Chicago Hospitality Summit

Christopher Oka is based in New York and is responsible for Angelo, Gordon’s real estate activities within the hospitality sector in the U.S. and Europe. Prior to joining the firm in 2013, Chris worked for Fortress Investment Group in its credit and real estate funds where he focused on asset and entity level acquisitions, distressed debt, and lending opportunities within the hospitality sector. Chris holds a B.A. degree from UCLA and an M.B.A. degree from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Zio Pekovic is a principal and co-founder of Scarlett Hotel Group, a hotel owner/operator/developer. He is involved in all aspects of the expansion of SHG's portfolio and strategically innovating its acquisitions platform. Mr. Pekovic has developed strong relationships with local owners, brokers, and financial institutions throughout the country and internationally, allowing him to identify both on and off-market opportunities for the company. His responsibilities include identifying and analyzing potential hotel investments and structuring JV partnerships with private equity funds, endowment funds, family offices, and private investors. Mr. Pekovic is also involved in asset management and investor relations. Additionally, he is responsible for identifying third party management and receivership opportunities. Mr. Pekovic has B.A. degrees in Business Management and Marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago, is a Cornell University certified asset manager and is a licensed Illinois managing real estate broker. Scarlett Hotel Group is an approved owner and operator of Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and IHG Hotels.

While at Oxford Capital Group, LLC, Mr. Peruri has been involved in over $1 billion of new investments. Mr. Peruri is involved in all facets of the business including investor relations, project design/concepting, construction, property operations, deal origination, acquisitions underwriting, due diligence coordination and project financing. He is responsible for investment opportunities across the real estate spectrum and also in the corporate private equity area. Prior to joining Oxford Capital Group, LLC, Mr. Peruri worked in acquisitions and asset management at Equity International focused primarily on real estate related platform investments in South America and Asia. Mr. Peruri began his career working in the investment banking division of Morgan Stanley and completed the analyst training program. Mr. Peruri graduated with an M.B.A. in Finance and Real Estate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, was a recipient of the Pension Real Estate Association Scholarship and the Robert Toigo Fellowship, and served as teaching assistant to Professor Jeremy Siegel. He also holds a B.S. in Finance from the College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating with Highest Honors and awarded the Bronze Tablet, and completed the yearlong General Course program at the London School of Economics.

Vamsi Bonthala is Chief Executive Officer of Arbor Lodging Partners, an award-winning national hotel investment firm that he co-founded. In this role, Vamsi leads all company activities including general corporate strategy, investor relations, strategic relationships, acquisitions, dispositions, and asset management. Vamsi has led all efforts related to approximately $1 billion of transaction volume since the inception of Arbor Lodging Partners. Vamsi is also co-founder and Principal of Arbor Lodging Management, the management affiliate of Arbor Lodging Partners, which has been named one of the nation’s top hotel companies multiple times by Hotel Management Magazine. Prior to co-founding Arbor Lodging Partners, Vamsi practiced law in the Private Equity group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and the Real Estate group of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. Vamsi earned his AB in Economics and Political Science from the University of Michigan, where he received Class Honors and University Honors. Vamsi earned his JD from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was an Associate Editor of the Michigan Journal of International Law. Vamsi has been a speaker at numerous industry events and is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), the Economic Club of Chicago, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Vamsi was recently selected as an Emerging Leader by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and recognized as one of Real Estate Forum Magazine’s 50 Under 40 of 2015.

Wesley Prato, CPA, is an audit partner in the Firm’s Commercial Real Estate Industry Practice and leads the Southwest Region in this area. Based in CohnReznick’s Chicago office, he has 16 years of experience in public accounting, providing client services in the areas of audit, review, and other financial reporting needs. This experience includes working with developers, hospitality owners and private equity investors of companies in the commercial real estate industry. Wes specializes in the commercial real estate and hospitality industries serving both real estate operators and real estate investment funds. He is responsible for planning the engagements, supervising staff, and coordinating all fieldwork. Other responsibilities on these engagements include determining audit scope, selecting procedures to be applied, establishing budgets, reviewing work papers, identifying audit issues, communicating with clients, and preparing financial statements or reports. In addition, Wes takes an active role in working with his clients to plan and brainstorm on ways to get the next project from concept to development. Wes has participated nationally within the Firm in developing audit programs and techniques specifically tailored to auditing commercial real estate and hospitality entities. He has also leads internal training classes on commercial real estate and often speaks on panels focused in the industry.

