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About Us

About Us

The hospitality industry is diverse, but women and other under-represented groups continue to face a broken rung at the upper levels of management. DEI Advisors is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering personal success by sharing insights and learnings from industry leaders. While many companies are doing wonderful work in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, individuals must also be responsible for their own personal growth and career aspirations.

 

Through interviews with industry leaders, we hope to share learnings to help you:

  • Overcome the "Imposter syndrome" and "head trash"

  • Become more effective in networking

  • Triumph over structural barriers and other challenges

  • Acquire sponsors, advocates, and mentors

  • Find strength and resilience in the face of adversity

  • Bring harmony to work life demands

 

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Rachel Humphrey
Bio

Lan Elliott
Bio

Dr. Huilian Duan
Bio

Dorothy Dowling
Bio

David Kong
Bio

Inteviews with DEI Advisors

Interviews with DEI Advisors

We interview industry leaders, life coaches, educators, best seller authors, and executive recruiters and bring you stories of their triumphs and failures. Learn how they overcome their challenges and setbacks and excelled to their present stature. Each leader we interview is an advisor who can provide inspiration and motivation in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Bios

We interview established industry leaders, life coaches and executive recruiters and bring you stories of their triumphs and failures. Learn how they overcome their challenges and setbacks and excelled to their present stature. Use the links below to access their valuable insights and perspectives. 

Mark Keiser
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Mark Keiser is President, Development for Viceroy Hotel Group. Previously, he was the President and Chief Development Officer for EOS Hospitality where he built the third-party management vertical for EOS Investors / EOS Hospitality, and Chief Development Officer for SH Hotels & Resorts. Mark was also a leader on Starwood Hotel’s development team and held varying leadership roles including leading Starwood’s luxury development activities across the US, Canada and Caribbean, and Starwood’s real estate investment activities on the East Coast and in the Caribbean. Before joining Starwood’s team, he worked for the financial services firm, Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., as well as Wyndham International and Prime Hospitality. He is a former member of Cornell’s Young Alumni Dean’s Advisory Board and an active member of the Hotel Development Council of the Urban Land Institute. He also currently is a Board Member of Common Energy, a leader in the community solar industry.

Mark Keiser
President, Development
Viceroy Hotel Group 

Fran Brasseux
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Fran Brasseux, CHSE, CHBA, CTTA, assumed the top leadership role for the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE).  Fran’s mission at ICHRIE is to support the organization’s new strategic plan and foster synergies between the hospitality industry and education. With a wealth of knowledge and experience in both the hospitality and tourism industry as well as association leadership, she brings valuable insights to her position. In the early stages of her career, Fran worked extensively in conference planning and hotel sales. Later, she transitioned to the next chapter, where she held key roles at the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). There, she served as the Executive Vice President of HSMAI and subsequently became the President of the HSMAI Foundation.

Fran Brasseux
CEO
ICHRIE 

John Fareed
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John Fareed, MSc CHME ISHC, is Global Chairman of Horwath HTL, the global leader
in hotel, tourism, and leisure consulting. The brand boasts 250 senior advisors working
out of sixty offices in fifty countries. He is also author of From Invisible to Icon: How to
Become a Known Expert in Your Industry, published by Post Hill Press and distributed
by Simon & Schuster. The book takes readers through his transformative journey from US Marine to professional magician—performing on cruise ships, in casinos, and at
private clubs such as the famed Magic Castle in Hollywood, California—to
internationally recognized hotel consultant, having never worked in the industry, and
without the benefit of a college education. It also shares the personal branding insights,
powerful strategies and tactics that he learned

John Fareed
Global Chairman
Horwath HTL

Brian Leon
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Brian Leon is Chief Executive Officer of Choice Hotels Canada. Prior to joining Choice in 2007, Brian had an extensive background in the Canadian franchise industry. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the Ivey School of Business at Western University. Brian is a member of the Board of Directors of the Hotel Association of Canada and served on the Executive Committee and as Treasurer from 2019 to 2023. He is the former Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Franchise Association, former Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Cancer Society Toronto District, and former Chair of the Board of Directors of Canadian Feed the Children, an international children’s aid organization.

Brian Leon,
CEO
Choice Hotels Canada 

Dawn Gallagher
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Dawn Gallagher is an accomplished sales and marketing executive with extensive experience in multiple markets and experience working with both branded and independent hotels. As Chief Commercial Officer, Dawn oversees all Crescent sales, marketing, public relations, revenue and digital strategies. Prior to joining Crescent Hotels & Resorts, Dawn served as the Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Interstate Hotels, where she was responsible for all sales, marketing and revenue for all independent hotels in NYC, Interstate owned assets, as well as other priority projects. Dawn is a key asset to Crescent Hotels & Resorts as she provides knowledge of successful hotel openings, brand transitions and the ability to drive market share.

Dawn Gallagher,
Chief Commercial Officer
Crescent Hotels & Resorts

Jacqui Gifford
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As the editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure, Jacqui Gifford is always on the next plane. She constantly scouts for new hotels, shops, and restaurants to give readers the latest news and trends and frequently appears as an expert guest on television networks, including NBC, CBS, ABC, CNBC, and MSNBC. A graduate of Princeton University with a bachelor's degree in English, Jacqui was born in Japan and raised in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has traveled the world extensively and lives in New York City with her husband and son. Her passions include sustainability, luxury, wellness, multigenerational travel, and more.

Jacqui Gifford
Editor in Chief
Travel & Leisure

Chirag Shah
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Chirag Shah
EVP, Federal & Political Affairs
and Counsel
AHLA

Chirag Shah is the Executive Vice President for Federal and Political Affairs and Counsel at AHLA. Chirag leads AHLA’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with federal agencies. He previously served as AHLA's Senior Vice President of Federal Affairs. Prior to joining AHLA, Chirag served as the Vice President for Government Affairs at AAHOA, the nation's largest hotel owners association.  During his decade-long tenure working in the lodging industry, Chirag has focused on critical issues facing hoteliers including tax reform, workforce relations, relief from predatory litigation, championing human trafficking prevention, and advocating for economic stimulus in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Chirag previously served as a deputy director and legal advisor at the Republican National Committee, the campaign manager for former Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, and in multiple roles for U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02).

Miraj Patel
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Miraj S. Patel
President, Wayside Investment Group
Incoming Chairman, AAHOA

Miraj S. Patel, MBA, CHIA, CHO, serves as the Vice Chairman of AAHOA, the world's largest hotel owners association with 20,000 members in 2022 that collectively own 60 percent of the hotels in the United States and are responsible for 1.7% of the nation’s GDP. Miraj is a second-generation hotelier who began his career in hospitality from a young age growing up in his family’s first 30-room independent property. Today, Miraj is President of Wayside Investment Group. He serves as a Director at Large of Texas Hotel & Lodging Association. He also serves on various industry associations and charitable organizations, and continues to seek opportunities to make a positive difference. Miraj earned his Master's in Business Administration, and his Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Lodging Management from Johnson and Wales University in Miami, Florida.

Jay Shah
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Jay H. Shah
Senior Advisor
Hersha Hotels & Resorts

Jay Shah is Senior Advisor to Hersha Hotels & Resorts, a portfolio Company of KSL Capital Partners. Prior to his current role, he served as CEO and Executive Chairman of the Hersha Hospitality Trust, a NYSE listed REIT. Jay was involved in all areas of the business with a particular emphasis on strategic relationships, capital transactions, asset management, and acquisitions. He serves on Cornell University’s Dean’s Advisory Board for the School of Hotel Administration and is also a member of AHLA’s Board of Directors, AHLA’s Hospitality Investment Roundtable, and the Chief Executives Organization. Jay also serves on the Jefferson University and Hospital System’s CEO advisory board and is a member of the Board of Trustees of both the National Constitution Center and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Chirag Shah
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Chirag Shah
EVP, Federal & Political Affairs
and Counsel
AHLA

Chirag Shah is the Executive Vice President for Federal and Political Affairs and Counsel at AHLA. Chirag leads AHLA’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with federal agencies. He previously served as AHLA's Senior Vice President of Federal Affairs. Prior to joining AHLA, Chirag served as the Vice President for Government Affairs at AAHOA, the nation's largest hotel owners association.  During his decade-long tenure working in the lodging industry, Chirag has focused on critical issues facing hoteliers including tax reform, workforce relations, relief from predatory litigation, championing human trafficking prevention, and advocating for economic stimulus in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Chirag previously served as a deputy director and legal advisor at the Republican National Committee, the campaign manager for former Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, and in multiple roles for U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02).

Traci Mercer
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Traci Mercer
SVP & Head of Accommodations
Priceline

Traci Mercer joined Priceline in 2023 as Senior Vice President and Head of the Accommodations business for Priceline, and Senior Vice President Priceline Agoda Global Partner Services. She is responsible for providing strategic direction for the company’s accommodations business, as well as cultivating and managing relationships with travel partners and overseeing the strategic stakeholder relationships in the industry. 

Prior to joining Priceline, Traci held a variety of executive leadership roles at Sabre, Hootsuite, Expedia Group, after getting her start in the industry in operational and property level roles with Hilton Hotels.  She has worked and lived in the US, Canada, and Singapore leading globally disburse teams.  

Traci has a MBA from Washington State University and an undergraduate degree from Eastern Washington University.  In addition to loving to travel, Traci enjoys spending time with her husband and dogs and is an active animal rescue volunteer. 

Kristie Goshow
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Kristie Goshow
Chief Commercial Officer
KSL Resorts

Kristie Goshow is a trailblazing leader in the hospitality and travel industry. With an impressive career spanning over two decades, she has held prominent positions at renowned organizations, including Chief Marketing Officer for Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Senior Vice President, Commercial for Viceroy Hotel Group, and Group Director of Distribution Marketing and Innovation at the ultra-luxury Jumeirah Group in Dubai.

As the Chief Commercial Officer at KSL Resorts, Kristie is responsible for driving revenue strategies, brand development, marketing, and global sales to ensure returns to all stakeholder groups. She also plays an active role in the organization's recruitment, training, and development of top-tier talent.

Kristie's influence extends to industry boards, including HSMAI Americas and the HSMAI Foundation, where she shapes strategies and standards. She's a key member of the T100 Executive Committee, collaborating with technology leaders to drive transformative change in hospitality technology.

Azim Saju
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Azim Saju is the CEO of Ark Holdings Group. Ark is involved in the development and management of a portfolio of hotels across North America. Azim was previously President & CEO of HDG Hotels.  In addition, he serves on the AHLA Board of Directors and has been the Chairperson of the Choice Hotels Franchisee Advisory Council and the International Franchisee Association Franchisee Forum.  Azim is also a member of the Florida Bar Association. Azim has received numerous accolades for his work, most recently being named Franchisee of the Year by IFA.

Azim Saju
Chief Executive Officer
Ark Holdings Group

Heena Patel
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Heena Patel
SVP, Global Rental Operations
Digital Marketing and Commerce
Travel & Leisure

Heena Patel currently holds the position of Senior Vice President, Global Rental Operations, Digital Marketing & Commerce at Travel + Leisure Co., the world’s leading membership and leisure travel company. In this role, her primary duties include leading the rental division, cultivating new owners through digital prospecting, and implementing strategic partnerships. Heena is also actively involved in several associate committees and groups within the company, including the Global Inclusion and Diversity Council. She serves as the co-chair of the company’s Asian & Pacific Islanders in Travel Associate Business Group, a group which she played a key role in establishing. Beyond her professional endeavors, Heena has also contributed to social causes, such as participating in a meal-packing initiative with US Hunger to assist families in Costa Rica and supporting her local community.

Lindsey Ueberroth
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Lindsey Ueberroth
Chief Executive Officer
Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Beyond Green

In her tenure, Lindsey has helped solidify the company’s standing as the champion of independent hotels, a preferred partner for unique global destinations, and a trusted resource for travelers seeking authentic, luxury hotel experiences. Lindsey earned recognition from Hotel Management when the magazine named her as one of the 30 most influential women in hospitality. She also received back-to-back accolades, first by HOTELS magazine as one of the top 10 most noteworthy hoteliers in the world and then by Lodging magazine as one of the 20 most influential females in the lodging industry. Lindsey also serves on the Board of Directors for Historic Hotels of America, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the Global Hotel Network, Pacifica Hotels, and Wine 2 Water. She is an active member of the U.S. Travel Association and the Young Presidents’ Organization, and currently serves on the Global Advisory Board for Conde Nast Traveler. Lindsey has traveled to more than 100 countries.

Michle Allen
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Michele Allen
Chief Financial Officer
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Michele Allen is CFO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. A seasoned hospitality industry veteran with more than 20 years of  experience, she was promoted to her current role in December 2019 after serving as EVP and Treasurer and prior thereto as SVP of Finance for Wyndham Worldwide. Prior to Wyndham Worldwide, Michele held a variety of financial leadership positions of increasing responsibility with Wyndham and its predecessor, Cendant Corporation. She began her career as an independent auditor with Deloitte, where she earned her CPA. Michele is an advocate for  women and girls’ education in third-world countries through her work with organizations like the BlinkNow Foundation and New Light. She also serves as co-chair of Empower, Wyndham’s associate business group dedicated to supporting the growth and advancement of women in the workplace.

Joel Eisemann
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Joel Eisemann
Senior Advisor
Noble Investment Group

Joel Eisemann is a Senior Advisor with the Noble Investment Group, a vertically integrated private real estate fund that acquires and develops select-service and extended-stay hotels in the U.S.  He joined the Noble Investment Group in January 2023.  Previously, Mr. Eisemann served as Chief Development Officer, the Americas for IHG Hotels & Resorts from September 2011 through July 2022.  Under his leadership, IHG launched five new brands in the Americas and grew to approximately 5,000 hotels open and in the pipeline. Prior to IHG, Mr. Eisemann was with Marriott International for twenty-nine years as Chief Development Officer of Select-Service and Extended-Stay Brands, Chief Owner & Franchise Relations Officer, EVP of Global Asset Management and SVP of Lodging Development for the Asia/Pacific.  He is a past member of the AHLA Hospitality Investment Roundtable and the AHLA Board, and a past co-chairman of the AHLA HotelPAC.

Julie Arrowsmith
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Julie Arrowsmith
President & CEO
G6 Hospitality

Julie Arrowsmith is President and CEO of G6 Hospitality, parent company of the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands. Julie combines over 25 years of extensive experience in economy lodging and finance with a strategic focus on franchise development, owner relationships, technological advancements and the guest experience to lead the G6 team and grow the iconic Motel 6 brand. Julie is active in several AHLA programs, including ForWard, an initiative aimed at mentoring, educating and leading women to the next level of their career. In 2023, Julie was appointed to the AHLA Board of Directors as a brand representative and in 2024, will serve on its Executive Committee. Women Leading Travel & Hospitality included Julie in its 2024 Top Women in Travel & Hospitality Report, and Dallas Magazine’s D CEO named Julie to its 2024 list of the most powerful business leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Steve is EVP, Strategy & Partnerships at CAA National supporting the 9 CAA Clubs of Canada. He also has served in Executive roles for esteemed companies within the loyalty industry, including AIMIA Canada, Aeroplan, The Hudson’s Bay Company, and LoyaltyOne/Air Miles. He is also co-founder and strategic advisor to Loyalty & Co. a leading Canadian loyalty consulting firm. Throughout his journey, Steve has successfully cultivated strategic partnerships with various players in the loyalty, retail, travel, finance, and marketing sectors. Steve’s expertise in the loyalty industry stands unrivalled, with a profound understanding of its intricacies. Renowned for his uncanny talent in recognizing market gaps and opportunities, he has demonstrated an exceptional ability to forge strategic alliances that pave the way for a new vision. Moreover, his execution of these initiatives consistently drives value for organizations. Steve’s dedication and contributions to the loyalty industry have left an indelible mark, making him a true standout.

Steve Allmen
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Steve Allmen
EVP Strategy & Partnerships
CAA National

Flo Lugli is an innovative, results-oriented board member and executive with a proven track record of driving revenue growth in the global travel, hospitality, and related technologies businesses for publicly and privately held companies. A well-known expert in hospitality, Lugli also has a long history in travel industry distribution, travel technology, and digital commerce. Lugli has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful People in USA Hospitality by the International Hospitality Institute, and has recently been inducted into the PhocusWright Hall of Fame, honoring those individuals who played an integral role in shaping the online travel industry. 

Flo Lugli
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Flo Lugli, ISHC
Principal
Navesink Advisory Group, LLC

Amanda Voss is the Vice President of Sales at the prestigious Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. With a strategic vision, she provides leadership to the Hotel Sales, Catering, Convention Services, and Group Dining Departments, shaping the resort's success. Amanda's forward-thinking approach was instrumental in expanding the convention business at the resort, introducing innovative meeting spaces like the Madison Meeting Center and Ideation Studio, tailored to the evolving needs of meeting planners. Recognized for her remarkable contributions, Amanda Voss was named one of HSMAI's Top 25 Most Influential Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue in 2018. She also earned a place in Connect Association Magazine's "40 Under 40." Amanda holds a Certified Meeting Professional designation from the Events Industry Council and earned her bachelor's degree in Hotel Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her dedication and innovation continue to shape the landscape of the hospitality industry.

Amanda Voss
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Amanda Voss
Vice President of Sales
Bellagio Resort & Casino

Eva Wassermann is Senior Managing Director at GEM Realty Capital and has been actively involved in the hospitality industry for over 35 years. She joined GEM in 2012 to oversee its hospitality investment platform and divides her time equally between asset management and acquisitions to source investments in the lodging sector. Prior to joining GEM, Eva established and was the principal of State Parkway Advisory, a consulting platform providing both hotel acquisitions and asset management assistance to hotel owners. She previously spent 3 years working exclusively for Goldman Sachs and their various Whitehall Real Estate funds. Eva also served as the Vice President, Managed Development, for Hilton, Vice President at Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Senior Vice President at the Yarmouth Group, Manager with Kenneth Leventhal & Co., and Senior Consultant at Laventhol & Horwath.

Eva Wassermann
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Eva Wassermann
Senior Managing Director
GEM Realty Capital

Ben Brunt is a Managing Principal and Chief Investment Officer responsible for leading a team of investment professionals to accomplish Noble’s strategic acquisition and development goals.  This involves the sourcing and underwriting of all new investments encompassing individual asset and portfolio acquisitions, land and new development opportunities, market and investment analysis, and brand positioning.  Prior to joining Noble in 2005, Ben held senior investment roles at Songy Partners and Hardin Capital. He began his career in hotels with Homestead Village, a mid-scale extended stay lodging brand founded by Security Capital Group and has nearly 25 years of hospitality industry experience.  Ben earned an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a BA from Trinity College. He is a former professional violinist and spent two years as a member of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Ben currently serves as a board member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Midtown Alliance, and the Buckhead Coalition. He is also a member of the AHLA Lodging Investment Council and the Urban Land Institute.

