Big West Coast Hospitality Event

Elie Maalouf

CEO, The Americas - Intercontinental Hotel Group

Elie Maalouf is CEO of The Americas at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). He is based at IHG’s regional headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Elie leads the management, growth and profitability of the company’s largest operating region. IHG has a broad portfolio of hotel brands including InterContinental ® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton ® Hotels & Restaurants, HUALUXE ® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza ® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo ® , EVEN ® Hotels, Holiday Inn ® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express ® , Staybridge Suites ® and Candlewood Suites ® . Elie is responsible for overseeing nearly 3,900 hotels and resorts, spanning the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining IHG, Elie was Senior Advisor with McKinsey & Company from 2012 to 2014. Previously, Elie was with HMSHost Corporation for nearly 15 years, most recently as President and CEO. Before HMSHost, Elie spent eight years at Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company, Elie is a member of the Global Advisory Council at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and a member of the Atlanta Committee for Progress. He is active in organizations that support and promote the travel and hospitality industries as a member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association CEO Advocacy Council and the U.S. Travel Association CEO Roundtable. He was also appointed to the inaugural U.S. Investment Advisory Council, created by the Secretary of Commerce. Elie holds an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and a Bachelor's degree in engineering from Virginia Tech.

Amar Lalvani

CEO - Standard International & Bunkhouse Group

Amar Lalvani is CEO & Managing Partner of Standard International (the parent company of Standard Hotels) and CEO of Bunkhouse Group. Prior to leading the investment and formation of Standard International he was Chief Investment Officer for Andre Balazs Properties and held various executive roles with Hilton Worldwide and Starwood Hotels & Resorts including leading the global development of W Hotels. Prior to that, Amar worked for The Blackstone Group and began his career with Starwood Capital Group. In addition to serving on the Boards of Standard International and Bunkhouse Group, he currently serves on the Board of Twyla and was a founding Board member of Peloton Interactive. Amar has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Bill Walshe

CEO - Viceroy Hotel Group

A 20-year veteran to the luxury hospitality industry, Bill provides Viceroy Hotel Group with a truly global perspective, bringing extensive senior management experience with leading international hospitality companies, including Jumeirah Group, The Doyle Collection and Kempinski Hotels and Resorts. As the CEO of the Doyle Collection, Bill led the brand through its reinvention into a modern luxury urban hotel group that includes eleven hotels in the USA and Europe. Prior to The Doyle Collection, he served as Chief Marketing Officer for Dubai based Jumeirah Group at a time of tremendous growth for the international luxury hospitality group. Bill's international experience and recognition as a leader within the industry will enable him to lead the continued growth and development of Viceroy Hotel Group.

Arash Azarbarzin

President / COO - Proper Hospitality

Ted Kahan

President - Oasis West Realty

Mr. Kahan is the President of Oasis West Realty, LLC (OWR) and joined the firm in 2003. He spearheads all activities relating to acquisitions, financing, development and asset management of all properties owned by OWR. Since joining the firm Mr. Kahan has been responsible for over $2.0 Billion in debt, equity and capital transactions. Mr. Kahan currently oversees the construction of the new Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and renovation of The Beverly Hilton. He isresponsible for the day‐to‐day management of the OWR investment for both assets, and he is the primary interface between OWR and its lenders, the City of Beverly Hills and Hilton Hotels Corporation. From 2006‐2013, Mr. Kahan managed the acquisition, operation and sale of the Hilton Los Cabos Beach and Golf Resort. Prior to joining OWR, Mr. Kahan served as Executive Vice President of Real Estate Investment for Davis Companies, whose real estate holdings include many widely recognized “trophy” properties. Prior to joining Davis Companies, Mr. Kahan served as General Counsel for American Golf Corporation and was a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Mr. Kahan holds a law degree from Northwestern Law School and received his Bachelor degree from the University of Wisconsin.