Richard Sprecher currently serves as Vice President of Business Development for Aimbridge Hospitality based out of their Chicago Area Offices. His goal is to grow the company’s third party hotel management contracts, structure Joint venture agreements, obtain hotel receivership assignments, and identify hotels that the company should acquire. Aimbridge Hospitality is the largest Independent Hotel Management & Investment Firm in the country, currently operating over 800 hotels and Resorts in 45 states and three Countries. Ambridge operates independent properties and hotels franchised with Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, Choice, Radisson, and Wyndham Hotels. Prior to joining Aimbridge in March of 2009, Rich spent 17 years with Choice Hotels International as The Director of Franchise Sales for the Upper Midwest. Selling over 215 hotel franchises in his Career and being a member of Choice’s President Club in all but two years. Prior to that he held senior management positions with Amerihost Properties, Bradbury Suites Hotels, Adams’s Mark Resorts, Stouffer Hotels, and Renaissance Hotels. Richard Sprecher Graduated with Honors from the University of Wisconsin-Stout Hotel & Restaurant Management School and is a Certified Hotel Administrator.

Robert Habeeb is the Founder and CEO of Maverick Hotels and Restaurants. Based in Chicago, Maverick has earned a reputation as an industry leader for its innovative and forward-looking approaches to development and management of hotels and restaurants. With a long resume of successful hospitality developments Mr. Habeeb is one of the most sought after experts in the industry. Among his recent projects he gained national attention for his ambitious redevelopment of a large swath of Chicago’s famous Navy Pier. Prior to Maverick, Habeeb served for 21 years as First Hospitality Group’s high-profile President and CEO. He is regarded as one of the leading voices in the Hospitality Industry today. Over his tenure at FHG the company saw significant growth earned a long list of recognitions including multiple years as best of category on Forbes Magazine’s Best Employers and INC magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies lists.   Mr. Habeeb is also dedicated doing his part to nurturing tomorrow’s hospitality leaders through education. He has received an impressive list of recognitions including Global Hotelier of The Year.  He is a frequent and popular industry speaker and author. His innovative approaches to management have been widely recognized in and out of the hospitality industry. With a strong passion for educating those pursuing a career in the hospitality industry, Habeeb serves as a long-time member of the adjunct faculty of Chicago’s Roosevelt University, where he teaches at a graduate level in the Manfred Steinfeld School of Hospitality Management. He has served on numerous industry and academic boards and councils, including the board of directors and executive committee of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and board of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association where he served two terms as chairman. He is widely considered the “go to guy” and leading expert on the hospitality industry.

Eric Nordness is a Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Hickory Street Capital. Hickory Street Capital, LLC (“HSC”) is an investment vehicle founded in 2010 by the Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs baseball club. The Ricketts family purchased a controlling interest in the Chicago Cubs in October 2009 and has embarked on the transformation of the franchise, including the restoration of Wrigley Field. In conjunction with their investment into the club and ballpark, the Ricketts family has the vision for the transformation of the Wrigleyville neighborhood. HSC was formed and capitalized to advance the Ricketts family real estate development goals outside of Wrigley Field. Mr. Nordness leads real estate development for the Ricketts family. HSC is in the process of developing the land directly west of Wrigley Field and creating a unique entertainment destination centered around an approximately 45,000 square foot open area event space (“plaza”). The mixed-used development encapsulates the plaza and two six-story buildings that will house a 175-room boutique hotel, approximately 100,000 square feet of retail space and 75,000 square feet of office space. Designed to fit seamlessly into the urban neighborhood environment this new destination will be a year round entertainment destination serving as the new town center of Chicago’s iconic Wrigleville neighborhood. Prior to joining HSC, Mr. Nordness was the Managing Member for Salita Development, a boutique hospitality development firm focusing on hotels and restaurants. Eric started his career at Robertson, Stephens & Co, a San Francisco headquartered full-service investment banking firm. Mr. Nordness has experience in real estate development, institutional finance and asset management. He received his B.B.A. in finance from the University of Iowa and a M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in both finance and economics.

Steven “Sonny” F. Ginsberg has more than twenty years of experience in real estate and finance law, assisting clients from both the lending and development side. He works with financial institutions and national funds to develop lending forms and guidelines, and has vast knowledge in structuring complex debt and equity vehicles. Sonny also assists owner and operator clients in the acquisition, zoning, development, leasing and financing of commercial real estate, with a particular emphasis in hospitality and telecommunications. Additionally, Sonny speaks regularly at local and national real estate and finance conferences.