Ben Brunt
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Ben Brunt
Managing Principal &
Chief Investment Officer
Noble Investment Group

After a long career in hospitality, with companies such as IHG (where he was developer of the year 2005-2009) and Marriott, as well as turns as an investor and partner/founder of several ventures, Greg has now turned his attention to executive coaching and leadership development. His ability to elevate clients to see creative solutions for self awareness provides a clear path to focus on priorities and execution. You will be challenged to think and behave differently. Greg shares, “Leadership starts with you, but is not about you. Listen more, talk less, and lead like you’ve never led before.” Greg also hosts the Servant Leadership podcast and is a frequent contributor in various publications and with non-profit associations.

Greg Aden
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Greg Aden
President & Founder
Aden Leadership

Michelle Jensen Session is the Chief Business Development Officer and Co-Founder of Aquarius Hospitality Solutions, on a quest to innovate within the hospitality industry. Michelle, with over 20 years in strategic planning, executive leadership, and real estate investments, drives the company towards a convergence of operations, inclusivity, and business development. Celebrated for her diversity efforts, she actively participates in Female Founders in Hospitality, Women Leading Travel & Hospitality, Women in Travel Thrive, and is a regular podcast guest on Hospitality Daily. As a consultant member of the Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG) of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Michelle underscores her dedication to technological innovation and excellence in hospitality. Michelle’s efforts support hoteliers and other small business owners, fostering a culture of service excellence and community impact, positioning Aquarius as a catalyst for innovation and growth in the hospitality industry.

Michelle Jense Session
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Michelle Jensen Session
Co-Founder & Chief Business Development Officer
Aquarius Hospitality Solutions

Lori Kiel, Chief Commercial Officer at the Kessler Collection, spearheads sales, revenue management, brand marketing, PR, and e-commerce. With over 32 years in the Hospitality Industry, Lori is a thought leader advancing Commercial Strategy through her involvement with HSMAI and Kessler Collection. Her diverse roles, from operations to Chief Commercial Officer, showcase her expertise in rooms division, GM, Regional Revenue, Corporate Director, and beyond. Lori's analytical prowess and passion for sales, revenue, and marketing uniquely qualify her for Commercial Strategy leadership. Holding degrees in Hospitality Management and Leadership, she engages with HSMAI, serving on the Sales Advisory Board, leading the Commercial Excellence Workgroup, chairing HSMAI's Foundation Board, and contributing to the Americas Board. Lori authors LinkedIn's Commercial Strategy Evolution newsletter, actively participating in industry panels, podcasts, and keynotes.

Lori Kiel
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Lori Kiel
Chief Commercial Officer
The Kessler Collection

Lovell Casiero is a distinguished executive, life coach, author, speaker, and mentor. Her expertise spans over 30 years of hospitality management, public relations, marketing, and business development, most recently as the SVP of commercial strategies for PM Hotel Group, one of North America's top third-party hotel management companies. In 2015, she founded FLC Business Consulting, a sales and marketing advisory firm specializing in hospitality. Previously, as the inaugural VP of sales at Crescent Hotels & Resorts, she played a pivotal role in its ascent to a top-tier position in the industry. Her career is a testament to her resilience and success, emphasizing the importance of sharing life's lessons to aid others. An advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, her leadership and principles have been instrumental in marking her as an influential figure in her field

Lovell Caserio
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Lovell Casiero
SVP Commercial Strategies,
PM Hotel Group

Mike is a legendary business executive and visionary philanthropist. After spending most of his storied career in the hospitality industry, Mike founded the Jewish Future Pledge to carry on his family’s commitment to Judaism and to ensure a thriving and vibrant future for the Jewish community. Most recently, Mike was the chairman and CEO of the Georgia Aquarium and the Vice Chairman of The Marcus Foundation, a philanthropic organization founded by Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, Inc. He was previously President & COO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, Chairman and CEO of US Franchise Systems, Inc., which franchised the Microtel Inn & Suites and Hawthorn Suites hotel brands, President & COO of Holiday Inn Worldwide, and President of Days Inn of America. Mike is a co-founder of AAHOA, has endowed the Michael A. Leven School of Management, Entrepreneurship, & Hospitality at Kennesaw State University, and currently serves on many boards, is a celebrated author, and has received too many accolades to mention for his contributions to the hospitality industry.

Mike Leven
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Mike Leven
President & CEO
Jewish Future Pledge
Jewish Youth Pledge

At Forbes Travel Guide, Stuart drives strategy, innovation, and operations spanning 80+ countries. Previously, Stuart served as Microsoft’s Senior Executive for Travel & Hospitality, led J.D. Power's Global Hospitality & Travel practice, and served as the Travel & Hospitality Practice Lead for customer data start-up and now unicorn, Amperity. Stuart’s global background and leadership experience bringing innovative digital solutions to the travel industry spans engagements with start-ups, travel companies, tech companies, consultancies, VCs, private equity and government. Stuart is a passionate connector of people, ideas and opportunities. He is also an advocate for female, DE&I and traditionally underrepresented founders and leaders for which he has been recognized by Phocuswright, hertelier, IWTTF (Women in Travel CIC), and Female Founders In Hospitality among others.

Stuart Greif
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Stuart W. Greif
Chief Strategy, Innovation & 
Operating Officer, Forbes Travel Guide

Matt has had a long and successful career in the hospitality and real estate industries. Most recently, he was SVP Development – Asia Pacific for Hilton, leading their development efforts across Asia from 2018 to 2021. Before joining Hilton, Matt was Global Head of Real Estate Operations and Head of Real Estate for the Americas for WeWork. He also previously worked at Starwood Hotels as SVP Global Development and spent 10 years based in Singapore leading Starwood’s development efforts for Asia Pacific (exc-China). Early in his career, Matt opened and ran a 250-seat brewpub and was assistant manager at a large private club in San Francisco. 

Matt Fry
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Matthew Fry
Hospitality Industry Executive

Ross Bierkan is a principal of Wellfleet Equity, a private investor in hospitality, commercial real estate, and technology. He was a co-founder of RLJ Development, which went public as RLJ Lodging Trust, a hospitality REIT traded on the NYSE, where he served as President & CEO and on the Board of Directors and previously as EVP and CIO. Prior to joining RLJ, Ross was a founding member of The Plasencia Group, a hospitality transaction and consulting services firm, in commercial real estate with Grubb & Ellis Real Estate, and with Guest Quarters Hotels (now Doubletree Guest Suites). Ross was a member of the Executive Committee and Owners Advisory Board of AHLA, served on the FACs of Embassy Suites Hotels by Hilton, Hyatt House by Hyatt, and SpringHill Suites by Marriott, and was also a former member of the hospitality Industry Real Estate Financing Advisory Council and Urban Land Institute Hotel Development Council.

Ross Bierkan
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Ross Bierkan
Founder & Principal
Wellfleet Equity

Winnie joined MGM in 2007 as an IT Business Analyst and has worked her way up to become the head of IT. Winnie is recognized for her role in driving the company's technology innovation transformation and leading the execution of many key technologies with tight timelines. Prior to her career in Macau, she worked for high-tech companies in the US and Canada.  Winnie always strives to deliver great customer experience through innovative technologies and has successfully led many technology initiatives, including many first-in-town pioneer projects.  Under her leadership, MGM received the "Elite Smart Technology Award" from CTT’s Macao Smart Hotel Award in 2019 and 3 awards from HKB’s Technology Excellence Awards in 2023. Winnie believes that people are the most important asset for the company, and she puts significant effort into talent requisition and retention. She is a passionate advocate of public speaking and believes that IT professionals need strong communication skills to succeed in their careers.

Winni Ho
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Winnie Ho
VP of Digital & Technology Solutions
MGM Macau

Best-selling author, TedX speaker, James Beard semifinalist, mental health advocate, restaurateur, and more, Steve Palmer is founder, managing partner, and chief vision officer of Indigo Road Hospitality Group, which has grown from one restaurant to more than twenty, along with a growing portfolio of independent hotels. Beginning as a dishwasher at the age of 13, his hospitality career has guided him from the kitchens of Atlanta to F&B Director roles, to consulting in award-winning destinations, and courting guests with his unmistakable charm when working the floor. Steve also launched what would become his proudest accomplishment in 2016 when he co-founded Ben’s Friends, a support group offering hope, fellowship, and a path forward to professionals who struggle with substance abuse and addiction. He has been recognized by The New York Times, Forbes, NPR, and Food & Wine. Steve is active on industry boards and leads annual fund-raising events. 

Steve Palmer
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Steve Palmer
Founder and Managing Partner
Indigo Road Hospitality Group

Jim McPartlin is a consultant with over three decades of experience working within a variety of industries and a recognized authority on using the Enneagram (a model of human psyche which outlines nine main personality types) as a means of understanding interpersonal workplace relationships.  Jim has used the Enneagram as a coaching tool with the many teams he supervised throughout his career as an executive in the travel industry. St. Martin’s Press published Jim’s first book, The Enneagram at Work: Unlocking the Power of Type to Lead and Succeed, in the fall of 2021.  Over the past 20 years, Jim has taught hundreds of courses on the Enneagram and understanding emotional intelligence and has delivered keynote speeches and seminars on this topic across the globe. He actively works as a professional coach with clients ranging from the c-suite of companies such as American Express and Chanel in New York, the entertainment industry in Hollywood, and Silicon Valley.

Jim McPartlin
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Jim McPartlin
Leadership Coach / Self Insight Specialist
All Good People Corp

Karim Abouelnaga is a vanguard and catalyst for change in urban education. He was raised by a single mother on government aid and went through some of NYC’s most struggling public schools, however, he was fortunate to have a series of nonprofits and mentors who changed his life trajectory. He received over a quarter million dollars in scholarships to make his education possible. Karim founded PRACTICE in his Cornell dorm room at 18 and has dedicated his career to equitably leveling the playing field for low-income children and closing the opportunity gap. He is a TED Fellow, Echoing Green Fellow, and the author of two books: Breaking Through From Rough to Ready and The Purpose-Driven Social Entrepreneur. At 23, Karim was named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in Education, and at 24 was named to Magic Johnson’s 32 under 32 list. His TED Talk was named one of the 9 Most Inspiring Talks of 2017 and his Forbes day-in-the-life feature is Forbes’ most viewed video of all time garnering 4.5 million views. To help others accelerate their learning and continuing learning on purpose, Karim publishes a free weekly newsletter titled The Learning Loop. He earned a Bachelor’s in Hotel Administration from Cornell University and a Master’s in Education Policy from Columbia University.

Karim Abouelnaga
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Karim Abouelnaga
Founder & CEO
PRACTICE Benefit Corp

Susie launched her career in the association sector at the National Association of Consulting Engineering Companies in 2005. She was recruited in 2013 by the Retail Council of Canada, one of Canada’s largest trade associations, as Vice President of Federal Government Relations, head of the Ottawa office, and lead spokesperson for the retail industry on Federal issues in Ottawa.  Susie has been named one of Canada’s top 100 lobbyists, won 5 national awards for the Association’s COVID response-- Pinnacle Award and a Hospitality Hero award from Kostech Media, and two Awards of Excellence from the Canadian Society of Association Executives. In her current role, Susie has driven a successful turn-around strategy, building the association’s profile, influence, and membership to record levels. Under her leadership, HAC membership has grown by nearly 3000%, it has delivered landslide political wins for the sector.

Susie Grynol
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Susie Grynol
President & CEO
Hotel Association of Canada

Greg Juceam is President & CEO of Extended Stay America, the leading brand family in the U.S. mid-priced extended stay hotel segment -- with 750 hotels, including more than 600 company owned and managed properties. Previous to ESA, Juceam was President & COO of G6 Hospitality, the parent franchisor of 1,400 hotels under the iconic Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands. Juceam served as CEO of BRE Hotels & Resorts, a hospitality real estate platform comprising 250 hotels representing $10B in asset value in the Upscale and Luxury segments.  He also spent 12 years at Interstate Hotels & Resorts, culminating as Executive Vice President of Full-Service Operations. Juceam is a Board Member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the immediate past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation. He is an active alumnus of Cornell University’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration.

Greg Juceam
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Greg Juceam
President & CEO
Extended Stay America

Dr Hardy is the Managing Director of Private Family Office MAP2 | Ventures, an impact investment fund focusing on sustainable development. Envoy at the Saudi Arabia based Sustainability Tourism Global Center with a mission to decarbonise the tourism sector. Hold several advisory board positions with privately-owned technology companies. He is also the former CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association. He has over 35 years of experience in corporate development and investment in technology, coupled with several leadership roles with non-profit organisations. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Capilano University in 2016. In 2017, Dr Hardy graduated from the Executive Program of Singularity University in Exponential Technologies and was honoured as a “Global Peace Ambassador” by the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism.

Mario Hardy
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Mario Hardy
Managing Director
MAP2 | Ventures

Lovell Casiero is a distinguished executive, life coach, author, speaker, and mentor. Her expertise spans over 30 years of hospitality management, public relations, marketing, and business development, most recently as the SVP of commercial strategies for PM Hotel Group, one of North America's top third-party hotel management companies. In 2015, she founded FLC Business Consulting, a sales and marketing advisory firm specializing in hospitality. Previously, as the inaugural VP of sales at Crescent Hotels & Resorts, she played a pivotal role in its ascent to a top-tier position in the industry. Her career is a testament to her resilience and success, emphasizing the importance of sharing life's lessons to aid others. An advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, her leadership and principles have been instrumental in marking her as an influential figure in her field.

Lovell Casiero
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Lovell Casiero
SVP Commercial Strategies
PM Hotel Group

Kelly Kuhn is currently serving as an Independent Non-Executive Director of ISS A/S, and SSP Group Plc, where she is chair of the Remuneration committee and member of the Nomination committee (ISS A/) and a member of the Audit and Nomination committees (SSP Group). Previously, before becoming Chief Customer Officer, Kelly was CWT’s President Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and Global Partners Network, based in London.

Kelly has 30+ years of global C-suite commercial and operating leadership and growth at scale around the world, living in four countries. In addition to her current NED and Advisory roles, Kelly is a member of Extraordinary Women on Boards, Women on Boards UK, Women Corporate Directors, International Women’s Forum and The 350 Club and WINit by GBTA. Kelly has a BA in Music from Chicago’s Northwestern University

Kelly Kuhn
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Kelly Kuhn
Independent Non-Executive Director
and Special Advisor

Aly El-Bassuni is Divisional President, Enhanced Select Service at Aimbridge Hospitality. As an experienced executive leader, Aly brings a unique perspective of operator and franchisor. Prior to joining Aimbridge, El-Bassuni led an experiential and digital transformation within the student housing space, successfully launching and scaling a new, high-growth student housing brand and operator as its Global Chief Executive Officer. Prior to, he served as Chief Operating Officer-Americas for Radisson Hotel Group and as Vice President of Brand Operations at Wyndham Worldwide.

Aly El-Bassuni
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Aly El-Bassuni
Divisional President Enhanced Select Svc.
Aimbridge Hospitality

Janis Cannon is a senior executive within the hotel industry, most recently serving as SVP Choice Hotels, Upscale Brands where she was responsible for the overall performance and growth of the company’s upscale portfolio and led the brand strategy, positioning, and performance of Cambria Hotels and the Ascend Hotel Collection. Prior to Choice, she spent 25 years in branding, design and construction, sales, marketing and hotel operations, including roles with IHG, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and Swissotel Hotels and Resorts. Janis is passionate about DEI and elevating others to reach their potential. She serves on the Boards of GBTA WinIT as a Strategic Advisor and TIEWN. Janis was named as Female Executive of the Year by Hotel Interactive Inc. in 2019 and recognized by Hotel Business Magazine as one of the industry’s “Top 10 to Watch” in 2018 and is a frequent conference speaker.  

Janis Cannon
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Janis Cannon
Hospitality Industry Executive

Thom Geshay has held management positions with Davidson Hospitality Group since 1988, including as President, COO, and SVP of Business Development. His experience in the hospitality industry spans over three decades during which he held a variety of property and corporate level positions in both operations and real estate acquisitions and, in fact, began his hotel career at an early age as a bellman. Thom has completed over a billion dollars in acquisitions and recapitalizations. He is currently an AHLA Executive Committee member, a Marriott MINA board  member, a member of the Hospitality Investment Roundtable, on the Owner Advisory Councils for Hilton and Hyatt, and a frequent speaker at industry events. 

Thom Geshay
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Thom Geshay
President & CEO
Davidson Hospitality Group

Sean Mahoney currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer at RLJ Lodging Trust, leveraging extensive international, public and private company operating and financial experience, primarily in the real estate and hospitality industries. Sean previously served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of DiamondRock Hospitality Company from September 2008 to March 2018. While at DiamondRock he was ranked “Best REIT CFO” on the Institutional Investor 2017 and 2018 All-America Executive Teams, and previously served as Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer, and Corporate Controller from August 2004 to September 2008. Earlier in his career he worked in the audit practices of Arthur Andersen, KPMG, and Ernst & Young.

Sean Mahoney
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Sean Mahoney
EVP & Chief Financial Officer
RLJ Lodging Trust

Phil Hugh is the SVP Lodging Development, Luxury & Lifestyle Brand Portfolio for

Sonesta. Phil leads the lodging development team responsible for Sonesta’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio, including The Royal Sonesta and The James lifestyle brand in the upper-upscale segment. He has over 20 years of experience leading and motivating franchise sales & development teams. Previously Phil served as CDO, Americas of Radisson Hotel Group until the successful sale of the Americas division to Choice Hotels International. He was also the development leader at Red Roof Franchising, the EVP Worldwide Development & Sales at Realogy, a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage, and SVP Franchise Sales at Cendant. Phil is a highly sought after hospitality industry conference speaker.

Phil Hugh
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Phil Hugh
SVP Development
Sonesta

Bart Berkey is a renowned TEDx motivational storyteller who has taken the speaking industry by storm. Bart's unique trademarked "MostPeople Don't" approach is transforming the way people view their potential and empowering them to take action. With his keen observational skills and unwavering focus on others, Bart draws from his extensive experience in the service industry, including his tenure as a global executive at the Ritz-Carlton. Bart's inspirational message has captivated audiences worldwide, earning him a spot as a bestselling author on Amazon, with his book ranking in the top 1% of sales. Additionally, his podcast has been recognized as one of the top15% most shared podcasts in the world. He was recently awarded "The Best Luxury Keynote Speaker & Podcast Host" and "Keynote Speaker of the Year". In addition, he was also nominated by Forbes for their "Next 1000" list, celebrating entrepreneurs and start-ups in America. Bart is recognized as one of the "Top 25Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing."

Bart Berkey
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Bart Berkey
TEDx Speaker, Keynote Presenter
Motivational Storyteller 

As the charitable giving and social impact arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), the Foundation works to support the industry’s greatest asset – its people – by providing impactful solutions that drive the recruitment, retention, and advancement of individuals for careers in hospitality. Jenn oversees DE&I-informed program development and delivery and drives stakeholder engagement efforts that influence adoption of programs among members and also oversees ForWard, a hospitality industry-wide initiative to advance women leaders. Jenn joined the Foundation from Sunrise Senior Living and started her career at global public relations and marketing agency FleishmanHillard.