Benjamin Trigano

Co-Founder - Mama Shelter

Benjamin Trigano co-founded the company Mama Shelter with his father, Serge Trigano, and his brother, Jérémie Trigano. Mama Shelter’s boutique hotels provide an “Urban Kibbutz” – a refuge for guests of all backgrounds, offering a mix of shared fun, affordability and exceptional service. The first Mama Shelter opened in Paris in 2008 and was designed by Philippe Starck. Since then, Mama Shelter has expanded to include locations in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro. The Trigano family founded, owned and managed Club Med for fifty years. Benjamin Trigano is also the founder and owner of M+B, a contemporary art gallery located in Los Angeles, California. M+B opened in 2004 and represents emerging to established artists. Prior to founding Mama Shelter, Mr. Trigano was an account executive at Euro RSCG advertising agency in New York and a member of the strategic marketing team for Coca-Cola at the company’s headquarters in Atlanta. Mr. Trigano was also in charge of acquiring and developing the Parker Meridien Hotel in Palm Springs. Mr. Trigano earned his bachelor's degree from Clark University in Massachusetts with a double major in history and political science. In 2006, he was named a recipient of the honorable Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres title by the Minister of Culture in France in recognition of his significant contribution to the arts.

Robert Olson

CEO - R.D.Olson Development

Robert Olson is the founder of R.D. Olson Development, a Newport Beach, California-based firm engaged in the development and re-positioning of commercial properties nationwide. He established the company in 1997 following nearly 20 years as founder and CEO of R.D. Olson Construction. Mr. Olson guides the strategic vision for R.D. Olson Development with an active, hands-on approach toward every facet of construction and development. He works closely with design and development teams in some of the company’s most prestigious projects, providing valuable input for marketing, investment analysis, debt and equity structures, planning and entitlements, budgeting, constructability and end-user requirements. R.D. Olson Development is recognized for its ability to identify and act on opportunities, delivering solid execution through all phases of design and development while maintaining focus on the business strategy and the bottom line. The majority of the firm’s developments have occurred in the Western U.S. and Hawaii, though Mr. Olson has built projects on a nationwide basis. A specialist in developing hospitality properties, the firm is also experienced in the development of office, retail, multifamily and recreational projects. Mr. Olson’s longstanding experience as a builder has proven to be highly beneficial for development projects. Robert Olson has been recognized as a business leader and entrepreneur on numerous occasions. He is the 2016 Robert Mondavi Wine & Food Award winner. He has also been the recipient of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award, Construction Financial Management Association’s Construction Executive of the Year and the Orange County Business Journal’s Excellence in Entrepreneurship award. He was recognized as a 2012 Hotel Icon by Real Estate FORUM magazine, and is a frequent speaker at leading industry events. Mr. Olson is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), including having served as Chairman of the California Coast Chapter. His philanthropic activity includes serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross. Mr. Olson is an MBA graduate of the University of Southern California.

