Chair of ULI Mexico 2007-2010 and is currently ULI Mexico’s Executive
Director. She also participates as an active member of the editorial board of Inmobiliare, a Mexican
Real Estate Magazine and Supporting Member of the Cornell University Real Estate Council.
Javier Rosenberg
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Javier Rosenberg is responsible for leading operations and development for Carlson Rezidor Hotel
Group which includes Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Park Inn® by Radisson, Park Plaza®, Country Inns &
Suites By CarlsonSM as well as the recently introduced Radisson Red brand in the Americas, reporting
to David P. Berg, chief operating officer, Carlson.
In this role, he is focused on the performance, and growth of the Carlson Rezidor brands in the
Americas. Key Initiatives include further expansion of the revitalized Radisson brand; the introduction
and growth of Carlson Rezidor’s upper upscale brand, Radisson Blu; the launch of Radisson Red, the
new lifestyle brand announced in early 2014; supporting evolution of the Country Inns & Suites By
Carlson into the new Generation 4 program; and focus on Carlson Rezidor’s owned and managed
portfolio in the Americas, ensuring operational excellence and optimizing performance of the hotels.
Rosenberg has been with Carlson Rezidor since January of 2011 in a number of executive
leadership roles. His past experiences include extensive global operational roles in North America, Latin
America, Europe and Asia with companies including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Raffles.
Page 19 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Andres Sanchez
GHL Hoteles
Development Director for GHL Hoteles Group SCA during the last 20 years. He has been
responsible of the technology development for the consultancy advice in the areas of Viability and
Feasibility of Project, Architectural Design, Hospitality Engineering, Endowment and Equipment and
Pre-Operation. He has participated in the evaluation and / or development of more than 100 hotel
projects in the Pre-Operation process execution and launch of 60 projects, and the executive
management of the operation more than 10 of these.
Manager of Tourism and Hospitality companies from the Externado University of Colombia with
postgraduate studies in Financial Management from the same university. He has been a university
professor in the area of budgeting and utility planning. Hospitality Consultant in the area of Product
Development, Financial Planning and Strategic Planning. He has served as Comptroller and General
Manager in hotel operations and oil and mining camps.
Paul J. Sistare
Atlantica Hotels International Inc.
Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of São Paulo based Atlantica Hotels International
Inc.; Mr. Sistare is also the recipient of the prestigious Latin American Pioneer Award for Lifetime
Achievement from the International Society of Hospitality Consultants. As South America’s largest
privately held hospitality company, Atlantica Hotels has 83 hotels open and operating in 44 Brasilian
cities, 38 under construction and 17 in development representing over 24,000 rooms focused
specifically in Brasil under the Choice and Carlson brands. Atlantica Hotels is universally acknowledged
and regularly ranked by industry trades in the top 100 largest international hotel companies.
Atlantica has been recognized as the model for corporate social responsibility by the President of
Brasil which compelled the Brasilian Senate to officially adopt May 17th established by Atlantica as
“Childhood Day.” Atlantica has raised over USD$5 million for Childhood in 6 years and constructed 8
shelters for abused and abandoned children.
Prior to Atlantica Hotels International, Sistare was President and CEO of Hong Kong based Richfield
Hospitality Services, Inc., operating more than 23 brands of hospitality products. Preceding Richfield,
Sistare was EVP, Americas with London-based Forte PLC.
James Slattery
BCQS International
James is a Director of BCQS International Ltd. (www.bqcs.com) heading up their office in Brazil and
BCQS’s expansion into the South American market. James resides in São Paulo, the financial capital
of South America.
James is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager by profession, with over three
decades of experience in Property Development, Real Estate, and Construction particularly in the hotels
and resorts sector.
BCQS has 13 offices across the Latin America and Caribbean region (Brazil, Colombia, Guyana,
Barbados, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Panama, St. Lucia,
Trinidad and Turks and Caicos). The practice has worked in over 30 countries during their 46 year
history.