Jennifer Clark Fugolo
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Jennifer Clark Fugolo
Vice President of Advancement
AHLA Foundation

​

With a unique blend of business and legal expertise, Matt oversees the day-to-day operations of My Place Hotels, a hotel franchising company, a role he assumed after originally joining My Place in 2015 as General Counsel. Matt has contributed his extensive knowledge and skills to the company's growth. When he's not at the office, you can often spot Matt on the hockey rink, enthusiastically coaching his boys' hockey teams. Matt's commitment to his community continues through his role as a dedicated board member of the Aberdeen (SD) Area Boys and Girls Club. 

Matt Campbell
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Matt Campbell
Chief Operating Officer
My Place Hotels of America

Lauri Reishus took over as President and Chief Executive officer of the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) in January 2021, and leads its strategy of connecting airlines, travel agencies and corporate travel buyers with the tools and insights to drive value and enable growth of the air travel industry. Reishus and the ARC executive team oversee operations for ARC’s settlement product, its growing data business and omnichannel retailing solutions. She previously sat on the board of directors at Traverse Technologies (formerly nuTravel), Traxo and Blockskye. She is certified by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) as a Board Leadership Fellow.

Lauri Reishus
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Lauri Reishus
President & CEO Airlines Reporting Corporation

Lani Kane-Hanan is a dynamic C-suite executive with an accomplished record of accelerating growth on a global scale through a continued focus on creating the best experience for the customer. Currently, she serves as CEO at Open Network Exchange, a future-first technology and services company. Previously, Lani was with Marriott Vacations Worldwide, where she was tapped to lead the company’s transformation, spearheading the journey to create and operationalize innovative point-based timeshare products and streamline the business. She later joined the Executive Committee and was instrumental in championing company-wide growth, spinning off and taking Marriott Vacation Club public (NYSE: VAC). There she also co-led the company’s Equity and Inclusion Task Force and ESG Executive Council.  Lani also serves on several hospitality industry boards.

Lani Kane-Hanan
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Lani Kane-Hanan
Chief Executive Officer
ONE (Open Netwok Exchange)

Agnelo Fernandes serves at CEO at Cote Family Destinations, an organization that provides an array of hospitality services, including resort, children’s camps, real estate, and development operations. A recognized industry thought leader, Agnelo is a brand and growth strategy specialist in building global hospitality and lifestyle brands.

Agnelo began his hospitality career in front office operations, before spending a greater part of his career focused on the commercial functions of marketing, sales, and revenue management.  Driven by purpose and passion, Agnelo starts his day with gratitude and intention and then seeks service excellence in everything he undertakes. He believes that this approach has helped deliver exceptional business results and impact on people’s lives. over a 30-year span. He credits his success to his family, the teams he has led and his network of industry advocates, including volunteering with industry and social-cultural organizations. Agnelo has also held senior executive positions with Canyon Ranch, Coral Tree Hospitality/Terranea Resort, Sonesta Hotels International.

Agnelo Fernandes
CEO, Cote Family Destinations

Agnelo Fernandes
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Mercedes corporate leader executive with over 15 years of experience in travel & hospitality. She is passionate about creating value through digital-tech solutions, as well as fighting for women empowerment. Prior to The Hotels Network, as Chief Partnerships Officer, she worked at BCV a Rategain Company, Microsoft, and AC Hotels by Marriott among others. Mercedes is an active member of the Sales Americas Advisory Board at HSMAI and a founding member of Women in Travel THRIVE. She was recognized as Top 50 Women in Travel by WINiT by GBTA and one of the Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds by HSMAI.

Merceds Blanco
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Mercedes Blanco
Chief Partnerships Officer
The Hotels Network

Stacy Shoemaker Rauen is the SVP of the Design Group at Emerald, a leading events and media company. There she oversees multiple brands in the hospitality, commercial, and residential design spheres, including Hospitality Design magazine and HD Expo + Conference; ICFF; Boutique Design magazine and BDNY; and EDspaces. Stacy is a well-respected and talented editor and writer and also is the editor-in-chief of Hospitality Design magazine.  She is also a noted speaker at industry events and has been quoted in various respected media outlets including CNBC and the Washington Post. 

Stacy Shoemaker Raue
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Stacy Shoemaker Rauen
SVP, Design Group, Emerald
Editor in Chief, Hospitality Design

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Dr. Recep “Richie” Karaburun, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism at the NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism. He has his doctoral degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing at the Lubin School of Business at Pace University in New York. He earned an MBA from the George Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, in Orange, California, in 2001 and a BBA in International Relations from the Uludag University, in Bursa, Turkey, in 1991.

With more than two decades of experience in the travel industry, Karaburun is recognized as an industry expert in helping travel companies start and develop a growth strategy and business. He has served on numerous industry panel presentations across several disciplines - sales leadership, marketing, hotel and other supplier negotiations, team building, leadership, innovation, metaverse in the hospitality industry, and travel technology.
 

Dr. Richie Karaburun
Clinical Associate Professor NYU

Dr. Richie Karaburun
Dave Hilfman
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Dave Hilfman retired from United Airlines at the end of 2018 after 37 years in the airline industry. Dave served as senior vice president of Worldwide Sales for both United Airlines and Continental Airlines over a 14-year period.  Hilfman is credited with helping unify the two cultures with his honest, progressive, and affable leadership style. In July 2020, Dave was appointed as interim CEO of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in order to stabilize the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic and help lead the business travel industry to recovery. Hilfman served as chairman of GBTA’s executive director search committee which completed its task of hiring a new leader for the association in February 2021. Today, Dave is involved in various philanthropic initiatives, serves on the boards of nuTravel, WINiT/GBTA and the Expedia Group Advisory Board. 

Dave Hilfman
Board Member & Board Advisor

Ted Teng
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Ted Teng was the President & CEO of The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd from 2008 to 2019, during which time he was dedicated to reigniting the 90-year-old brand. His 40-year career is rooted in the global hospitality industry. Prior to joining The Leading Hotels of the World, Ted led the growth of some of the world’s most prominent hotel brands, serving as President, COO of Wyndham International, Inc., and president, Asia-Pacific, for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., following the merger of Starwood Lodging, Westin, and Sheraton. During his career he has received numerous awards including the Cornell Hospitality Innovator Award, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Frank H. T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award, Cornell University, Spirit of Asian America Award, Asian American Federation, Honoree, Cornell Asian Alumni Association, AABDC Pinnacle Award, and the Asian American Business Development Center.

Ted Teng
Former President & CEO
The Leading Hotels of the World

Janine Williams
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Janine is the CEO and founder of Impulsify, a software company that provides PMS-integrated, grab-and-go retail technology for hotels and multifamily communities. She has over 15 years of experience in the art and science of unattended lobby retail, working with major hotel brands, franchise groups, and commercial real estate executives to develop data-driven retail programs that add significant incremental revenue, simplify operations, and create a better guest experience. She is also a champion for women entrepreneurs, having earned the WBE and WOSB certifications and the 2018 Enterprising Women of the Year Award. She volunteers for life-saving missions to bring shelter, food,  education, and training to severely underprivileged women and children in Central America.

Janine Williams
Founder & CEO
Impulsify

Artur Gerber
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Artur Gerber joined TUI Group in 2015 as Managing Director TUI BLUE and has develop the new brand to become the fastest growing hotel brand in the history of TUI. Artur has many years of experience in the hotel industry. He began his career in tourism in 1986 with an apprenticeship as a hotel specialist at Dorint Hotels & Resorts and became General Manager within a few years. Further professional positions included Center Parcs Germany GmbH as well as Aldiana GmbH, where he was responsible initially as Operations Manager and later as Managing Director. Before he joined TUI, he headed HMS Hotel Management Services GmbH, where he developed new international hotel projects for the Maritim Hotel Group.

Arthur Gerber
Managing Director
TUI Blue

Sarah Dinger
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Sarah has devoted 20+ years of service to the hospitality industry. Since May 2012, as the first employee of My Place, Sarah has served My Place in various capacities within the company. Currently, she serves as Executive Vice President of Franchise Operations.  Sarah has been recognized by Hotel Management Magazine as one of the most “Influential Women in Hospitality.” Sarah currently serves on the AHLA ForWard: Women Advancing Hospitality Advisory Committee, Sustainability Committee, and Safe Stay Advisory Council.  She frequently shares her insight by participating in industry panels, and she’s always looking for the next opportunity to get involved. 

Sarah Dinger
EVP Franchise Operations
My Place Hotels

Erinn Tucker-Oluwole
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In addition to her role at UMES, Erinn is the Co-Founder of DMV Black Restaurant Week and has worked for over 25 years consulting for small businesses in the service industry. She is frequently quoted in national publications and regional media outlets. Before UMES, Erinn held faculty appointments at several prestigious universities. She is an author, has contributed articles to numerous industry publications, organized conferences, and served on committees and boards for a variety of organizations. In 2023, she was honored with the Diversity in Business Award by the Washington Business Journal, named one of the 25 Most Influential Educators in Hospitality by the International Hospitality Institute, and is the recipient of the Grace Award from Nolan Williams and The Kennedy Center Social Impact Initiative.

Dr. Erinn Tucker-Oluwole

Department Chair & Assoc. Professor 

University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Hospitality & Tourism Mgmt. Dept.

Nina Kleaveland
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Nina Kleaveland is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lanyard and also the Founder of Female Founders in Hospitality.  Nina started her career in hotel operations at The Westin Philadelphia, then moved to a digital marketing role at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and from there to managing partnerships for Starwood Preferred Guest. After obtaining her MBA, she moved to Hong Kong to work for American Express and then back to the United States to work for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. She is on the Advisory Council of The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and Advisory Board of the Penn Arts & Sciences Professional Women’s Alliance. 

Nina Kleaveland

Co-Founder & CEO 

Lanyard

Tim Hentschel
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Tim Hentschel is the Co-Founder and CEO of HotelPlanner, one of the world’s leading travel technology companies that serves all traveler hotel needs from a single platform. 

Tim is a third-generation hotelier and a graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration with a degree in hotel management and concentration in micro-computing. In 2018, Cornell awarded him their prestigious Innovator of the Year Award. Tim founded the American Group Travel Awards and the European Group Travel Awards which donates proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and other charities. 

​

Tim Hentschel
Co-Founder & CEO
HotelPlanner

Louis Zameryka
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Louis Zameryka started his career in hotels at a Holiday Inn as a Reservations Manager in 1999.  His most considerable role in Travel began when he joined Booking.com in 2006 to begin developing the commercial teams in the America's. During the past 17 years he has held various key roles at Booking.com creating and developing strategic priorities, action plans and teams to support account management at geographic levels, then enterprise account management with the world's largest franchise systems, ownership and management groups, scaled operations, as well as for a time leading the Connectivity team, and taking a role to enable entrance into the Vacation Rental industry.
Additionally, he has served the broader hospitality and travel industry by holding volunteer leadership roles with HSMAI as both the President of the NY Chapter, and as an America's Board Member.

Louis Zameryka
Director, Global Accounts
Booking.com

Steven Shapiro
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Steven is the Director of the Hospitality & Tourism Law program at the American University, Washington College of Law and teaches, writes, and speaks on commercial law topics, blending his career in law firm practice, the real estate industry, and academics.  Working with students on foundational elements of law and helping to launch their careers, Steven brings a distinct experience in the interplay of complex commercial transactions in law school courses.  Steven is also a frequent hospitality industry conference speaker and is active in industry associations.

Steven G. Shapiro
Director of Hospitality & Tourism Law
American University, Washington College

Katheine Lugar
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Katherine Lugar is Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs at Hilton, overseeing the company’s global communications, government affairs, and ESG and Foundation functions. Lugar joined the company in 2023. Prior to Hilton, Lugar served as the President and CEO of the American Beverage Association (ABA), where she was responsible for setting and executing the strategic vision for ABA and representing the industry’s voice on Capitol Hill, with the Administration and across the country. Previously, Lugar served as President and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Lugar began her career in Washington, D.C., as a legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives. Lugar sits on the Boards of Directors of Bipartisan Policy Center Action and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is a Corporate Advisory Board member of So Others Might Eat (SOME). She has been recognized as a “Leader to Watch” by the Washington Post, a top lobbyist by The Hill and “Washington’s Most Powerful Women” by Washingtonian.

Katherine Lugar
Executive VP, Corp, Affairs
Hilton Hotels

Ho Kwon Ping
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Ho Kwon Ping is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings and Laguna Resorts and Hotels, and Executive Chairman of Thai Wah Public Company. All three family-owned companies are listed in Singapore and Thailand. 

He was the founding Chairman of Singapore Management University (SMU), and has chaired Singapore Power and MediaCorp Singapore.   He has served on the boards of Standard Chartered Bank, Diageo, Singapore Airlines, and GIC. 

Among various awards, Mr Ho has received the London Business School Entrepreneurship Award; CEO of the Year at the Singapore Corporate Awards; CNBC Travel Business Leader Award; Distinguished Alumnus Award from the National University of Singapore; and Lifetime Achievement Awards from numerous organizations. Honoured for his contributions and accomplishments in the hotel industry in the Asia Pacific region and globally, Mr Ho is the only two-time recipient of Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific - HICAP’s Innovation Award (2003) and Lifetime Achievement Award (2019) in its 30-year establishment.

 For his services to the country, he has been decorated with the Meritorious Service Medal and Distinguished Service Order by the Singapore Government. Mr Ho has also been conferred honorary doctorates by Johnson & Wales University and Hong Kong Poly University.

Ho Kwon Ping
Founder & Exec. Chairman
Banyan Tree Holdings
 

Jyoti Sarolia
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Drawing inspiration from her role as the first female Chair of the Choice Hotels Owners Council, Jyoti is a seasoned leader, entrepreneur, and advocate.  Her commitment to empowering others is exemplified through her board memberships at the International Franchise Association and AHLA, and she has testified before the US Senate’s H.E.L.P Committee on the Joint Employer Act.  Jyoti received the prestigious AAHOA Outstanding Women Hotelier Award in 2018.  Raised in the hospitality industry, Jyoti’s early years were immersed in the operations of her family’s hotel in San Francisco.  Today, as President & CEO of Ellis Hospitality, she oversees a portfolio of six hotels, guided by the values instilled in her by her immigrant ancestors who pursued the American dream when they first came to Ellis Island in 1952.  She has served on various community boards, including the Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce. 

Jyoti Sarolia
President & CEO
Ellis Hospitality Group

Noreen Henry
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Noreen Henry oversees the global commercial team, including sales, operations, and strategic partnerships. With more than 25 years of experience in travel, Noreen drives corporate commercial strategy using the intersection of digital media and online distribution as a guide. Prior to Sojern, she served as chief executive officer of WayBlazer, an artificial intelligence travel technology start-up. Before that, Noreen served as chief revenue officer at DHISCO, senior vice president at Travelocity Global, and vice president at Intent Media. She serves on the Advisory Board for Women in Travel Thrive and also served on the board of directors with HSMAI and as a vice president with HEDNA.

Noreen Henry
Chief Revenue Officer
Sojern

Michelle Woodley
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Michelle Woodley is President of Preferred Travel Group. In this role, she oversees the company’s  commercial, information technology, talent management, hotel development and retention areas and the hospitality consulting group.  She  works closely with CEO Lindsey Ueberroth on financial planning and supports the development of other strategic areas of focus within the organization, and serves as a company spokesperson.  

Mchelle is currently on the Sabre Hospitality Executive Advisory Board and Americas Board of Directors of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), and also serves as Chair of the HSMAI Foundation. She served two terms as president and two terms as vice president of the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA), and she was a founding member of the Open Travel Alliance (OTA) serving two terms on their board of directors as treasurer. Michelle is a graduate of Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and is based in Chicago.

Michelle Woodley
President
Preferred Travel

Harry Javer
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Harry Javer is the founder and president of The Conference Bureau. In 1994, Harry created and co-founded The Lodging Conference which is now in its 29th year. With 40 years of experience creating and running conferences, seminars, concerts and tradeshows, Harry has produced events featuring some of the biggest names in the world and thousands of America’s corporate leaders. Harry is an avid hotel investor and is a current board member of AHLA.

Harry Javer
Founder & Producer
The Lodging Conference

Ernest Lee
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As Chief Commercial Officer, Ernest Lee is responsible for marketing, sales, revenue, and growth of citizenM's operational hotels and feasibility for the company's expansion efforts. Ernest was previously Chief Growth Officer, where he oversaw new business initiatives, products, and programs; pursuing strategic partnerships; and developing the company's long-term business strategy. Based in New York City, Ernest has a wide range of business experience in investments, real estate, finance, strategy, and operations and originally joined citizenM as Managing Director in the Americas to guide the company's multi-country expansion in that region.

Ernest Lee
Chief Commercial Officer
Citizen M

Patricia Huska
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Patricia Huska is the Chief People Officer (CPO) for American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) responsible for leading the Company’s Human Resources function. In this role, Huska leads a people-focused strategy designed to attract and retain talent, while furthering GBT’s focus on being the employer of choice in the global travel industry. She is responsible for all human capital related functions that support over 19,000 colleagues across GBT’s global enterprise.

An accomplished human resources leader with over 25 years at American Express and Amex GBT, Huska has led the creation of many corporate initiatives including leadership development, employee engagement and culture, DE&I programs, and workforce flexibility initiatives. Huska has a master’s degree in management from Lesley University and a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 

Patricia Huska
Chief People Officer
AMEX GBT

Paula Twidale
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Paula Twidale serves as senior vice president of AAA Travel, one of North America’s largest leisure travel agencies. Twidale brings more than 35 years of experience to the 63 million-member organization. 

Paula provides leadership and strategic direction for all of the association’s travel services. She creates and manages strategic alliances, maximizing relationships with preferred suppliers in an effort to increase member benefits. Additionally, her responsibilities include guiding the development of innovative technology solutions to support AAA clubs in the delivery of differentiated travel products and services to members. She interviews often in both travel trades as well as national media outlets sharing insights on travel trends and tips on preparedness and safety.

Paula Twidale
SVP of Travel
AAA

Tony Capuano
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Anthony Capuano is President and CEO of Marriott International. In his role, Mr. Capuano presides over the world’s largest hospitality company and some of the most iconic brands in travel. Mr. Capuano joined Marriott in 1995 and was instrumental in its steady growth over the years which culminated in the acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Under his leadership, Marriott now has nearly 8,300 properties across 138 countries and territories and 30 brands with over 177 million Marriott Bonvoy members. Mr. Capuano earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Hotel Administration. He is an active member of the Cornell Hotel Society, The Cornell School of Hotel Administration Dean’s Advisory Board, as well as the Business Roundtable and the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s IREFAC Council and serves on the Board of Directors for McDonald's Corporation.

Anthony Capuano
President & CEO
Marriott International

Matt Hostetler
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Matt brings extensive knowledge in hospitality and franchising to Red Roof and his role of expanding the brand through franchise development, operations support, and branding. Prior to joining Red Roof, Matt was involved in the re-launch of the Germany-based luxury real estate brand Engel & Völkers in the USA as a Senior Vice President –Eastern Region. He also worked with Coldwell Banker Residential & Commercial Real Estate leading the expansion efforts in North America. Matt honed in his skills in the hospitality industry with Wyndham Worldwide prior to joining the Red Roof team. 