Todd Hricko

Head of Hotel Development, U.S. & Canada - ​Hard Rock Hotels

Todd Hricko spearheads the business development of Hard Rock Hotels in the United States and Canada. As head of Hotel Development, he plays an essential role in identifying strategic markets and sites to develop, and determines calculated assets for conversion to Hard Rock Hotels. Todd continues to develop long-term relationships with hotel owners and new development partners and plays a key role in the negotiation of management contracts and franchise applications. Previously, Todd Hricko served as Vice President of Acquisitions with Wyndham Vacation Ownership where he developed a proven history in hotels, vacation ownership, resorts, acquisitions and joint ventures. His experience includes management, franchise contract negotiation, land development, feasibility, underwriting and due diligence. He has a track record of business and property development leadership in positions with some of the largest owners and lenders of commercial real estate in the United States, and has developed extensive experience in the acquisition, disposition, financing and development of hotels and vacation ownership resorts. Hricko has built and maintained strong relationships with leaders of most major hotel and timeshare operators, investors and brokerage firms. He has executed transactions with industry-leading hotel owners and operators such as Marriott, Hilton, Wyndham, Hyatt, Host Resorts, MetLife, KSL, Tishman and Interstate. He developed broad transactional experience through the acquisition of $5.3B+ in hotels and timeshare resorts; the financing of $250M of hotel properties; and the disposition of $15M+ in land. As Vice President Development at the Wyndham Hotel Group, Todd was responsible for development activities, site selection, management contract negotiations and new franchise application approvals. He and his team identified potential hotel assets and development partners in central and mountain regions of the US and Canada. He led the negotiations of the franchise agreement and conversion of the 410-room Wyndham San Antonio Riverwalk, and participated in negotiating a hotel management agreement for the 334-room Wyndham Grand Downtown Chicago. During this period, Todd reviewed and analyzed applications for credit support, key money, mezzanine financing and other financial incentives. He also led the feasibility process with all internal stakeholders.

David Kuperburg

CDO - Dream Hotel Group

David Kuperberg is the Chief Development Officer of Dream Hotel Group. Mr. Kuperberg is responsible for the growth of a successful portfolio of lifestyle hotels, which include the Dream, Time, and Unscripted and brands. Prior to Dream Hotel Group, Mr. Kuperberg was head of development for Virgin Hotels. Mr. Kuperberg started his hospitality career in 2004 with Wyndham as Senior Director of Mergers and Acquisitions. In this position, Mr. Kuperberg oversaw the acquisition of Ramada International from Marriott. The deal resulted in the acquisition of over 200 international hotels and launched Wyndham’s international hotel business. In 2006, Mr. Kuperberg was promoted to Vice President of Development and Strategy, where he oversaw the acquisition of the TRYP brand from Sol Melia, representing 94 hotels across Europe and South America. Mr. Kuperberg also oversaw a joint venture with the Malta-based Corinthia Group by acquiring an equity stake in their management company that resulted in the re-branding of Corinthia’s hotels under the Wyndham flags. Prior to joining Wyndham, Mr. Kuperberg was an Associate at True North Capital, a private equity group and merchant bank that provided financing solutions to companies in the US and Europe. Mr. Kuperberg started his career as a Strategy Consultant at Computer Sciences Corporation in the Management Consulting division. He is a proud graduate of University of California at Berkeley where he majored in History and Yale University where he received his Master’s degree.

Tim Powell

VP & Managing Director of Development - Hilton

Tim Powell is the Vice President & Managing Director, Development, Southwest Region for Hilton Worldwide. He is responsible for managed and franchised hotel development for all of Hilton Worldwide’s full service and select service brands in a nine state region, including Hawaii, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. Tim began his career in the hospitality industry with Hilton in 1981 as manager of project coordination, responsible for furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) budget management, purchasing, logistics and installation. Over the course of the next 30 plus years, Tim has lived and worked in six countries honing his craft in the hospitality industry.

Kelly Sinclair

Head - Development & Acquisitions - Ace Hotel Group

Kate Hamill

Industry Manager for Travel - Facebook

Kate Hamill is an Industry Manager on the U.S. Travel team at Facebook, where she manages marketing partnerships with Uber, Airbnb, Viking River Cruises, and other west coast travel and transportation companies. She has been at Facebook for 5 years and has also worked in the Gaming and Entertainment verticals. Previously, she worked at the digital publishing startup Scribd and spent 10 years in book publishing as an acquisition editor at publishers including HarperCollins and Random House. Kate is a native New Yorker who attended Amherst College and has lived in the Bay Area for 5 years.

Tiffany Cooper

VP Development - Marriott

Tiffany is responsible for delivering growth for the Western Region of the US to Marriott International by expanding the development pipeline and footprint across all segments and project types (conversion, adaptive reuse, new build opportunities, etc.) for both franchise and Marriott-operated full service brands (Marriott, Sheraton, Delta, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph, Tribute Portfolio, JW Marriott, Westin, Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, Gaylord Hotels, Bvlgari and St. Regis).