Page 20 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Salo Smaletz
IHG
Salo Smaletz is the Vice-President Development for Latin America for InterContinental Hotels
Group. Salo graduated from Fundacao Armando Alvares Penteado in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1990 with a
bachelor in Business Administration and Marketing. He ran his Tour Operator business in Brazil until
1997 when he moved to Miami, Florida to pursue a Master’s Degree in Hospitality and Food Science
at Florida International University. Upon his graduation in 1999 he worked for Hilton International as a
corporate trainee in Chicago and Toronto and as Development Director in the Miami Area Office until
he joined InterContinental Hotels Group in May, 2006.
Rogerio Souza
Host Hotels & Resorts
Rogerio has worked as a Management Consultant in Sao Paulo advising clients in strategic projects.
He was an investment banker with Deutsche Bank in London and a private equity associate with GP
Investments in Brazil prior to becoming Investor Relations Officer and M&A Executive Director at Brazil
Hospitality Group in Rio de Janeiro.
Rogerio has an Engineering bachelor’s degree from Unicamp and an MBA in Finance from the
University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, and since 2011 he is a Senior Vice President at Host
Hotels and Resorts, based out of Miami, from where he oversees the company’s investment efforts in
Latin America.
Yrene Tamayo
Bricapital
Mrs. Tamayo oversees the business affairs of the firm to manage the long-term development of the
company and its subsidiaries. She takes a lead role in fund development and management, negotiation
and structuring of strategic partnerships and project development, and oversees the operations and
performance of Bricapital’s regional platforms, including Colombia, Mexico, and Peru.
Prior to joining Bricapital, Mrs. Tamayo was the Director of Americas for Applied Business
Intelligence, an international strategic consulting firm. Previously she was CIO for Victory Management,
a real estate investment company focused on commercial real estate in the United States and India.
She was a commercial real estate broker with Coldwell Banker, and was recognized as one of the
top 10 brokers in the United States for six consecutive years. She received CoStar Group’s Power
Broker Award, awarded to the best commercial brokers in South Florida.
Mrs. Tamayo is a Certified Commercial Investment Member from the CCIM Institute, and holds
certifications in Development, Design and Construction, Finance, and Open Air Centers, Marketing and
Leasing from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). She has a Bachelors in
International Relations from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and a post graduate certificate from
the Merchant Marines Institute of Venezuela. Currently she is pursuing a Masters in Real Estate
Development at Nova Southeastern University.
Page 21 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Russell D. Urban
Destination Hotels
Russ Urban brings more than 30 years of knowledge as a senior real estate professional to the
Destination Hotels 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.
Victor Vazquez
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Victor Vazquez is Vice President of Development and Acquisitions for Starwood Hotels & Resorts,
Latin America. In this role, he is instrumental to expanding Starwood’s portfolio in Latin America and
the Caribbean. Starwood currently has 96 hotels in 18 countries, under eight distinct lifestyle brands,
and plans to double that number by 2020.
Victor has more than two decades of global experience in feasibility, development, investment &
asset management, brand management and operations and finance support. Before joining Starwood,
Victor was based in Singapore where he played an active role in shaping and executing the IHG Asia,
Middle East & Africa (AMEA) operations strategy as well as leading development of hotel operating
models and processes for new hotel brands, joint ventures and special projects. Previously, Victor was
part of the Global Operations team and Operations Council based out of IHG’s head office in the United
Kingdom.
After completing his MBA in 2000 at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Victor joined IHG and
has had various executive roles and served as General Manager at city-center, resort and convention
properties in the US, Argentina and Venezuela.
Bruce D. Wardinski
Playa Hotels & Resorts
Mr. Wardinski is the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Playa Hotels & Resorts (“Playa”). Playa
is the owner of all-inclusive resorts located in Mexico and the Caribbean. Mr. Wardinski has served in
his current position since founding Playa in early 2006.