Matthew Hostetler
Chief Development Officer
Red Roof

Raini Hamdi
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Raini Hamdi is an independent business journalist recognized for her articles on hospitality, travel and tourism in Asia. Her in-depth knowledge of the industry, and the people who drive the business, enable her to create accurate, relevant and insightful stories that have won her awards, including Journalist of the Year presented by Pacific Asia Travel Association. Raini writes for several international business news publications (https://muckrack.com/raini-hamdi/articles). She also runs her own website, hotels-asia.com, which she launched on January 1, 2022, which aims to offer hoteliers and travel professionals in APAC, not more stories, but better ones. Before going independent on August 1, 2021, Raini was with Skift and TTG Asia Media. She joined Skift as its first Asia Editor, launched Skift Asia Weekly and contributed to the first Skift Forum Asia 2019 in Singapore. At TTG Asia Media, she was Group Editor, before stepping into remote work as Senior Editor. In that role, she advised TTG Editors on management and editorial direction for all titles, and was directly in charge of TTG Asia Luxury, which she launched in 2012. Previously, she also contributed to Forbes Asia and Hotels U.S. magazine.

Raini has written two books, Developing Hospitality Talent, and Living In A Great Big Way.

Raini Hamdi
Business Journalist
Hotels-Asia.com

Mary Li
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Mary Li is a renowned entrepreneur and travel industry specialist who has built her career around solving air retailing problems. In 2019, she founded her third travel-tech start-up, Atlas, which represents the evolution of air content enablement. Atlas empowers airlines and travel sellers to better serve traveler preferences through real-time data-led insights and next generation technology.  Prior to Atlas, Mary served as the co-CEO of Mystifly, where she oversaw product development, technology implementation, operations, human resources, and APAC sales based in Bangalore, India. Her first ventures in the flight industry were with Wingon Travel and ASLAN, both of which she led for eight years. During her tenure, she transformed ASLAN from a 40-person offline travel agency into the largest B2B air ticket platform in China. In 2014, ASLAN was acquired by Alitrip (Fliggy), Alibaba's online travel platform. 

Mary Li
Founder & CEO
Atlas

Jon Tisch
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Jonathan M. Tisch is Co-Chairman of the Board of Loews Corporation and Executive Chairman of its subsidiary Loews Hotels & Co. Prior to assuming the role of Executive Chairman, Tisch was Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels & Co. Tisch has led Loews expansion and emergence as a leading hotel company with a culture that embraces the power of partnerships – with team members, guests, communities and owners.

Tisch founded and served as Chairman of the Travel Business Roundtable, and now serves as Chairman Emeritus of its successor organization, the United States Travel Association. He is the author of three bestselling books and is a champion of corporate responsibility and active citizenship. He currently serves on the Board of The Shed, New York’s new cultural center for artistic invention, as well as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for Tufts University, where he is the naming benefactor of the Tisch College of Civic Life.

Jonathan Tisch
Executive Chairman
Loews Hotels & Co,

Nelson Boyce
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Nelson Boyce is a Managing Director at Google, leading travel industry advertising and marketing relationships in the central and eastern US.  Prior to that, he was the Director of Agency Business Development at Google, overseeing the relationship with Publicis Groupe, a global advertising and communications company.

Prior to Google, Nelson was the Senior Vice President of East Coast Media Sales for BET Networks a division of Viacom Media Networks.  In this role, Nelson was responsible for driving linear and digital ad sales revenue.   Aside from creating and maintaining a high level of agency and client relationships, Nelson played an important role in the execution of sales strategy and process for the division.

Nelson sits on the board HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International), WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council) Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, and is a member of BLAG (Black Leadership Advisory Group) and the Exec Sponsor of the Atlanta Black Googler Network Chapter at Google. A graduate of Harvard University, Nelson lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife and son. 

Nelson Boyce
Managing Director
Google

Suzanne Neufang
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Suzanne was named to lead the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in February 2021, where she oversees the association’s mission, staff, and services. She’s led teams and divisions within the travel industry for the past 20 years – at Germany-based
HRS, and for Texas-based Sabre and Travelocity. In addition, she’s led efforts in marketing, e-commerce and public affairs at US tax software giant Intuit and US telecom giant Verizon and GTE. She’s been an active volunteer in the travel industry, including serving as president of the ACTE board from 2012-2014. Suzanne holds an MA from the University of Hawaii, and a BA from Minot State University in North Dakota. She and her husband Ralf live in New York City, and they have two grown sons.

Suzanne Neufang
CEO
Global Business Travel Association

Bob Sullivan
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Bob Sullivan, a 36-year veteran of global travel media, business intelligence, information services and events, currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer/President of Northstar Travel Group He manages a growing global portfolio including: The BTN Group, The BHN Group (producers of the ALIS Conference), Phocuswright, WIT and retail leisure brands including Travel Weekly, Travel Weekly Asia, TravelAge West, TravelPulse and Information Products Group including Axus and Travel 42. In 2013 Sullivan was inducted into the Tourism Hall of Fame. He has held board positions for The American Society of Travel Advisors, National Tour Foundation, Tourism Cares, and the U.S. Travel Association. He currently sits on the board of Black Travel and Tourism. Bob and his wife have five adult children and two grandsons. They live in Darien, Connecticut.

Bob Sullivan
President, Chief Commercial Officer
Northstar Travel Group

Ryan Rivett
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Ryan is the Co-Founder, President & CEO of My Place Hotel of America, the  franchise brand of My Place Hotels. He is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Legacy Builders, a nationwide  general contracting firm focused primarily on hospitality construction, as well as the President & CEO of Legacy Management, a hotel management company. Ryan participates in several corporate and foundation boards, as well as numerous municipal commissions and philanthropic organizations. Ryan currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the AHLA Foundation. 

Ryan Rivett

Co-Founder, President & CEO

My Place Hotels

Nimesh Patel
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Nimesh is based at IHG’s Americas headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.  Since joining IHG in 2004, Nimesh has led the Franchise Licensing & Compliance team, the Litigation team, and also supported IHG’s Hotel Operations and Procurement functions before moving into the General Counsel – Americas role in 2020.  Prior to joining IHG, he was at Schulten, Ward & Turner, LLP in Atlanta, Georgia, focusing on Business Litigation and was also a Judicial Law Clerk. 

Nimesh Patel
General Counsel, Americas
IHG Hotels & Resorts

Noah Silverman
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Noah Silverman is responsible for the development of all Marriott brands in the United States and Canada. Since joining Marriott in 1997 in its Law Department, Noah has held numerous roles within the organization including Chief Development Officer, US & Canada Full Service Hotels, Senior Vice President, Global Asset Management, Senior Vice President, Development Asset Management, Senior Vice President, Project Finance, and Vice President, Global Asset Management. Prior to joining Marriott, he was an associate with the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. Noah is Program Chair of the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Hospitality Investment Roundtable, a member of the Executive Planning Committee of the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, and a past member of the Urban Land Institute’s Hotel Development Council.

Noah Silverman
Global Development Officer,
US & Canada
Marriott International

DeShaun Wise Porter
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DeShaun Wise Porter serves as a strategic thought leader responsible for developing and executing strategies that are aligned with Hilton’s shared values and contribute to the building of a diverse, engaged, and high-performing organization. Previously she served in HR roles for several different companies. DeShaun is currently on the Board of Directors for FAIR Girls and is active with the Society for Human Resources Management, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and The Links. She is active throughout her community and serves as a mentor and advocate for underserved youth. DeShaun has been recognized as one of Untapped’s Top DEIB Leaders of 2022, one of Hotel Management Magazine’s Influential Women in Hospitality, one of Traicie’s Top DEIB Leaders of 2022: Advocate LGBTQ+ NexGen, and one of Career Mastered Women's History National Diversity IMPACT 50 Honorees.

DeShaun Wise Porter
Global Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Recognition
Hilton

Carla Murray
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Carla Murray is responsible for delivering full P&L accountability for $9.1B in sales for 170 properties in the Western United States, spanning from the Midwest U.S. to French Polynesia. Carla previously served as COO and SVP Operations, Western Region for both Marriott and Starwood, as well as a series of regional positions.  She has held numerous General Manager positions, including at the Sheraton Boston, St. Regis Aspen, the Westin Seattle, and the Sheraton Grand Seattle. Carla is the recipient of the Washington Hospitality Association’s 2017 “Paving the Way” Award, which recognizes great strides taken by women in the hospitality industry. She has been honored as one of Puget Sound Business Journal’s “Women of Influence” and the Washington State Hotel & Lodging Association’s General Manager of the Year.

Carla Murray
President, U.S. Western Region,
Full Service MxM
Marriott International

Craig Bond
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A highly accomplished hotelier, Craig Bond has more than 25 years of tourism and hospitality management experience, of which the last decade was spent in senior group leadership roles across Asia Pacific. 
His ability to provide a single point of leadership in driving a unified strategy that integrates across multiple disciplines has been a driving force of his career success. He is passionate in understanding multicultural dynamics and values building strong relationships with clear business strategy.

Craig Bond
Managing Director
La Vie Hotels & Resorts

Rajiv Trivedi
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Rajiv Trivedi is Managing Principal of TST Capital, a company he founded in 2019, focusing on investments in real estate, technology, health care, senior living, and multifamily. He has more than 35 years of hospitality and real estate experience, recently retiring as the President of La Quinta brands. Rajiv has been recognized by various publications as a top influential leader in the hospitality industry and has been instrumental in the IPO process of companies during his career. He has served on the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas Board of Directors and as the Chairman of the Real Estate Committee for the Board from 2014-2019. Rajiv currently serves as Chairman of the Board for technology company Virdee, a board member for another technology company HotelKey, and a board member for the brand Red Roof.

Rajiv Trivedi
Managing Principal
TST Capital

Anthony Melchiorri
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Anthony Melchiorri has an extensive background and experience in hotel development and operations. With over thirty years in the industry, he is known as the “Hotel-Fixer” and the founder of Argeo Hospitality. Anthony joined the Air Force after high-school where he discovered his love for hospitality while serving as the Protocol Officer. He then entered the world of hotel management, working his way up to General Manager at iconic properties including the Plaza, the Algonquin Hotel, and Nickelodeon Hotel and Resort in Orlando, Florida. After an extremely successful hotel career, Anthony was inspired to share his love of the hospitality industry with the world, pivoting his personal brand into the hit Travel Channel show “Hotel Impossible,” then “Extreme Hotels” and “Five Star Secrets.” Anthony is a frequent public speaker and a passionate advocate for the hotel industry.

Anthony Melchiorri
President
Argeo Hospitality

Alexi Khajavi
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Alexi Khajavi is President of Hospitality & Travel for Questex LLC, a global business intelligence company that informs and connects buyers and sellers across hospitality, travel, healthcare, wellness, and technology, where he is responsible for the company’s global hospitality and travel communications properties and events.  He brings more than 20 years of travel, technology, hospitality, media, and aviation experience to his position. Prior to joining Questex, Alexi was SVP, Global Strategy, for MercuryCSC, a creative agency specializing in the travel industry, and was previously was one of the founding team members of the travel consortium Nature Group based in Costa Rica where he helped lead the airline and hospitality portfolio to be awarded the fastest growing travel company in Central America between 2003 and 2010 and the world’s first carbon neutral airline in 2005. He is a board member and advisor to a number of non-profit and tech companies.

Alexi Khajavi
President, Hospitality & Travel
Questex LLC

Alexandra Jaritz
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Alexandra Jaritz has more than two decades of hospitality industry experience and currently serves as SVP of Brand Management for Asia Pacific at Hilton. Alex is focused on evolving Hilton’s entire portfolio of brands and leading strategic brand initiatives to grow and strengthen the brands. She was responsible for leading the landmark launch of the Home2 by Hilton brand in China, representing the first major extended stay offering for Hilton outside of North America, was the SVP of Focused Service/ All Suites Brand Management for Asia Pacific at Hilton, and was the global brand head of Tru by Hilton. In recognition of her leadership and success with the launch of Tru, in 2017, Alex was named Lodging magazine’s Person of the Year. Prior to joining Hilton, she held key executive positions with Choice Hotels, including serving as a Corporate Officer and SVP of Brand Strategy and Marketing.

Alexandra Jaritz
SVP, Brand Management, ASPAC
Hilton

Jeff Higley
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A former journalist who specialized in the hotel industry for 25 years, Jeff Higley has been President of The BHN Group since May 2019. He oversees global hotel investment conferences, including Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS). In addition, he oversees Hotel Investment Today, a global digital-media platform focused on the hotel investment space that launched in January 2023. Jeff is a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants. He launched Hotel News Now, a division of STR, in September 2008 and The Hotel Data Conference in 2009, and previously served as editorial director of Hotel & Motel Management magazine.

Jeff Higley
President
The BHN Group

Michael Evans
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Michael R. Evans has been the President of Marcus Hotels & Resorts, part of the NYSE publicly-traded Marcus Corporation, since January 2020. Marcus Hotels & Resorts owns and manages a diverse portfolio of hotels and resorts. Prior to joining Marcus Hotels & Resorts, Michael was the CEO of  Apex Capital Ventures LLC, a real estate company that he founded in 2017 to focus  on the development and acquisition of hotels, resorts, and branded residences, and previously served as COO for MGM Hospitality, a division  of MGM Resorts International. He also held several key senior management positions with Marriott International in which he developed hotels for the company on a global scale. He started his career as an attorney in private practice.

Michael Evans

President
Marcus Hotels & Resorts

Brian King
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Brian J. King is the President of Marriott International’s Caribbean and Latin America (CALA) region, responsible for strategy development, revenue growth, unit expansion, operations, and financial performance of over 270 Marriott International hotels. A 30-year lodging veteran, his career has always been driven by the belief that the ‘customer is king.’ He previously held a wide variety of roles that encompassed, Brand Management, Digital, Distribution, the Global Sales, Customer Engagement Centers, Revenue Strategy and Planning and Services. Brian was named one of the 25 Most Influential People in the meetings industry by Successful Meetings and is a 2018 recipient of Fortune PartnersTop Service Award for his leadership in customer recognition management. He is also a board member on Immigration Equality whose mission helps provide free legal support for asylum seekers. He holds a B.A. in Communications from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement. He has completed executive education courses at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the School of Hotel Management at Cornell University.

Brian King
President, Marriott International
Caribbean and Latin America

Heather Turner
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Heather Turner is CEO of Tamarack Capital Partners, where she leads all aspects of the firm and chairs the investment committee. Tamarack is a privately held real estate investment firm engaged in the acquisition, development, and management of hospitality and commercial real estate assets and is currently invested in and manages eleven full-serve hotels and resorts. Prior to founding Tamarack, Heather was with DiNapoli Capital Partners, Maritz Wolff & Co., Broadreach Capital Partners’ The Walt Disney Company, Goldman Sachs, and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is a member of AHLA’s Roundtable, a former member of ULI and its Hotel Development Council, a past president and board member of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association, a past member of the National Board of Directors of the Florida State University Alumni Association. a Trustee on the Board of PS1 Pluralistic School in Santa Monica, and a guest lecturer on real estate investments. 

Heather Turner
CEO and Co-Founder
Tamarack Capital Partners

Alison Harrigan
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Alison Harrigan is a Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry, where she focuses on executive and board director recruitment for hospitality and real estate companies. Alison brings a technical understanding to search based on her depth of market knowledge and extensive track record working with private equity firms, portfolio companies, REITs, and operating platforms, ranging in size from startup to Fortune 100.  Since joining Korn Ferry in 2015, she has been involved in some of the most notable hires, build outs, and human capital strategies within the real estate, lodging, casino/gaming, cruise, leisure, and travel technology segments.  Previously, Alison worked for IMI Properties Worldwide, a global luxury resort real estate firm. She began her career at the Ritz-Carlton hotel company. Alison is the former President of the Cornell Alumni Association of Northern California, and a member of the Cornell Hotel Society, Urban Land Institute, and Junior League of San Francisco.

Alison Harrigan
Senior Client Partner
Korn Ferry

Clayton Reid
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Clayton Reid served as CEO of MMGY Global, a $100 million integrated marketing firm he sold to Peninsula Capital Partners in 2015, before becoming its Chairman in 2023. He has worked with many global travel, destination, and hospitality companies over three decades. Clayton is a sought-after speaker and has been featured by many news organizations. He has been awarded the American Express Steven Harvey Achievement Award for Marketing, was selected for the Arthur Page Society, and received the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Clayton serves on the board of the Midwest Innocence Project, and has held board seats with other civic causes including Operation Breakthrough and Watts of Love. He also sits on the board of the Austin-based private equity firm, Fortitude Advisors, as well as the global transportation company, WHC Worldwide.  

Clayton Reid
Executive Chairman
MMGY Global

Alison Taylor
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Alison Taylor is Chief Customer Officer at American Airlines. She serves as the voice of the customer. For the past 30 years, Alison has served in many leadership roles in two of the world's top travel organizations. Before joining American Airlines, she led the Sales team at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, as SVP of Global Sales, with prior roles to include SVP of Sales and Revenue Management and VP of Sales, Revenue Management, and Digital Marketing. Successful Meetings magazine named her one of the most influential people in the meetings industry, and Business Travel News named her as one of their Top 25 most influential people in business travel. In 2019, Alison was named Outstanding Woman of the Year and recognized among the Top 25 Women in Travel by WINIT by the Global Business Travel Association, which she received again in 2022. 

Alison Taylor
Chief Customer Officer
American Airlines

Jay Caiafa
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Jay Caiafa is the COO, Americas for IHG Hotels & Resorts. Since joining IHG in 2013, Jay has held several leadership roles in the Americas, including SVP, Hotel Lifecycle and Growth and VP, Strategy, Americas.  Jay has chaired IHG’s Global Growth Council working with leaders from EMEAA and Greater China and was appointed as the global lead for IHG’s Outstanding to do Business With strategic driver. He also represents IHG on the Metro Atlanta Chamber Board of Directors, the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation Board of Trustees, and the AHLA Board of Directors.  Prior to IHG, Jay held leadership roles in varied sectors, including legal, commercial real estate finance, strategic consulting, and biotechnology.

Jay Caiafa
Chief Operating Officer, Americas
IHG Hotels & Resorts

Tiffany Cooper
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Tiffany Cooper is Chief Development Officer, Americas & Caribbean and is responsible for delivering growth in the region for Aimbridge Hospitality. A 28-year hospitality industry veteran, Tiffany has risen through positions in sales and marketing, operations, and development at leading global hotel companies, including Kimpton Hotels. Before returning to Kimpton in 2018, she led Marriott International’s full service and luxury hotel development activities. Prior to its merger with Marriott, Tiffany was a member of Starwood Hotels and Resorts real estate development group and managed property sales teams in an earlier role. Tiffany began her hospitality career with Kimpton in sales and marketing and hotel operations positions in 1995. Tiffany holds a BA in Communications & Public Relations from California State University, Hayward (now California State University, East Bay) and an MBA from Johnson & Wales University.

Tiffany Cooper
Chief Development Officer,
Americas & Caribbean
Aimbridge Hospitality

Peter Strebel
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Peter Strebel is chairman of Omni Hotels & Resorts. He is a 30-year-plus veteran of the hospitality industry and was recently named a Top CEO by Glassdoor. In his various roles at Omni, Peter was responsible for guiding the company through the pandemic crisis and was instrumental in driving innovative branding, communications, marketing, and business development strategies to increase awareness and build revenue. Peter rejoined Omni in 2009 as area managing director and general manager of the company’s flagship property in midtown Manhattan, the Omni Berkshire Place. During his previous tenure at Omni, he had a successful 10-year career with various roles of increasing responsibility. In between, Peter served as EVP and CMO for the Wyndham Hotel Group and served as president of the company before returning to Omni. He sits on the board of directors for AHLA and the board of trustees for the Incarnation House in Dallas.

Peter Strebel
Chairman
Omni Hotels & Resorts

Anna Blue
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Anna Blue brings more than two decades of social impact leadership to her role as President of the AHLA Foundation, the non-profit arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Anna’s career has centered on advancing deep-rooted systemic change in urban education, gender equity, and human safety. In her executive leadership roles, Anna has built transformational impact and cause-marketing partnerships with global brands, generated significant revenue growth, and mobilized communities to drive action. She has been a featured speaker on some of the largest global stages, sharing her expertise on leadership, social justice, and equitable advancement in the workplace.

Anna Blue
President
AHLA Foundation

Karen Finberg
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Karen Finberg is the Chief Franchise Officer for Marriott International.  Karen oversees Marriott's U.S. franchising efforts for more than 5,000 open Full Service and Marriott Select Brands hotels. Karen most recently served as Senior Vice President, Marriott Select Brand Franchising and was previously Area Vice President, having responsibility for the Managed by Marriott Select Brands portfolio of 230 hotels in the Eastern Region.  Karen’s earlier work with Marriott included 20 years of Full Service hotel experience, primarily in Sales and Marketing, culminating in her role as Regional Senior Director for the Eastern Region. She then transitioned to Operations as Resident Manager at the JW Marriott Washington, DC. As a two-time Full Service hotel General Manager in the Washington, DC market, Karen brings extensive operations experience and a customer and owner-centric focus to her role.

Karen Finberg
Chief Franchise Officer
Marriott International

Stephaie Ricca
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Stephanie Ricca sets the editorial and content direction for Hotel News Now and its suite of newsletters, website content, and multimedia content. She has 14 years of hotel trade journalism experience, most recently serving as Editor-in-Chief at Hotel News Now. Before that she was Editor-in-Chief at Hotel Management and has earlier experience in newspaper and magazine journalism. She is a graduate of Wittenberg University and holds a master’s degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Stephanie is a highly sought after hospitality industry conference speaker.

Stephanie Ricca
Editorial Director
Hotel News Now

Jeffrey O
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Dr. Jeffrey O is the president of the International Hospitality Institute (IHI) and CEO of the ultra-luxury travel brand, St. Justine, and he also serves on the board of St. Justine.  Prior to his current roles at the International Hospitality Institute and St. Justine, Jeffrey worked for various national organizations as CEO, COO, and Divisional Vice President. He has served as a board member on Marriott International’s Rooms Advisory Board and serves on several boards. In 2021, he was awarded the Industry Choice Award by Otolo, a London based hospitality organization, in recognition of his advocacy and mentoring work for the global hospitality industry. In February 2022, he was elected as Ambassador for the Americas by the Hoteliers’ Guild, an exclusive “invitation-only” society of the world’s leading hoteliers based in Lugano, Switzerland, where he serves on the Diversity panel.

Dr. Jeffrey O
President, IHI
CEO, St Justine

Chip Ohlsson
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Chip Ohlsson
EVP and CDO, North America
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

 Chip Ohlsson is executive vice president and chief development officer, North America, for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel-franchising company. In this role, he is responsible for the development strategy for Wyndham’s 22 brands across North America, identifying and building strategic partnerships to position Wyndham in new markets and increase presence in existing markets.  A 29-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Chip previously served as vice president of North American development at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Prior to this, he held several leadership positions across the industry including senior vice president, vice president, and franchise sales director with Cendant/Wyndham. During this time he oversaw sales, business development and financial management initiatives and was consistently a top sales producer, earning accolades including Vice President of the Year. 

Paul Cash
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Paul Cash serves as general counsel, chief compliance officer, and corporate secretary for Wyndham  Hotels & Resorts. First joining Wyndham in 2005, Paul served as general counsel for Wyndham  Destination Network for 8 years and then served as executive vice president & general counsel for  Wyndham Hotel Group. Prior to joining Wyndham, Paul was a partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions,  International and Entertainment and New Media practice groups of Alston & Bird and earlier in his  career was an associate at Pünder, Volhard, Weber & Axster in Germany.  Paul is a frequent hospitality industry conference speaker and is active in industry associations. 

Paul Cash
General Counsel, CCO, CS
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Dan Lesser
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Daniel H. Lesser
Co-Founder, President, & CEO
LW Hospitality Advisors LLC

Dan Lesser has more than forty years of specialized experience in the hospitality industry, including real estate appraisals, economic feasibility evaluations, investment counseling, asset management, receivership, and transactional services of hotels, resorts, conference centers, casinos, mixed use facilities, spa & wellness properties, and timeshare/fractional ownership properties.  He serves as a third-party advisor and independent expert witness, neutral arbitrator, business model canvasser, asset manager, property/business receiver, and as a principal investor, borrower, guarantor, franchisee. Daniel has served as a Court Appointed Receiver in connection with dozens of hotels throughout the U.S.  Prior to his hospitality advisory experience, he held operational and administrative positions with Hilton and Eurotels-Switzerland.  Daniel is a highly sought after speaker at events and institutions of higher education, and is widely published and quoted in major newspaper, internet, business, real estate, and hospitality industry periodicals. 

Kaye Chon
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Dr. Kaye Chon
Dean and Chair Professor, 
Hotel and Tourism Management  
Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Professor Kaye Chon is Dean, Chair Professor, and Walter and Wendy Kwok Family Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dean Chon previously held academic positions at the University of Houston, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Virginia Tech in the US. Under Dean Chon’s leadership, the School has been ranked No. 1 in the world for five years in a row in the “Hospitality and Tourism Management” category according to in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. A frequent speaker at international conferences, Dean Chon has published over 200 papers in international journals and professional publications and has authored or edited 12 books. In 2011, Dean Chon received the Ulysses Prize from the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The Ulysses Prize, known as the “Nobel Prize in Tourism,” is annually presented to one scholar in the world for his or her lifetime contributions in creating new knowledge in tourism.

Harry Thaliwal
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With over 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Harry has held numerous senior executive and multi-country leadership roles across ten countries, including Indonesia, India, Australia, Fiji, Vietnam and Thailand. Prior to joining the company, he worked for InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) for 23 years, launching luxury, mid-scale and lifestyle brands in across 15 international locations, building and managing operational excellence platforms for Intercontinental APAC, before moving to Centara Hotels & Resorts for 4 years. He started with Cross Hotels & Hotels in 2018, forming strategies and driving growth, operational excellence, and profitability, and building strong teams that are making dreams reality.

Harry Thaliwal
CEO
Cross Hotels & Resorts

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Emily Goldfscher
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A curious journalist passionate about the hotel industry, Emily founded hertelier in March of 2021.  An online media platform and weekly newsletter, Round-Up, that enlightens and inspires women in hospitality to pursue, navigate, and nurture their careers at every stage, hertelier has taken off, creating a dynamic and engaged community of professionals. A self-confessed “hotel nerd,” and graduate of the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration with a master’s from the London School of Economics, Emily began marketing and promoting hotels, restaurants, and destinations on the agency side, before joining Loews Hotels as the Vice President of Public Relations, managing the brand's corporate comms and hotel PR for over a decade.

Emily Goldfischer
Founder
Hertelier

Tom Bardenett
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Tom Bardenett
EVP & Chief Operating Officer
RLJ Lodging Trust

Tom Bardenett is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at RLJ Lodging Trust, responsible for managing the asset management function, overseeing third party management company and hospitality brand relationships and requirements. Tom has over 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry, previously serving as Chief Operating Officer for Extended Stay America. Prior to that, he served in multiple leadership roles at Crossroads Hospitality, the operations arm of Interstate Hotels & Resorts, including Executive Vice President of Operations and President, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Regional Director of Sales, and Regional Director of Operations. He currently is the Chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation. Other organizations in which he is a member are the Embassy Suites Owners Advisory Council and Courtyard by Marriott Franchise Advisory Council.

Frank Nardozza
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Francis J. Nardozza
Chairman and CEO
REH Capital Partners

Frank Nardozza is Chairman and CEO of REH Capital Partners. He is highly regarded as a hospitality industry leader, dedicated to the advancement of industry professionals through career development initiatives, support for university programs, and development of the next generation of real estate and hospitality industry professionals. Previously, Frank was a partner at KPMG, LLP and KPMG Consulting, Inc., where he devoted the first 25 years of his career.  He is founding Chairperson of the U.S. Lodging Industry Investment Council, a member of the Executive Advisory Committee of the NYU Investment Conference, and the Exec. Planning Board of ALIS. Frank serves as Immediate Past-Chair of the Exec. Board of the Florida State University (FSU) Real Estate Center, a Trustee of the FSU Real Estate Foundation, and a member of the Advisory Board of the FSU Dedman College of Hospitality.  In 2013, he was inducted into the FSU College of Business Hall of Fame.

Lisa Lombardo
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Lisa Lombardo
Chief Culture and Strategy Officer HDG Hotels

Lisa Lombardo is the Chief Culture and Strategy Officer for HDG Hotels. Lisa started her career in fund development for nonprofits. Along the way (a journey better discussed over coffee), that evolved into coaching nonprofit and for-profit teams. She has worked as a consultant with nonprofits, financial institutions, construction companies, arts organizations, televised and other high-profile events, higher education institutions, start-ups, individual executives, and now hospitality. She co-founded the Performing Arts Conservatory in her hometown as another way to give back to her community. When asked what motivates her, she answers, “People.” She believes the first step toward progress is having clarity of purpose and is a self-professed serial connector. Lisa is a frequent hospitality industry conference speaker and is very active in hospitality industry associations. In 2021, Florida Trend recognized her as an executive making a mark.

Lina Patel
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Lina Patel
Hotelier and a Dedicated Promoter for Advancing Women in Hotel Industry

Lina is a second-generation hotelier with 26 years of experience in hotel ownership and investments. She is highly experienced in advancing women in hotel ownership by providing networking and educational opportunities.  She plays multiple leadership roles in various aspects of life ranging from a personal passion of leading hikers to the Himalayas to serving as a board of directors on several hotel and cultural organizations.  Recently Lina helped launch the AAHOA’s HerOwnership program that is dedicated to opening doors for women in hotel ownership.  She has over 14 years of experience as a speaker, panelists, moderator, and a presenter.  Via LPS of USA organization, she helps to promote Indian culture by leading cultural dance programs and competitions.  Lina also serves on the board of Franchise Advisory Counsel for Days Inn by Wyndham. 

Leslie Hale
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Leslie Hale
President & CEO
RLJ Lodging Trust

Leslie Hale has played a pivotal role in setting and executing the strategic vision at RLJ and has held progressively senior roles – she was appointed to Chief Financial Officer in 2007, Chief Operating Officer in 2016, and Chief Executive Officer in 2018. In addition, she is on the Board of Directors for Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE: M) and Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE: DAL), is a Howard University Trustee, and is a Board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Baltimore Branch. Other organizations in which she is a member are the MINA Advisory Board, NAREIT Advisory Board of Governors, AHLA Executive Board, IREFAC, and The Real Estate Roundtable. She is the current Chairperson of AHLA. Before joining RLJ, Leslie held senior positions at GE and Goldman Sachs. 

Stacy Silve
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Stacy Silver
President
Silver Hospitality Group

Stacy Silver, ISHC, is President of Silver Hospitality Group, a boutique consulting firm specializing in building revenues and profitability for hospitality companies through targeted industry relations outreach, creative marketing solutions, and special events. She was recently appointed Visiting Professor of Practice for Experiential Networking at The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.  She served previously as Executive Director, Business Development and Sales for Questex Hospitality Events. Stacy has held increasingly influential positions with two of the industry's leading media companies, serving in such capacities as vice president, publisher, executive director events, and executive director digital media for Hotel Business (ICD Publications) and Hotel Management (Questex Media Group). She sits on the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University's Center for Hospitality Research Board. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences.

Chip Conley
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Chip Conley
Founder & CEO
Modern Elder Academy

Chip Conley joined the tiny tech start-up Airbnb nearly a decade ago after a successful career as a boutique hotel company founder and CEO. He was twice the age of the average Airbnb employee which earned him the title "Airbnb's Modern Elder" who was as curious as he was wise. As the internal mentor to the young Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, Chip got to see the value of intergenerational collaboration in a company that has now grown to be the most valuable hospitality company in the world. His bestselling book "Wisdom@Work: The Making of a Modern Elder" is a testament to rethinking the value of having 5 generations in the workplace and why more companies are doing their best to encourage their older workers to stay in the workplace longer. Chip's Modern Elder Academy has more than 2,000 alums who've come to the Mexican beachfront campus, and MEA will be opening two campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico soon.

Chris Green
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Chris Green is President at Remington Hotels, formerly President & CEO of Chesapeake Hospitality until the merger of the two companies last year.  He brings more than a quarter century of successful hospitality operations experience to the Remington team, including nearly a decade in the field at various Chesapeake-managed properties. Chris

is a regular guest on the No Vacancy podcast and a frequent contributor to a host of different industry publications, including Hotel Executive and Hotel Business. He writes a recurring column for Hotel News Now where he shares insights and perspectives on everything from how to build and maintain a vibrant company culture, to future technology and hospitality trends.

Chris Green
President
Remington Hotels

Greg Kennealey
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Greg Kennealey
Chief Executive Officer
Mission Hill Hospitality

Greg Kennealey is CEO of Mission Hill Hospitality, a leading select service and extended stay hotel investor based in Denver. He launched Mission Hill Hospitality in partnership with KSL Capital Partners, a global leader in hospitality, travel, and leisure investing in 2021. Since then, he and the Mission Hill Hospitality team he has built have developed a high-quality portfolio of well-located select service and extended stay hotels, particularly in markets driven by education, medical, corporate and year-round leisure demand.

Previously, Greg was a Principal and Head of Hospitality at KSL Capital Partners. During his ten-year tenure there, Greg served on the boards of directors for Davidson Hospitality Group and Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and led KSL's U.S. hotel and resort portfolio. Earlier in his career, Greg was was Vice President of Asset Management at Strategic Hotels & Resorts, an Associate at LaSalle Investment Management, and held leadership positions at IBM Global Services and Forrester Research.

Leslie Ng
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Leslie Ng co-founded Waramaug Hospitality in 2013 and as CEO, is responsible for driving the company’s overall initiatives.  Leslie has held senior executive positions at some of the nation’s most prominent hotel companies, including a long and significant tenure as Chief Investment Officer of Interstate Hotels and Resorts and Head of Acquisitions for Patriot American Hospitality.  Leslie is a former member of the Board of Directors for Interstate Hotels. In 2022, he launched Blue Cougar Learning as a not-for-profit educational platform to teach the next generation of hotel investment professionals real world skills.  Leslie holds a B.E. in Civil Engineering from The Cooper Union and an M.B.A. in Finance from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Leslie Ng
Former Chief Executive Officer
Waramaug Hospitality

Teague Hunter
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Teague Hunter is President and Chief Executive Officer of Hunter Hotel Advisors, the nation’s leading investment advisory firm focused exclusively on the hotel industry. With over 25 years of experience and a successful track record that spans a full spectrum of hotel transactions, Teague has led Hunter Hotel Advisors to complete over $14 billion in transactions including $2.5 billion closed in 2022. These transactions include single asset and portfolio sales for the industry’s most influential financial institutions, REIT’s, and private equity firms. Teague along with his dad, Bob, and his brother, Lee, have also led and organized one of the industry’s most important and respected hotel conferences, the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference.

Teague Hunter
President & CEO
Hunter Hotel Advisors

Donte Vaughn
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Dr. Donte Vaughn
CEO & Managing Partner
CultureWorx

Dr. Donte Vaughn, DM, is the CEO and Managing Partner of CultureWorx, a company dedicated to providing Culture Performance Management™ solutions to help organizations measure, manage, and foster cultural change through “real-time” learning and practice. Dr. Vaughn is an expert in Organizational Leadership, Workforce Management, and Company Culture. He has over 17 years of senior-level executive experience driving results in the public and private business sectors; fostering the design and implementation of business growth and leadership strategies and serving companies throughout the U.S. and globally. Dr. Vaughn is an Official Member of the Forbes Business Council. He is the co-author of the Amazon Best Seller: From Culture to Culture: The System to Define, Implement, Measure, and Improve Your Company Culture.

Mike Deitemeyer
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Mike Deitemeyer
Former President & CEO
Aimbridge Hospitality

Mike is the Former President & CEO of Aimbridge and previously was its Global President following a merger with Interstate Hotels & Resorts in October 2019. Prior to that, he was President and CEO of Interstate Hotels & Resorts for nearly three years. Mike had a highly successful tenure with Omni Hotels & Resorts including 13 years as President, helping to grow Omni’s organization through management roles in operations, development, sales and finance.  Mike holds current board memberships with the AHLA Executive Committee (2021-present), the U.S. Travel Association CEO Roundtable (2021-present), the Culinary Institute of America Society of Fellows, and MINA, representing the company as an At-Large Board Member of Marriott International’s franchise advisory board (2018-present). He was a founding board member and served as chairperson of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands. In December 2018, Lodging magazine named him its Person of the Year. 

Davonne Reaves
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Davonne Reaves
Founder
Vesterr and The Vonne Group

Davonne Reaves is the Founder of The Vonne Group, owner of three hotels, and Founder of Vesterr, the first crowdfunding platform for hotel investments.  After starting as a front desk agent in the hospitality industry over 15 years ago, Davonne held various positions, including in asset management at CHMWarnick, where she managed portfolios totaling over $1 billion. Today, Davonne uses her experience to teach the Black community how to become hotel investors and owners. She has educated thousands and provided a path to hotel ownership for many across the U.S.  She has been featured in Forbes, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Black Enterprise, MarketWatch, Atlanta Journal Constitution, NextAdvisor (Time), and Franchise Times. Davonne has received recognition from many organizations including Georgia State University’s top 40 under 40, the Trailblazer of the Year Award by The Urban League of Greater Atlanta, and one of the top 100 most influential African American under 40 by The Root.