Previously, Mr. Wardinski was CEO of Barceló Crestline Corporation; Chairman of the Board of
Highland Hospitality Corporation (NYSE: HIH); Chairman, President and CEO of Crestline Capital
Corporation (NYSE: CLJ); Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Host Marriott Corporation (NYSE:
HMT); and served in various other capacities with Host Marriott and Marriott Corporation. He graduated
with honors from the University of Virginia with a B.S. degree in Commerce and earned an MBA degree
in Finance from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Wardinski currently serves as Chairman of the ServiceSource Foundation, serves on the Board
of Directors of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and is a member of the George Mason
University Foundation Board of Trustees.
Mr. Wardinski serves as a director of DiamondRock Hospitality Company (NYSE:DRH) and
previously served as director of privately-owned international resort company Kerzner International.
Page 22 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Stefan C. M. Wright
Inter-American Development Bank
Mr. Wright is a Lead Investment Officer in the Structured and Corporate Finance Department at the
Inter-American Development Bank (“IDB”) in Jamaica. Mr. Wright is responsible for making loans
directly to the private sector throughout Latin America and the Caribbean with an emphasis on Jamaica.
Mr. Wright is the senior banker covering the tourism and hospitality sector throughout the Caribbean
and Latin America.
Mr. Wright was the CEO of Near Shore Solutions Inc., a financial advisory firm (2005-2008).
Mr. Wright was also formerly a Vice President of Investment Banking in the Media & Telecom Group
at Banc of America Securities in New York (1997-2004). As Vice President, his responsibilities included
raising debt and equity securities as well as providing mergers and acquisitions advisory services to
telecom companies.
Mr. Wright holds a Master’s in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from the Leonard N. Stern School
of Business at New York University (Major in Finance), U.S.A. (1997). He holds a BSc. Accounting
(Hons.) from the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona. Mr. Wright has completed all stages of the
ACCA examinations.
Mr. Wright is a past recipient of the Carreras Postgraduate Scholarship (1995-1997) and of the
KPMG Peat Marwick Scholarship in Accounting (1991-1993).
Mr. Wright and his wife, Marilyn have three children.
Todd G. Wynne-Parry
Commune Hotels & Resorts
Todd Wynne-Parry is Executive Vice President, Acquisitions & Development for Commune Hotels
& Resorts. He is responsible for establishing the development platform, developing a growth vision and
team, securing management contracts and reviewing investment opportunities for the Commune. The
Commune growth team now includes five development professionals and three development offices
including San Francisco, New York City and Singapore.
During his thirty years in the hotel industry, Todd has held senior development positions with Pan
Pacific Hotels Group, InterContinental Hotels Group, Starwood, and most recently Trump Hotel
Collection. He has worked and lived in the USA, Great Britain, Asia and Australia. While in Australia
he was instrumental in the expansion of the Vidor family’s Toga Hospitality Group. For ten years he
served on the Tourism Committee of the Property Council of Australia and coordinated the formulation
of the PCA’s positions on issues such as sustainability for hotels, illegally operating serviced apartments
and the push for new convention and exhibition space in Sydney.
Todd holds an MBA from the Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management, Glendale
AZ and a BA from Alma College, Alma Michigan. He studied abroad as an undergraduate at Scotland’s
University of Aberdeen and was recently appointed to the University’s US charity foundation board of
directors. He is a keen fly fisherman, mountain and road biker and includes canoeing and woodworking
as passions.
Page 23 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Jonathon S. Zink
BHN
Jonathon Zink is managing director for Burba Hotel Network (BHN) based in California, where he
directs and/or manages various hotel and tourism investment conferences produced by BHN around
the world. Program development, event growth, and special projects such as operational processes
and new business opportunities also fit under his management. BHN has successfully completed over
120 conferences in 22 countries, where over 85,000 delegates from around the world have come
together to network, conduct business, and learn about the latest trends.
Most recently, Jonathon was manager, strategic business unit for The Soneva Group based in both
the Maldives and Thailand. With Soneva, he worked in cross-functional teams to develop and
implement group-wide initiatives, analyzed and recommended solutions for new projects/business
opportunities, and reported directly to the chairman & CEO. The Soneva Group is a successful luxury
collection of world-class resorts that sets the benchmark for responsible tourism through its SLOW LIFE
philosophy.