Kendra Plummer
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Kendra Plummer
Founder
Elise Capital

Kendra Plummer founded Elise Capital, a hotel investment firm unlocking access to generational wealth through hotel ownership. Kendra has led Elise Capital through the launch of its investment portfolio of over $15M in assets under management and the evolution of its advisory platform ushering in a new demographic of hotel owners. She previously held the position of Director of Acquisitions and Development for TPG Hotels & Resorts. Kendra has been honored with Temple University’s 30 under 30 award and is the 2022 recipient of the Lori Raleigh Award for Emerging Excellence by the International Society of Hospitality Consultants. She has been featured in Hospitality Design, Hotel Business, and Lodging Magazine. Kendra continues to be an advocate for underrepresented communities having served on boards and committees for the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers, She Has a Deal, and Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Talene Staab
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Talene Staab
Brand Leader
Home2 Suites by Hilton

Talene Staab has spent 25 years with Hilton. She currently serves as the chief strategist for Home2 Suites by Hilton, one of the fastest growing brands in the industry.  Previously, Talene served as Global Head of Tru by Hilton, was the Vice President for Owner Experience & Engagement, helped to launch the Canopy by Hilton brand, and had extensive experience on the Embassy Suites brand team.  She credits her passion for hospitality to her parents’ restaurant in Boston, where everyone became a “regular” and home cooking was the specialty. Talene was recent;ly named one of the “Most Influential Women in Hospitality by Hotel Management Magazine and currently sits on the board of directors for Castell, an AHLA Foundation Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the development of high-potential women in hospitality.

Jin Lee
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Jin Lee
Chief Executive Officer
ARA US Hospitality Trust

Jin Lee is Chief Executive Officer of ARA US Hospitality Trust, the first pure-play US upscale select-service hospitality trust listed on the Singapore Exchange. He is also a member of the ARA Group Business Development Committee which drives and coordinates all new business initiatives. Jin has more than 30 years of hotel management and investment experience. Prior to joining ARA US Hospitality Trust, he established Probity Investors, a boutique consultancy that sourced hotel investments and raised capital for private fund managers in the US. Prior to that, he served as an investment officer for several lodging-specific private equity fund managers including Thayer Lodging (now part of Brookfield Asset Management) and HEI Hotels & Resorts. He oversaw all aspects of the investment approach including sourcing, underwriting, negotiating and closing real estate transactions. Previously he worked for Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group (now part of InterContinental Hotels) and Marriott International. He started his career in hotel operations at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, San Francisco. 

Justin Knight
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Justin Knight
CEO, Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc.
2022 Chair, AHLA

Justin Knight is Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc., a publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns one of the largest portfolios of upscale, rooms-focused hotels in the United States. Justin has led the various Apple REIT Companies for two decades. Within the industry, he currently serves on the Marriott Owners Advisory Council, as President of the Residence Inn Association Board, and as the 2022 Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and a member of its Executive Committee. He is also very active in supporting the community, serving as a member of the National Advisory Council for the Marriott School at Brigham Young University (BYU), the Board of Trustees for The Valentine, and the Board of Trustees for Venture Richmond.

Kevin Carey
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Kevin Carey
COO & EVP
AHLA

Kevin Carey has served as AHLA’s Chief Operating Officer since 2017. In this role, he is responsible for all revenue generating operations including, membership engagement, partnership & business development, and conferences & events.  Kevin is also responsible for strategic planning and oversight of financial operations for AHLA and the AHLA Foundation.  Kevin works closely with AHLA’s CEO to guide the association. Prior to joining AHLA, Kevin held senior executive leadership roles at American Express Company and American Express Global Business Travel. Kevin has a breadth of experience across the travel and hospitality industries through his service as a board and executive committee member in numerous travel and tourism industry associations, including the US. Travel Association and the Travel Business Roundtable. He also presently serves as an advisory board member at both Johns Hopkins University and Penn State University.

Andrea Belfanti
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Andrea Belfanti is the CEO for the International Society of Hospitality Consultants. Andrea has been with ISHC since 2009 and has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry. She is a regular speaker and presenter at industry events and currently serves on the planning committees for numerous hospitality industry investment conferences. Andrea co-founded the ISHC & Questex Diversity and Inclusion Council and is the Podium Committee Chair and serves on the Marketing Committee for Castell, an AHLA Foundation Project. Andrea sits on the Advisory Board for the University of South Carolina’s School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management, where she earned her bachelor’s degree.

Andrea Belfanti
CEO
International Society of
Hospitality Consultants (ISHC)

Seema jain
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Seema Jain
Founder & CEO
Seva Global

Seema Jain has years of experience with helping companies become more culturally competent when engaging with people from different backgrounds.  Seema is the Founder and CEO of Seva Global, Growing Business Through Cultural Competency. She is a frequent speaker at hospitality industry conferences. In her past role as Senior Director, Multicultural Affairs at Marriott International, Seema had responsibility for developing tools and resources for Marriott associates and hotel properties to enhance cultural competencies to better serve the company’s broad diversity of guests and customers.   Seema is the co-founder of two non-profit organizations – Supporting Excellence in Education Foundation (SEED), which awards scholarships to high school students and the Young Jains of America (YJA), a national youth organization created to share Jain heritage and culture.

Anu Saxena
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Anu Saxena
President and Global Head
Hilton Supply Management

Anu Saxena leads the world’s largest hospitality supply chain organization, overseeing services for more than 11,000 properties and over 120 brands across 125 countries, influencing $11 billion in global spend with over 3,000 suppliers. She is the Leadership Advocate for Hilton’s Asian & Pacific Islander Resource Group, which promotes professional development, inclusion, and  diversity. Additionally, Anu leads an award-winning Supplier Diversity Program that has been recognized by Women’s Business Enterprise National Council’s 2021 Top  Corporations Resiliency Edition, by National Business Inclusion Consortium’s 2021 Best-of-the-Best Corporations for Inclusion, and was ranked Top 15 by DiversityInc’s 2022 Supplier Diversity Specialty List. Anu serves on the board of the AHLA Foundation. She also serves on the board of Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a  non-profit organization dedicated to bringing artistic and educational programs to  diverse audiences.

Shruti
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Shruti (Gandhi) Buckley
Global Head
Hampton by Hilton

As Global Head of Hampton by Hilton, Shruti (Gandhi) Buckley is responsible for the overall brand strategy which includes driving brand growth and development, diversifying and increasing revenue, and sustaining customer loyalty. Shruti is a seasoned brand management and marketing leader with over 20 years of experience in the areas of global business management, brand strategy and analysis, and consumer marketing and public relations across a variety of industries, most recently, hospitality.  Prior to joining Hilton she was the global brand leader for Fairfield and Protea Hotels brands with Marriott International and also held marketing and brand management positions with leading organizations including Nestle, Unilever, Estee Lauder, Chanel Inc., and National Geographic. Shruti has been named one of the “Most Influential Women in Hospitality” by Hotel Management Magazine.

Allison Reid
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Allison Reid is Chief Global Growth Officer of Aimbridge Hospitality and is responsible for the company’s global growth pursuits and empowering Aimbridge’s business development teams to fuel the company’s global development pipeline.  Allison joined Aimbridge with 35 years of hospitality operations, finance, real estate, brand management, and development experience, including at Kimpton and Starwood.  Allison served in several executive leadership positions at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide including CFO at W Hotels, Vice President of Investment Relations, and SVP-Real Estate Investment Management. Earlier in her career, she held property-level and regional Finance/Controller positions with ITT Sheraton and Interstate Hotels.

Allison Reid
Chief Global Growth Officer
Aimbridge Hospitality

Monika Nerge
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Monika Nerger
Global CIO
Mandarin Oriental

Monika Nerger is the Global Chief Information Officer for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, overseeing all aspects of the group’s global technology.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences located in prime destinations around the world. It operates 33 hotels and seven residences in 23 countries and territories.

Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental, Monika worked internationally with Pan Pacific Hotels, KPMG Consulting, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

She holds an MBA and an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Miami.  Monika is currently a Board member and past President of HTNG (Hospitality Technology Next Generation) and sits on the Advisory Board of CHTA (China Hospitality Technology Alliance) and well as the Jardines Digital Leadership. In 2017, Monika was inducted into the International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame.

Lynette Montoya
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Lynette Montoya
President & CEO
Latino Hotel Association

Since 2015, Lynette Montoya has served as the CEO of the Latino Hotel Association, which focuses on providing Latino entrepreneurs hospitality industry resources, education and training, and networking opportunities to build wealth through hotel ownership and investment.  Lynette has been in the hotel industry for more than 25 years, working as a hotel broker for properties throughout the United States. She is the founder of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Santa Fe, New Mexico and served as its founding executive director. She is a board member of Architecture 2030, a non-profit think tank tackling climate change, serves on the Advisory Council of the California State University Hospitality and Tourism Management Education Alliance, and volunteers extensively in her community. Lynette is a member of the Board of Directors of Tourism Diversity Matters and has been a speaker at hospitality colleges and universities as well as for Castell@College.

Ted Zhang
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Ted Zhang
Founder and CEO
DerbySoft

Ted Zhang is a graduate of University of Science and Technology, Beijing, and University of South Dakota, USA, with Material Science degree and Computer Science master degree. After graduation, Ted worked for Oak Technology as Information Systems Manager in USA. In 2002, Ted and his partner Mr. Feng Ou founded DerbySoft. They believe that the electronic distribution world is flat—that in the future, each travel-related company will have its own system(s) enabling it to work with other companies in the travel space. Those individual systems will exist equally and independently and will connect through the internet, eventually forming a next-generation travel distribution network, or Global Data Network (GDN). In fact, DerbySoft’s mission is to “Make the travel business easier.”  In Q4, 2021, DerbySoft has 240,000 hotels’ data, 400+ integrated partners, 700+ global connection, and 12 Million room nights booking per month.

Liu XinXin
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LIU XinXin
President
H World Group Ltd.

Liu XinXin has served as the President of H World Group Limited since Sep. 2021. She is responsible for information technology, sales and loyalty, e-commerce, online direct sales channels, corporate operations, and organizational transformation of the Group.  Previously, she served as Co-President, Chief Digital Officer, and Chief Information Officer. She was the founder and CEO of H World Cloud Information Technology Co. Ltd., which is an IT company incubated by H World Group in November 2013. Prior to joining H World Group Limited, she worked as the IT head of Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell from July 1999 to September 2012. Under the leadership of Liu, H World Group Limited has become a digital-driven hotel group. The H World Cloud is an independent company spun off from H World Group that provides IT solutions on a SaaS platform to create operations efficiency and sales & marketing effectiveness for other hotel chains as well as other service industries such as long-stay Apartment, catering, spa, gyms etc.

Glenn Haussman
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Glenn Haussman
Podcast Host

Glenn Haussman hosts No Vacancy News Today, a news and analysis program focused on hospitality headlines, and Friday Night Audit, a comedy focused show capturing the energy of the post conference bar scene and more. The podcast attracts the biggest names in hospitality and was chosen by USA Today as a “best podcast to listen to while traveling.” Glenn has been recognized as one of the top 100 Most Power People in Global Hospitality and the #1 Global Social Media Influencer in Hospitality, and his podcast was named the #1 podcast in hospitality. Additionally, he received the Leadership Excellence Award from SKAL USA for his tireless work bringing the hotel industry together during the Covid crisis and his podcast received the Davey Award.  Glenn also publishes novacancynews.com, an industry news site, and serves as a keynote speaker and moderator throughout the industry and as a speaker/media trainer.

Ama Romaine
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Ama Romaine
Global General Counsel,
Progress Residential

Before joining Progress Residential, Ama served as the Global General Counsel, Real Estate Asset Management at Blackstone and General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer at G6 Hospitality, the parent company for the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands and also was previously the General Counsel & Head of Risk Management at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.  She has held a number of positions with increasing responsibility in the hospitality industry, including as the Vice President & Senior Counsel for Brands at Hilton Worldwide.  Ama was the chair of the AHLA ForWard Advisory Committee and also serves as the Chair of the Initiative: Advancing the Blue & Black Partnership, a non-profit organization that she co-founded to foster healthy communities for all. She also serves on the Board of the International Franchise Association and previously served two terms as an advisory board member of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Leadership Academy.

Suzanne Mellen
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Suzanne Mellen
Senior Managing Director
HVS

Suzanne is the Senior Managing Director of HVS. Having appraised thousands of hotels, gaming assets, and related real estate throughout the world over the past 41 years, she specializes in complex hotel and casino feasibility issues and is nationally recognized for her industry expertise. Suzanne opened the second office of HVS in 1985 in San Francisco and led HVS’ expansion to Las Vegas (2009) and Los Angeles (2013). She developed innovative appraisal methodologies such as a mortgage-equity income capitalization formula for variable income properties, and a refinancing model for hotel investments. She has authored numerous articles on hotel valuation and has spoken at numerous industry events, including annual appearances at JMBM’s Meet the Money and ALIS. Suzanne 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).

Lisa Checchio
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Lisa Checchio
EVP & Chief Marketing Officer
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Lisa Borromeo Checchio is EVP and Chief Marketing Officer at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchisor, and champions Wyndham’s portfolio of iconic brands and its award-winning loyalty program, Wyndham Rewards. Lisa has been recognized as Global Business Travel Association’s “Top 50 Women in Travel,” Ad Age’s “40 Under 40,” Hotel Management’s Most Influential Women in Hospitality, 15 Women Making their Mark in Hospitality by Lodging Magazine, and HSMAI’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds. She serves on the Board of Trustees for the AHLA Foundation and is a Board Member of AHLA and HSMAI. As the daughter of an immigrant, Lisa strives to inspire and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through her career and volunteerism.

Marina MacDonald
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Marina MacDonald
Chief Marketing Officer
Red Roof

Marina MacDonald serves as the Chief Marketing Officer for Red Roof, helping Red Roof achieve its goals by leading its Sales, Marketing, and Distribution programs. She spearheads a company-wide initiative to support women in hospitality through Red Roof's Forum on Leadership for Women Entrepreneurs, for which AHLA awarded her the Paving the Way award. She is Past America’s Board Chair for HSMAI, has been named among the Top 30 Most Influential Women by Hotel Management, is an AdWeek CMO Award Winner, and was named by International Hospitality Institute amongst its 25 Most Influential Women. Marina is also a member of CHIEF, a network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders. 

Andrea Foster
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Andrea Foster
Senior Vice President of Development Marcus Hotels & Resorts

Andrea Foster  is responsible for marketing Marcus’ hotel management expertise and identifying and securing co-GP acquisition and third-party management opportunities. Previously, she was with CBRE Hotels’, Miraval Resorts, and both branded and independent full-service hotels. Andrea is also an advisory board member for EVPassport, a startup company in electric vehicle charging.  She has been a Cornell Hotel Society board committee chair and a chapter president; is on the Lodging Industry Investment Council; 2020-21 Chair and current member of AHLA’s ForWard Advisory Committee; advisory board member of Castell@College; luminary for She Has A Deal; Marcus Corporation Campaign Chair and Campaign Cabinet member for United Way of Greater Milwaukee; and a regular speaker at industry conferences and university hospitality programs. Andrea was one of “30 Influential Women in Hospitality” in Hotel Management Magazine in 2017, and named one of hospitality’s most successful women by Lodging Magazine in 2016. 

John Murray
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John Murray
 President & CEO
Sonesta International Hotels Corporation

John Murray is the President & CEO of Sonesta International Hotels Corporation. As one of the fastest-growing hospitality companies in the U.S., Sonesta’s portfolio of managed hotels has grown 350% since August 2020. Murray is also an Executive Vice President of The RMR Group and is a member of the RMR Executive Operating Committee. In addition, he serves as a Managing Trustee of Service Properties Trust (Nasdaq: SVC) and Industrial Logistics Properties Trust (Nasdaq: ILPT). Murray previously served as SVC’s President from 1996 to 2022 and its CEO from 2018 to 2022. He was also ILPT’s President and CEO from 2018 to 2022. Murray currently serves on the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Hotel Development Council and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Hospitality Investment Roundtable. From 2014 to 2017, he was a member of the AHLA Board of Directors representing the owners’ segment of the association. Prior to joining RMR, Murray worked at Fidelity Investments and Ernst & Young LLP. 

Terri Haack
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Terri Haack
Senior Vice President
Lowe

Terri Haack is the senior vice president of Lowe.  Of her 40 years in hotel and resort operations, she is a 20-year veteran and member of the shareholder group, where she works with the firm’s hospitality teams nationwide on new ventures, assisting in the pursuit of new acquisition and development opportunities.  She led the firm’s Terranea Resort, from construction, to a premier luxury destination on the Southern California coast, as its President for 15 years.  Among many boards, Terri she serves on the AHLA Board of Directors, Chairman of the Educational Foundation Scholarship Committee, ForWard Executive Council, Past Chairman of California Hotel & Lodging Association,  and Executive Committee for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. She has received numerous local, state and national awards and accolades throughout her career. Terri is also a frequent industry conference speaker.

Dorraine Lallani
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Dorraine Lallani
Board Member of Red Roof Inns,
Senior Director-Asset Management for Westmont Hospitality Group

Dorraine Lallani oversees Westmont’s Select Service Division in the US, focusing on asset management and the disposition of hotel assets valued at $20 million and below. She currently asset manages the company’s 50+ affiliate-owned Red Roof locations.  Dorraine has worked on disposition transactions of virtually every type and size in her career, as well as acquisitions, due diligence, franchise relations, administration, and human resources in the U.S. and Canada.  In between the last 13 years with Westmont and following an earlier 22 years there, Dorraine was SVP for Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, focusing on hotel advisory services and investment sales in their Select Service division.  She is a past member of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association and holds a Real Estate Broker License in Texas.  She has served on the Women’s Committee for AAHOA and a participant in AAHOA’s Mentorship Program.  She has also served on the planning committee for Red Roof’s Forum for Women Entrepreneurs.

Malaika Meyers
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Malaika Myers
Chief Human Resources Officer
Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Malaika Myers was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer at Hyatt Hotels Corporation in 2017. In this role, Malaika is responsible for setting and implementing Hyatt’s global HR enterprise strategy worldwide. She has more than 25 years experience in HR, having previously held roles as SVP, Human Resources for Jarden Corporation, CHRO for Arysta LifeScience, and in various senior management roles at Diageo PLC, an international beverage and spirits business. Prior to joining Diageo, Malaika spent 10 years with PepsiCo, which she joined after serving in various HR roles with FMC Corporation. Malaika has been a member of the boards of directors for several non-profit companies and city commissions and is a highly sought after speaker.  She is also a prior recipient of the Trailblazer Award, issued by the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR).

Kevin Jacobs
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Kevin Jacobs
Chief Financial Officer &
President, Global Development
Hilton

Kevin Jacobs leads the company’s finance, real estate, development and architecture and construction functions globally. He joined the company in 2008 as SVP Corporate Strategy; was elected Treasurer in 2009; was appointed EVP & Chief of Staff in 2012; assumed the role of CFO in 2013; and added the role of President, Global Development in 2020.  Prior to Hilton, Kevin was SVP Mergers & Acquisitions and Treasurer of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. Prior, Kevin spent seven years with Host Hotels & Resorts, ultimately serving as VP Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations. Kevin had various roles in the Hospitality Consulting Practice of PwC and the Hospitality Valuation Group of Cushman & Wakefield.  He is a member of the Board of Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc., a triple-net, equity REIT (NYSE: OHI). He also serves on the Board of Goodwill of Greater Washington, is a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Federal City Council, is a Trustee on the Cornell Board of Trustees, is a member of the Cornell University Council and of the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, and is a member of the Executive Committee of AHLA. 

Abby Murtagh
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Abby Murtagh
Area Vice President
Hilton

A powerhouse of warmth and innovation, Abby Murtagh brings vast experience of heritage lifestyle, hotel and entertainment brands to her current role as Area Vice President for Hilton. Her career has spanned multiple national and global hotel and resort brands, including Interstate, Kimpton Hotels, and Hilton Hotels and Resorts; along with tenure at renowned properties including the Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, Hilton Waikoloa Village, The New York Palace Hotel, and the iconic Waldorf Astoria in New York City.  Abby was awarded The Waldorf Astoria Distinguished Alumni Award in 2018, President for the Day for Hilton Americas in 2019, and the Pathfinder Award for The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce in 2020, which recognized Abby as a community leader dedicated to promoting women in business.  She is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

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Renie Cavallari
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Renie Cavallari
Award-winning Author 
Global Speaker | Entrepreneur | Executive Coach | Strategist

Renie Cavallari is founder, CEO, and Chief Instigator of Aspire and an award-winning international marketing and leadership expert. Her inimitable grasp of business and its challenges, along with her proven, innovative solutions set Renie apart as a captivating speaker, author, leader, coach, and strategist who has driven measurable results for businesses globally for over 25 years. She presents keynote speeches around the world and is a member of the prestigious National Speakers Association. Renie harnessed her understanding of business to found Aspire in 1995. Aspire designs the exact solutions that companies need to stand out and awaken the potential of their people. Most companies are done at the end of a program, while Aspire is just getting started. They stick around to give organizations the tools they need to continuously drive measurable results. Over the last 26 years, more than 1 million people have learned to think differently, challenge the status quo, and expect results through Aspire's programs. Aspire makes it all happen by establishing competencies, filling gaps, and inspiring people to rise to their potential.

Elie Maalouf
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Elie Maalouf
Chief Executive Officer
IHG Hotels & Resorts

Elie Maalouf is CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts and serves as an Executive Director on IHG's Board. Elie leads the management, growth and profitability of the company. Elie’s experience includes CEO, the Americas, IHG's largest region, nearly 15 years at HMS Host Corporation, where he held roles as President and CEO and was a member of the board of directors. Before HMSHost, he spent eight years with Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company. Prior to joining IHG in 2015, Elie was Senior Advisor with McKinsey & Company. He is active in organizations that support and promote the travel and hospitality industries as a member of the AHLA Executive Committee of the Board, and a member and chairman of the U.S. Travel Association CEO Roundtable. In addition, Elie serves on the CEO Council of the Global Business Alliance.

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Lalia Rach
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Dr. Lalia Rach 
Corporate executive, educator, speaker entrepreneur, executive coach and Amazon Best Seller author

Dr. Lalia Rach is the executive managing director of Strategic Consulting Services, a division of Associated Luxury Hotels International.  Lalia is responsible for developing and delivering consulting services to member hotels and clients. She is a frequent public speaker and author of the book, “Managing the Book on You: Rewriting your Leadership Story!”  Previously, as the founder and partner of Rach Enterprises, she served as an advisor to senior level executives, and she has also served as dean at several top hospitality and tourism programs.  Lalia has many recognized with many honors including the Smart Women in Meetings:  Visionary from Smart Meetings Magazine; Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing from HSMAI; one of the Most Influential People in the Travel Industry from Travel Weekly; “Meet the 25 Most Influential Women in Travel” by Forbes Life Executive Woman; Professional of the Year Award from Big Apple Chapter Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association; and Special Hospitality Award from NYC & Co. 

Rupesh Patel
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Rupesh Patel
Award-winning hotel owner, investor, advocate

With over 20 years in business, Rupesh is best known for inspiring and helping others grow by sharing insights on leadership, guest service, and marketing. He has a following of over 50,000 hospitality professionals on LinkedIn. Rupesh’s passion for sharing knowledge is evident in many forms, including his live shows, events and public speaking. His work has been featured in magazines, podcasts and other industry media outlets. He was recognized by IACC Orlando as their 2022 Male Business Professional of the Year. He was also recognized as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful People in Global Hospitality by International Hospitality Institute. His company is one of the Top 100 Hotel Ownership and Management Companies.

Mit Shah
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Mitesh Shah
Founder and CEO
Noble Investment Group

As founder and chief executive officer, Mit Shah provides overall strategic guidance for the Noble organization and heads its investment committee. He has been profiled in Newsweek magazine as one of the most influential South Asians in the United States, named as one of Atlanta's most prominent leaders by Atlanta Magazine and the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and as one of the 21st century's most influential hospitality industry leaders by both Lodging and Lodging Hospitality magazines. He is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious IREFAC Arne Sorenson Award for outstanding leadership in the hospitality industry. Mit presently serves as an executive committee member of the board of directors for the American Hotel and Lodging Association, is co-chairman of its Industry Real Estate and Finance Advisory Council (IREFAC), and is a member of the owner boards for Marriott International and Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Julienne Smith
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Julienne Smith
Chief Development Officer
Americas
IHG Hotels & Resorts

Julienne Smith is the Chief Development Officer for IHG Hotels & Resorts where she oversees the company’s growth in the Americas region. Prior to joining IHG, she was with Hyatt, serving as the SVP of Development & Owner Relations and previously as the VP of Real Estate and Development. Julienne also held several positions within Marriott International’s Lodging Development Group. Within IHG, she also serves on the Global and Americas Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Councils. Julienne is an active member and leader in hospitality industry organizations including AHLA, the AHLA Foundation, and ULI and serves on several industry conference planning committees. She also serves on the Board of Kaleidoscope Inc., a non-profit child welfare agency that serves Chicago area children and families impacted by abuse and neglect, and volunteers for many charitable organizations.

Miranda Lynch
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Miranda Kitterlin-Lynch, PhD
Associate Professor
Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Florida International University 

Dr. Miranda Kitterlin-Lynch  received her doctoral degree in Hospitality Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  She is the Director of Membership Services and Development for the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE), as well as the Associate Editor for the International Hospitality Review, and a Bloomin’ Brands DEI Alliance Research Fellow.  In 2017, Miranda received the FIU Faculty Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2021 she received the FIU Faculty Senate Award for Excellence in Advising and Mentoring.  She is a Coca Cola Endowed Professor, the recipient of international and domestic Best Paper awards, and has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, conference proceedings, and trade/industry publications.  She has also edited a textbook in her area of specialty, and given a number of media interviews.  

Michelle Russen
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Michelle Russen, PhD
Assistant Professor of
Hospitality Management
Cal State, San Bernardino

Dr. Michelle Russen’s recently-published doctoral thesis focuses on Hospitality Leadership Inclusion, and emphasizes the need for hospitality companies to first focus on inclusion in order to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) work environment.  She has also co-authored articles on DEI in HNN and Hertelier, based on her research. Michelle is the recipient of the 2021 International CHRIE Best Paper Award; author of more than 11 peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings relating to food & beverage and organizational behavior in hospitality; and published author in such journals as the International Journal of Hospitality Management, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, and Journal of Foodservice and Business Research. Prior to her transition to academia, Michelle spent two years in event management and ten years in the restaurant industry. She brings the challenges she saw firsthand into her research on DEI as well as the courses she teaches in Human Resource Management for Hospitality, Organizational Behavior for Hospitality Management, Food & Beverage Operations, and Hospitality Marketing.

Fran Kiradjian
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Fran Kiradjian
Founder & CEO
BLLA & TIEWN

With many years in hospitality and travel, Fran Kiradjian has thrived in this industry for more than 35 years. You might describe her as a seasoned professional whose passion for people and industry knowledge shows through the organizations that she's built. In 2009, Fran created the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging (now Leaders) Association (BLLA) to give a voice to independent, upscale hotel properties, which at the time had no representation in the industry.  She runs BLLA and its 4 additional divisions - Stay Boutique™, Boutique Money Group, TIEWN (Travel Industry Executive Women's Network founded in 2008) and BLLA Events - alongside her youngest daughter, Ariela Kiradjian. Today, BLLA serves thousands of worldwide members including hotels, small brands, and the vendor suppliers that sustain them. Fran sits on several boards and most notably the St. Justine Hotels and Residences.

Tori Barnes
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Tori Emerson Barnes
EVP, Public Affairs and Policy
U.S. Travel Association

Tori Emerson Barnes is Executive Vice President, Public Affairs and Policy, at the U.S. Travel Association, the leading voice for all segments of the U.S. travel and tourism industry. Tori directs the association's government and political affairs, external and industry communications, and marketing and research teams.  She is highly regarded on Capitol Hill and across the industry for managing a portfolio of domestic and international travel issues. Tori is a manager of USTA’s CEO Roundtable, a leader on multiple industry-wide coalitions, the creator of U.S. Travel’s Travel Works Roadshow, and a frequent presence in the news media and as a conference speaker. She was recognized by The Hill as one of Washington’s top lobbyists for four consecutive years, a Top Lobbyist by the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics, one of the Top 50 Women in Travel by the Global Business Travel Association’s WINiT, and as a Leading Lobbyist by Association Trends 2020.

Rob Palleschi
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Rob Palleschi
Former Chief Executive Officer
G6 Hospitality

Rob Palleschi is the former CEO of G6 Hospitality, the parent company of the iconic Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands in the U.S. and Canada. As CEO, Rob restructured the business to separate real estate operations from brand/franchise support and is committed to reinvigorating a culture of quality and guest service across the enterprise. Rob joined G6 in 2017 as the company’s Chief Development Officer and was named CEO in 2018. A seasoned leader with more than three decades of experience in the hospitality and food & beverage industries, Rob has a proven track record of successfully developing and executing global strategies that focus on revenue growth, product quality and guest experience. Prior to joining G6 Hospitality, Rob served as the CEO of TGI Fridays and spent twelve years at Hilton as global head of full-service brands where he was responsible for global growth and brand performance for Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, and Curio by Hilton brands. He is actively involved in key industry organizations.

Heathe McCrory
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Heather McCrory
CEO North and Central America
Accor Hotels 

Heather McCrory began her career at Fairmont Banff Springs in the Canadian Rockies. After advancing through progressive positions at the property level, Heather joined the corporate leadership team, ultimately honing her expertise in a series of senior executive roles crossing Sales, Revenue Management and Operations. In 2019, Heather was appointed CEO North & Central America.  Heather is a champion for talent development and mentorship and a strong advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. She is proud to serve as Executive Sponsor for RiiSE North & Central America, Accor’s international network promoting diversity and gender equality. She received the inaugural Castell Award (2019), as well as the Katie Taylor Economic Empowerment Award (2021), for her extensive work to increase gender diversity and support women in leadership. Heather is a board member for Groups360 and sits on the AHLA Executive Committee and US Travel Association CEO Roundtable.  She is past chair of Tourism Toronto and a past member of the Ontario Advisory Board for the Canadian Cancer Society. 

Geoff Ballotti
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Geoff Ballotti
President & CEO
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Geoffrey Ballotti has served as President and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and a member of its Board of Directors since June 2018. Prior to that, he was CEO of Wyndham Hotel Group for four years, which spun off from the former Wyndham Worldwide in 2018. Geoff also served as CEO of Wyndham Destination Network and previously was President of the North America Division of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. Geoff held leadership positions of increasing responsibility at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, including President of Starwood North America, EVP Operations, SVP Southern Europe and Managing Director, Ciga Spa, Italy. Prior to joining Starwood Geoff was a Banking Officer in the Commercial Real Estate Group at the Bank of New England. Geoff currently serves on the Executive Committee of the AHLA Board and was its Past Chair. He previously served as Chairman of the U.S. Travel Association and on the Executive Committee of the American Resort & Development Association. He also served on the board of directors for Christel House International, a not-for-profit organization that supports impoverished children throughout the world.

Jagruti
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Jagruti Panwala
President & CEO
Wealth Protection Strategies
2019-2020 AAHOA Chair

For over 22 years, as President & CEO of Wealth Protection Strategies, Jagruti Panwala has been providing direction to individuals and businesses on asset protection and wealth transfer strategies, business succession planning, life insurance protection, asset management, and full advisory services.  Jagruti has proudly been recognized as a top producer in the country and has been the recipient of numerous industry and company awards.  Jagruti is also a hotel owner and is extremely active in the hospitality industry.  She is the recipient of many awards and recognitions and is a highly sought after speaker at industry events.  Jagruti currently serves on the AHLA Board of Directors and is the 2019-2020 Chairwoman of AAHOA, the world’s largest hotel owners association, and was the first Chairwoman in the association’s 30-year history.  She is deeply committed to her advocacy work which includes testifying in Washington, DC on several important topics for hotel owners, as well as evidencing a strong commitment to elevating women in the industry and highlighting female empowerment.

Melissa Maher
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Melissa Maher 

Senior Leader in Travel + Tech,

Inclusion & Diversity Change Agent 

Melissa Maher is a forward-thinking strategist with a multifaceted perspective and deep insights into global marketing, public relations and communications, industry engagement, diversity and inclusion, technology, and relationship building across hospitality and other sectors. Melissa is a trusted advisor and thought leader who leverages 20 years of experience at Fortune 500 Expedia Group to establish and implement strategies, deploy operational and branding solutions, form business relationships, and drive innovative business solutions. Melissa most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Vice President of Marketing and Industry Engagement at Expedia Group and was Expedia Group’s first Chief Inclusion Officer championing diversity and creating a sense of belonging for Expedia Group’s employees, customers, partners and communicates.  Melissa is an Advisory Board Member for Women In Travel Thrive and has received several honors such as Top 40 Women in Travel by WINiT by Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and 30 Influential Women in Hospitality by Hotel Management.

Sylvia Douglin
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Sylvia Douglin is the founder and principal of her firm, Refined Training & Consulting, offering training in Professionalism and Business Communication.  Sylvia has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry.  She has been an on-property Director of Human Resources at a full-service hotel in Arlington, Virginia, and, for the last 17 years, Director of Training initiatives in the C-Suites of three of the largest third-party hotel management companies.

Sylvia Douglin

Founder & Principal

Refined Training & Consulting

Peggy Berg
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Peggy Berg 

Founder

Castell, An AHLA Foundation Project

In 2016, Peggy Berg founded Castell Project, a non-profit advancing women in leadership in the hospitality industry, and served as Chair until April 2022 when the organization merged with the AHLA Foundation.  Under her guidance, Castell developed leadership programs for women, benchmarked the status of women in the hospitality industry, created Castell@College to encourage women in university hospitality programs, and promoted women on the podium. Peggy has owned and operated hotels and was also a well-known consultant.  She was the first female employee elected by the PKF partnership and she built The Highland Group, Hotel Investment Advisors, Inc.  Peggy is active in the hospitality industry, including with AHLA and as chair emeritus of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants, among others.  Peggy has received the 2022 ISHC Pioneer Award for her outstanding contribution, achievement and improvement in the hospitality industry and was the recipient of the 2022 HUNTER Award for excellence and inspiration.

Mary Beth Cutshall
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Mary Beth Cutshall  

Founder & Managing Partner

Amara Capital

Passionate about creating more real estate ownership and leadership diversity, Mary Beth Cutshall founded Amara Capital in 2018, as a real estate DE&I investment platform for high-net worth women and minority investors to gain access into hospitality, multi-family real estate.  Prior, Mary Beth served as EVP & Chief Development Officer at Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG), a nationally recognized owner and operator of hotels and resorts.  Honored in 2021 by ULI/WLI as a “2021 The Leaders” as a seasoned real estate industry giant, in 2017 as one of the 30 Influential Women in Hospitality by Hotel Management Magazine, Atlanta Magazine as one of “Atlanta’s 500 Most Powerful Leaders” (2020 & 2019), and one of the top hospitality leaders to follow on social media by Crowdriff.   Mary Beth is a frequent speaker at hotel investment conferences who’s insight has been sought out by numerous news and media publications and is with the Atlanta Hospitality Alliance, Castell Project, AHLA’s FORWARD Council, ULI Recreational Council, ULI Atlanta’s Capital Market Council, and Marriott International’s Women Supporting Women Council.

Clara Carter
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Clara Carter

President & Founder

MCCSN

Clara Carter is the President and Founder of the Multi-Cultural Convention Services Network (MCCSN), Inc., a woman-owned DBE certified business that provides global meeting, event management, consulting, and third party hotel sourcing services to associations, corporations, and leisure travel clients. Clara is also the visionary founder of Women in Tourism and Hospitality International (WITH, Int’l), a non-profit corporation that recognizes the contributions of women professionals who significantly impact the changing landscape of Tourism and Hospitality. Clara is the recipient of many accolades including 2021 selection to the San Diego Black Pioneers Exhibition at San Diego History Museum; 2021 Clara Carter day named in her honor, by the San Diego Mayor and City Council; 2020 Meetings Trendsetter by Meetings Today Magazine; 2019 Gender Equity Champion by California NOW; 2018 One of the 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry by Successful Meetings Magazine; and 2017 Changemaker by Meetings Net magazine. Clara is an instructor and Advisory Board Member for several organizations.

Tracy Prigmore
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Tracy Prigmore

Founder

TLTsolutions

2021 LODGING Person of The Year

Tracy Prigmore is an award-winning executive and the Founder of TLTsolutions, a multi-million dollar real estate investment and development firm in residential, multifamily and hotel projects in four states. Prigmore was chosen as Person of the Year by LODGING in 2021, recognized by International Hospitality Institute (IHI) as one of the most influential leaders in U.S. hospitality, and an Influential woman in hospitality by Hotel Management. Tracy is the creator of She Has a Deal, a platform that creates new pathways to commercial real estate ownership and development for women by providing education, networking and investing opportunities. She Has a Deal’s renowned Hotel Investment Pitch Competition, SHaDPitch is creating a pipeline of women owners and developers by preparing them to become sponsors and lead hotel investment projects. Prior to entering real estate development, Tracy spent 25 years as a healthcare executive and held senior leadership roles in strategic planning, business development and operations for three of the nation’s largest healthcare systems.

Radhika Papandreou
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Radhika Papandreou

Managing Partner

Korn Ferry, Chicago

Radhika Papandreou is Managing Partner in Korn Ferry’s Chicago office where she leads the Chicago office and the North American Travel, Hospitality and Leisure practice.