Jonathon holds an MBA from the International University of Japan (IUJ) in 2013 and a BA from The
School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University (MSU) in 2004. In addition to being an active
IUJ alumnus, he serves on the Real Estate Investment Management Advisory Council at MSU.
Francisco A. Zinser Cieslik
Santa Fe Grupo Hotelero
CEO of Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe, formerly Chief Strategy and Development Officer and Chief
Operations Officer for the NH group from 2005 through 2013.
Bachelor in Business Administration from the Anahuac University of Mexico, Specialization in
Finance, speaks three languages fluently: English, Spanish and German.
Francisco Zinser started his career 32 years ago from line positions to General Manager of several
properties in Mexico and abroad as well as key corporate positions.
He had a successful career at Grupo Posadas for 14 years working in both hotels and corporate
office, last position was VP Development reporting to the CEO. Afterwards he was invited to direct as
founding CEO of Group Chartwell, which became the third largest hotel group in just three years after
its foundation in 1996 and franchisee of Hilton after more than 25 year of absence of the brand in the
Mexican market developing several properties in the country. The Chartwell portfolio subsequently
became NH Mexico.
In 2013 he joines Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe as its CEO and together with the team they boost the
company’s growth and complete a successful IPO in September 2014.
During his career he has been President of the National Association of Hotel Chains (ANCH), is
Member of National Tourist Business Council of Mexico and member of Advisory Board of the Institute
Glion of Higher Education in Switzerland. In December 2010 he was recognized for his career by the
prestiged “Cátedra de Turismo Miguel Alemán 2010” lecturing two keynote conferences.
Joel Zorrilla
Fibra Inn
Joel Zorrilla is Co-founder and Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Fibra Inn. He has nearly 30
years of experience in the hospitality industry. Under his management, hotels have been consistently
recognized for their excellence and have received several awards, including Promus International Hotel
of The Year and Developer of the Year, Mexico region by Intercontinental Hotels Group.
Joel Zorrilla holds a Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Monterrey TEC and a Master
Degree in Business Administration from Columbia University in New York City. Member of the Executive
Committees of the Convention and Visitors Bureaus of Monterrey, Saltillo, Torreon, and Ciudad Juarez.
He has been President of the IHG Owners Association for the Mexico Region; and was a member
of the IHG Owner’s Association Global Board, where it represented Mexico.
He was President and Co-founder of the YEO Monterrey Chapter.
Page 24 of 25
SPEAKERS
as of April 21, 2015
Alejandro Zozaya
Apple Leisure Group
Alejandro (Alex) Zozaya is Chief Executive Officer of Apple Leisure Group®, an esteemed collection
of vertically integrated hospitality companies comprised of Apple Vacations®, Travel Impressions®,
CheapCaribbean.com®, AMResorts®, Amstar dmc®, and Unlimited Vacation Club®.
Alex has served as CEO for Apple Leisure Group (ALG) since its 2013 inception. His 30+ years of
industry experience, including 11 years as AMResorts' Founding President and CEO, shaped his vision
and helped him propel ALG to its current status as the #1 provider worldwide of leisure travel to Mexico
and the Dominican Republic.
Currently, Apple Leisure Group, through AMResorts, operates 36 resorts with over 13,730 rooms in
15 beach destinations across the Caribbean, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and
Panama. In addition to expanding its footprint within existing regions, Alex is launching initiatives to
introduce Apple Leisure Group’s best-in-class products and services to spectacular locations in Central
America and beyond.
Prior to establishing AMResorts in 2001, Alex held senior positions at Fiesta Americana Hotels &
Resorts, including Vice President of Sales and Marketing, where he directed all commercial activities
for Latin America's largest hotel consortium.
Alex's outstanding contributions to international hotel business has earned him numerous
distinctions such as "Hotelier of the Year", and the Diamante award. He has been included on
Expansions' list of the 100 most important and influential business people in Mexico for the last three
consecutive years and most recently, the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (AAHS) presented
Alex with their prestigious International Star Diamond Achievement Award for hospitality excellence.
Page 25 of 25