She joined Korn Ferry from a leading executive search firm, where she was managing director and global head of its Hospitality and Leisure practice.  Radhika specializes in C-Suite and Board placements and has managed large scale client projects including bankruptcies and turnarounds. She speaks frequently at industry conferences and contributes to industry publications primarily around Diversity Equity and Inclusion.  Radhika earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a dual major in International Affairs & Economics from the Johns Hopkins University, and later a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business. She is a member of the Arogya World Board of Directors, a U.S. based non-profit organization striving to reduce the global impact of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Mark Hoplamazian
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Mark Hoplamazian

President & CEO

Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Mark Hoplamazian was appointed to Hyatt Hotels Corporation’s board of directors in November 2006 and subsequently named president and chief executive officer in December 2006. Prior to his present position, Mark served as president of The Pritzker Organization (TPO), the principal financial and investment adviser for Pritzker family business interests. During his 17-year tenure with TPO, he served as adviser to various Pritzker family-owned companies, including Hyatt Hotels Corporation and its predecessors. He previously worked in international mergers and acquisitions at The First Boston Corporation in New York. Mark served as Chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association from January 2021 to December 2021, and serves on the Board of Directors and as a member of the Talent & Compensation and Finance committees of the Board of Directors of VF Corporation. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Brand USA and Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of World Business Chicago, and the Board of Trustees of the Aspen Institute and of the Latin School of Chicago. He is a member of the World Travel & Tourism Council, the Commercial Club of Chicago, and the Discovery Class of the Henry Crown Fellowship.

Sloan Dean
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Sloan F. Dean III

President & CEO

Remington Hotels

Sloan Dean is an award-winning hospitality professional and CEO & President of Remington Hotels. Sloan joined Remington Hotels in January 2018 as Chief Operating Officer before being promoted to his current role in January 2020. A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, he drives financial results and fosters an accountable and driven culture at the third-party management company, which currently manages 82 hotels in 24 states with annual revenues over $1 billion. Prior to joining Remington Hotels, Sloan worked with established brands including Ashford Inc., Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Alliance Hospitality Management, Noble Investment Group, InterContinental Hotels Group and Oliver Wyman. He is active in the hospitality community and is a member of the Young Presidents Organization, AH&LA Board of Directors, Hilton’s Distribution Owner Advisory Council and ASFONA Board of Directors, among others. Outside of the office, he is a fitness enthusiast and enjoys spending quality time with his kids.

Pat Pacious
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Pat Pacious

President & CEO

Choice Hotels International

Patrick Pacious is President and Chief Executive Officer of Choice Hotels International, Inc., one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world, with more than 7,100 hotels, representing nearly 600,000 rooms, in 45 countries and territories. Before becoming CEO in 2017, Pat was the company’s president and chief operating officer.  He served as a U.S. Navy officer after earning his bachelor’s degree from Duke University and went on to earn a master’s in business administration from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Pat was twice named one of the "Top 50 Best CEOs of Large Companies" by Comparably, as determined by employee ratings, ranking No. 7 overall. He also received the inaugural Veterans in Business Award  from the Washington Business Journal for his work to help veterans in the workplace and  beyond. Pat is also currently a member of the board of directors of the Wolf Trap Foundation for  the Performing Arts.

Rosanna Maietta
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Rosanna Maietta

Former President, AHLA Foundation

Former EVP, AHLA

Rosanna Maietta is the former Executive Vice President of Communications & Public Relations at the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and former President & CEO of the AHLA Foundation. In this role, she was responsible for driving the strategic planning for all of the association’s internal and external communications and increasing visibility for the dynamic hotel industry in and outside Washington, D.C. For the Foundation, Rosanna oversaw the philanthropic mission, which aims to support the hotel industry’s current workforce as well as aspiring hospitality professionals through the disbursements of scholarships and workforce development programs. Since its inception the foundation has disbursed some $25 million dollars in support of the industry.

Amanda Hite
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Amanda Hite

President

STR

Amanda Hite has served as STR’s president since 2011 and oversees the company’s business activities and overall direction.  Under her leadership, STR has experienced substantial growth in its global presence, client base, data coverage, and revenue, as well as experiencing several significant milestones, including the 2016 unification of  STR’s global brands and the implementation of a number of key industry deliverables. Additionally, Amanda led STR through the company’s acquisition by CoStar Group in 2019.  

Amanda’s accomplishments have been recognized with inclusion in Hotel Management’s Influential Women in Hospitality, as well as 40 Under 40 Emerging Leaders. Amanda is a member of the Board of Directors of AHLA and the U.S. Travel Association. She also serves as a member of the  Board of Directors of the Nashville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and on the Industry Advisory Board of the Hotel and Restaurant Management  Program at Auburn University. 

Chip Rogers
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Chip Rogers

President & CEO

American Hotel & Lodging Association

Chip Rogers has been President and CEO of AHLA since the start of 2019, leading America’s only national association dedicated to serving the interests of the entire hotel and lodging industry. Chip has led the AHLA team and the lodging industry to achieve tangible results for AHLA members. He has received numerous awards and has been recognized as one of the 25 most influential by Business Travel News, one of the most influential people in Washington D.C. by Washingtonian magazine, Top 50 Most Influential Leaders in Hospitality, USA, and Global by Hospitality Index, a Freedom Award recipient from ECPAT-USA, and twice as a top lobbyist by the Hill newspaper. 

Prior to joining the hospitality industry, Chip served in the Georgia General Assembly. He was elected to office six times and was unanimously elected twice to serve as Senate majority leader.  Chip earned his undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech and his MBA from Georgia State. 

Juliette Boone
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Juliette Boone

Co-Founder, Managing Director

AETHOS Consulting Group

Juliette Boone is a Co-founder and Managing Director of AETHOS Consulting Group, a global hospitality advisory firm serving people-driven businesses. Juliette has written numerous articles on the subject of women in leadership and corporate governance including “Rethinking a Glass Ceiling in the Hospitality Industry” published in the Cornell Quarterly. She has been invited to speak at the HR in Hospitality Conference, the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research Summit, the HSMAI Revenue Optimization Conference, and other events. Juliette serves as Vice Chair of the Engagement Committee on the President’s Council of Cornell Women, is a member at-large of the Cornell University Council, volunteers with the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network, is former president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Cornell Hotel Society, and is a member of the City of Boulder’s Housing Advisory Board, appointed by the Boulder City Council. Her experience is complemented with a Master’s degree in Hospitality Management and Bachelor of Science from Cornell University.

Nic Graff
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Nicolas Graff

Associate Dean

Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality

New York University

Nicolas Graf, PhD, is the associate dean and Jonathan M. Tisch Chaired Professor of the NYU Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. He is the founder of the Hospitality Innovation HUB and incubator program at NYU. Prior to this, he served as chief academic officer of Les Roches Global Hospitality Education, managing director at Alain Ducasse, and professor and director of the IMHI Center at ESSEC Business School in Paris. Nic earned his PhD from Virginia Tech and is a graduate of the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne. He has published in numerous academic journals in the fields of finance and strategy, including the International Journal of Hospitality Management, The Real Estate Finance Journal, and the Journal of Retail & Leisure Property. Over the past 20 years, Nic has delivered executive education courses for various companies in Asia, MEA, North and South America, and Europe, and he has conducted several consulting projects in the fields of asset management, strategic planning, and business development.

Ashli Johnson
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Ashli Johnson

Executive Director, Marriott - Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership 
Howard University School of Business

Known as the Hospitality Sharp Shooter, Ashli Johnson brings nearly 20 years of hospitality industry experience to her new role as the inaugural Executive Director of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership at Howard University. A fierce champion for equity and inclusion, she founded Hospitality Leaders Today – HLT100 as a leadership development program for Black collegiate students in 2016, and Hospitality Hued as an accelerator for Black hospitality professionals in 2019. Ashli has served on several industry boards and committees for organizations such as AHLA, NABHOOD, and LHA. She is a frequently sought after speaker and has consulted on projects with leading brands and entrepreneurs.  In academia, Ashli has taught and served in leadership roles for several recognized hospitality programs and also served as the Assistant Dean of the University of Houston’s Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management, prior to leading educational programming for the world’s largest association of hotel owners, AAHOA. 

Mitch Patel
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Mitch Patel

Founder & CEO 

Vision Hospitality Group

Mitch Patel founded Vision Hospitality Group in 1997 with the goal of creating a company dedicated to excellence with a focus on community and family.  Mitch and his team have developed over 60 hotels and currently hold a growing portfolio of 41 properties with a market cap approaching nearly $1 Billion, including the company’s award-winning, boutique hotel, The Edwin. Under Mitch’s leadership, Vision has received many awards, as well as recognition for its efforts in development, community service, and design. Mitch serves on the Marriott Franchise Advisory Council, the Hilton Owner’s Advisory Council, and the Executive Committee of AHLA. Mitch maintains his presence on boards of local organizations that support education and economic development in Vision’s hometown of Chattanooga, TN, and he is an advocate for ending human trafficking in the hospitality industry. His efforts have earned him national recognition, which includes his most recent honor of receiving the NSDAR Americanism Award.

Tina Burnett
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Tina Burnett

Chief Development Officer 

G6 Hospitality

Tina Burnett is the Chief Development Officer at G6 Hospitality, the parent company of the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands. In her role, she provides leadership and management oversight to the development, property openings, lead generation, and franchise support teams, leading to the continued growth of the brands across the U.S. and Canada.

With more than 20 years’ experience working in the hospitality sector, Tina has held multiple leadership roles in franchise development and operations since joining in 1998. Most recently, she served as Divisional Vice President of Franchise Operations and was responsible for franchise operations and revenue-generation strategy and execution for one of the largest economy lodging portfolios in the hospitality industry. With more than 20 years of experience working in the hospitality sector, she has held multiple leadership roles in franchise development and operations since joining in 1998. Tina holds a degree in business administration. She is an active participant in the Asian American Hotel Owners Association Women's Organization and was appointed to the board of the Texas Hotel & Loading Association. Burnett was also recently named as one of the “Most Influential Women in Hospitality” by Hotel Management. 

Gilda
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Gilda Perez-Alvarado

 Group Chief Strategy Officer

& CEO, Orient Express

Accor SA

Prior to joining Accor, Gilda Perez-Alvarado was the Global Chief Executive Officer of JLL Hotels & Hospitality, where she is responsible for investment sales, debt and equity placement, strategic advisory and asset management across all global regions. Additionally, Gilda leads the group’s Global Hotel Desk, a specialized team of cross-border investment sales professionals based in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, the Americas and Europe.

Gilda also serves on the Board of Trustees of Cornell University, is on the Board of Directors of Sonder, and is an active member of IREFAC, IHIC and the World Travel and Tourism Council. Board. Gilda is also a two-time recipient of the Jack A. Shaffer Financial Advisor of the year at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit. She remains the only woman to date to receive this award.

Stephanie Linnartz
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Stephanie Linnartz

Former President

Marriott International, Inc.

Stephanie Linnartz is the former President of Marriott International, Inc., the world’s largest hospitality company, with more than 8,000 properties across 139 countries and territories and 30 brands. She was responsible for developing and executing all aspects of Marriott’s global consumer strategy and overseeing its global real estate development, design, and operations services functions.  Stephanie is often recognized for her leadership, including Forbes CEO Next’s list of up-and coming leaders set to revolutionize American business, Hotel Management’s 30 Influential Women in Hospitality, Brand Innovators’ Top 100 Women in Brand Marketing, and was profiled as one of CNN’s 2019 Risk Takers. Stephanie joined Fast Company’s Impact Council and also the Fortune CEO Initiative, a forum of global corporate leaders committed to addressing major social problems as part of their core business strategies. She is a sought-after speaker at global industry events.  Stephanie is currently the President & CEO of Under Armour and serves on several corporate, educational, and non-profit boards.

Krissy Gathrigt
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Krissy Gathright

Board Member, COO (Retired)

Apple Hospitality REIT &

Senior Advisor, Derive Ventures

Krissy Gathright has had a lengthy career as a C-Suite Executive and Board Member with over two decades of experience in the hospitality and real estate industry. She serves on the boards of Apple Hospitality REIT (NYSE:APLE) and Spirit Realty Capital (NYSE:SRC) and is a senior advisor for Derive Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. Previously, Krissy served as COO of Apple Hospitality REIT, and as one of its first employees, she was instrumental in building a team with a strong corporate culture, driving industry-leading results, and helping execute several strategic transactions. 

Krissy is a highly sought-after advisory council member and conference speaker, and her writings have been published in many industry publications.  Over the years, Krissy has been named one of the most influential women in lodging by Hotel Management and Lodging magazines and one of Real Estate Forum’s Women of Influence. Krissy has a passion for community service and serves on several non-profit boards.

Cindy Estis Green
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Cindy Estis Green

CEO and Co-founder

Kalibri Labs, LLC

Cindy Estis Green’s career began in corporate marketing and senior operations with Hilton International. After founding the data mining company, Driving Revenue, and selling it to Pegasus Solutions, Cindy spent twelve years as managing partner of The Estis Group working with hotel owners on targeting value growth in their assets. 

She has been honored as one of the hotel industry’s 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing, was inducted into the prestigious Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame, named as one of Cornell University’s 90 Influential Hoteliers and received the HSMAI Vanguard Award for leadership in moving the field of revenue optimization toward a focus on profit contribution. A prolific published author, Cindy is highly sought after as a speaker on topics related to digital disruption and the impact on the economics of hotels. Cindy co-founded Kalibri Labs, a next generation commercial strategy platform to evaluate, predict and benchmark hotel revenue performance. Using data science, Kalibri Labs helps hoteliers optimize profit contribution and supports the real estate community with tools that refine underwriting for investment and development.  She holds a BS degree from Cornell University and an MBA from The American University.

Amy Jakubowksi
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Amy Jakubowski 

Principal and Managing Director 

PYR (Pierre-Yves Rochon)

Amy Jakubowksi is an award winning design executive with 30 years of experience as a leader, designer, director, and business partner. Responsible for annual design revenues in excess of $10MM, and construction budgets ranging from $25MM to $500MM. A contributing author to industry publications and a recurring speaker at industry conferences. Nominated as Hotel Management’s Top 30 Most Influential Women in Hospitality. Since 2021, Amy has joined the global design firm PYR (Pierre-Yves Rochon) as Principal and Managing Director. Based in the firm’s Chicago studio, she oversees PYR’s client engagement and business strategy worldwide, working in concert with the firm’s flagship studio in Paris as well as PYR’s parent company, Perkins&Will.

Keith Barr
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Keith Barr

Former Chief Executive Officer 

IHG Hotels & Resorts

Keith Barr was formerly CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts, where he was responsible for implementing IHG’s strategy for high-quality growth and generating industry leading value creation for hotel owners, operators and shareholders. Keith has spent more than 25 years working in the hospitality industry across a wide range of roles, having started his career in hotel operations. He has been a member of IHG’s Executive Committee since April 2011 and served as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) for four years before being appointed CEO. Prior to his role as CCO, Keith spent four years as CEO of IHG’s Greater China business, where under his leadership, IHG drove outstanding results and helped set the foundations for growth in a key market. Keith joined IHG in 2000 and subsequently held a number of senior positions in IHG’s Americas and former Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) regions. Prior to joining IHG, Keith held several senior positions at Bristol Hotels and Resorts, which was acquired by IHG in 2000. Keith is a Non-Executive Director of Yum! Brands. He also sits on the Board of WiHTL (Women in Hospitality Travel & Leisure). 

Rachel Humphrey
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Rachel Humphrey

Principal

DEI Advisors

Rachel Humphrey is a well-known Board Member, Speaker, Hospitality Industry Executive, and Counsel. She is also the Founder of the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance. Before retiring in August 2021, Rachel served as the EVP and COO of AAHOA, the nation's largest and most influential hotel owners association and served as a member of its Executive Leadership Team and at one time its Interim President & CEO. Rachel joined AAHOA in 2015 after more than 20 years as a trial lawyer. Rachel has been recognized as one of the most "Powerful People in USA Hospitality," one of the "Top 50 Women in Travel," and one of the most “Influential Women in Hospitality,” and has received numerous awards and recognitions for her leadership and service to the hospitality industry. Rachel currently serves on several boards.

Lan Elliott
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Lan Elliott

Principal, Acacia Hospitality

Principal, DEI Advisors

Lan Elliott is an experienced hotel real estate and transactions executive, representing hotel owners and hotel brand companies for over 30 years.  Lan's hotel ownership experience includes Acacia Hospitality LLC, a hotel investment company she co-founded, and 10 years at Host Hotels & Resorts, where she closed on over $7 billion of transactions. Lan's roles with brand companies include leadership roles with IHG and W Hotels in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.  Lan also worked with KPMG's Hospitality Real Estate Consulting practice.  She serves as Co-Chair of ForWardThinking (formerly Castell@College), for which she is a recipient of the 2022 Industry Recognition Award from the International Council on Hotel Restaurant, and Institutional Education.  Lan is currently a member of the ULI’s Hotel Development Council, serves on the Executive Advisory Board of the University of Denver’s Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management and was named one of IHI’s 100 Most Inspirational Leaders in Hospitality and Travel for 2023.

Huilian Duan
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Huilian Duan

Principal

DEI Advisors

As the Managing Director TUI BLUE Hotels & Resorts Asia, Dr. Huilian Duan is responsible for driving brand growth, empowering the business development teams to fuel the company’s Asia development pipeline, and diversifying and increasing revenue. Huilian has over 20 years of hospitality sales & marketing, operations, finance, real estate, brand management, and development experience, while previously she served as the Managing Director at Webin Hospitality, Vice President Sales & Marketing Asia at Maritim Hotels, and Regional Director Asia at Best Western Hotels & Resorts.  Huilian serves as a board member at HSMAI APAC, and is the President of HSMAI Greater China.

Doroty dowling
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Dorothy Dowling

Principal

DEI Advisors

Dorothy Dowling has been a passionate advocate for women and other underrepresented groups for most of her career. She believes diversity and inclusion has big payoffs in building a fulfilling career and driving outsized business results.  Dorothy has over 40 years of hospitality industry experience, most recently having spent the last 18 years as Chief Marketing Officer of Best Western where she directed all marketing and commercial strategies including leading the global sales organization.  Dorothy was recently honored with Lifetime Achievement awards from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference for her innovation and business performance, and GBTA WINiT for her trailblazing and leadership work advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our industry. Dorothy's personal mantra is “relationships are the currency of life” and she has made lifelong investments in people and our industry.

David Kong
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David Kong

Founder and Principal

DEI Advisors

David Kong is the Founder and Principal of DEI Advisors, an Arizona non-profit organization dedicated to empowering personal success. When David retired as President and CEO of BWH Hotel Group (comprised of Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Sure Stay Hotels and WorldHotels) at the end of 2021, he did so as the longest-running CEO of any major hotel company. His leadership and legacy, characterized by a genuine care for people and a passion for hospitality, attracted praise and respect from leading voices across the industry. Prior to Best Western Hotels & Resorts, David held leadership positions with KPMG Consulting, Hyatt, Omni and Hilton. David has received numerous awards and accolades including the Lifetime Achievement Awards from Business Travel News, International Hotel Investment Forum and UJA Federation in 2022. He was the recipient of the inaugural Arne Sorenson Social Impact Award in 2022. He was also recognized by Hotel Interactive with the Innovator of the Year award and Innovation Award from Guest Lab (Italy). In 2021, Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) presented him with the WINiT Best Mentor/Male Coach award. David served as the Chairman of the AHLA in 2010 and was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board for three years. 

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