John Rutledge

Founder - Oxford Capital / Oxford Hotels & Resorts

John W. Rutledge is the Founder, President, and CEO of Oxford Capital Group, LLC and its subsidiary Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC. Oxford’s primary areas of focus have included hotels, resorts, conference centers, senior housing, urban mixed-use and other operationally intensive forms of real estate. Notable Oxford-led hotel projects include Langham Chicago, LondonHouse Chicago, Godfrey Hotel- Boston and Chicago, Hotel Felix-Chicago, Essex on the Park and Hotel Essex, Hyatt Chicago-Magnificent Mile, Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel-New York City, Lexington Hotel-New York City, and the National Conference Center-Lansdowne, VA. Oxford, its affiliates and principals have been involved in approximately $2.5 billion of transactions, including approximately 13,000 hotel rooms. Specializing in large scale projects around the country, John and/or Oxford have been nominated and/or won numerous awards including, Crain’s' 40 under 40, Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Development of the Year, Redevelopment of the Year, Developer of the Year, National Hotel Development of the Year and the Top Hotel in the Continental US. He is past Chairman of the Global YPO/WPO Hospitality Network. John earned a BA from the University of Michigan, an MBA from The University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. He also studied at Northwestern University, Oxford University (Christ Church) and Harvard Business School (YPO’s Presidents’ Program).

​Sam Shank

CEO - HotelTonight​

A travel-obsessed serial entrepreneur, Sam is CEO and co-founder of HotelTonight, the world's leading app for booking amazing last-minute hotel deals tonight, tomorrow and next week. Sam previously founded and was CEO of DealBase.com, a travel deals search engine, and was CEO of TravelPost.com, a hotel reviews site. SideStep acquired TravelPost.com and Sam served there as VP of business development until its acquisition by Kayak. Sam also worked in comparison shopping at Excite, CNET and NexTag. Sam lives in the Bay Area with his wife and their two children. Not at all surprisingly, he was an assistant to Wes Craven on the film Scream. He HotelTonights at the Ace New York.

Benjamin Young

VP - AEG

Ben Young is Vice President of Asset Management for Anschutz Entertainment Group based in Los Angeles.  He is responsible for the performance of the highly successful dual-brand properties – The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles and JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, as well as the Courtyard and Residence Inn Los Angeles L.A. LIVE. Young has more than 20 years of experience in the lodging industry with a focus on development planning, acquisitions investments and business strategy. He began his hospitality career shortly after graduating college, through the acquisition and renovation of a beach resort in Sarasota, Fla. He went on to become involved in the asset management of iconic properties such as the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Grand Wailea on Maui, Hawaii, and Loews Lake Las Vegas, Nev.  Young earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and finance from Florida Southern College, in Lakeland, Fla. and a Master of Business Administration degree specializing in Hotel Asset Management from the University of Denver.

Timothy Haskin

Partner - AECOM Capital

Mr. Haskin is a Partner and a Senior Managing Director of AECOM Capital, where he is responsible for fund capital raising, deal origination, structuring and execution of investments. AECOM Capital has invested in 16 properties across the United States and Europe, totaling $4.0 billion of development value, including 5 hospitality investments. He has an extensive background in real estate finance, with over 39 years of experience with acquisitions, financing and repositioning of large scale real estate projects, and is an expert in the domestic and global commercial real estate and hospitality markets. Previously, Mr. Haskin was the Founder and President of Peninsula Real Estate LLC, a New York City based real estate investment company which pursued value-added real estate and lodging investment opportunities in primary U.S. markets, including the acquisition of two New York City hotels. Prior to Peninsula, Mr. Haskin served as Partner, Managing Director and Executive Vice President of Tishman Hotel Corporation for thirteen years. He was primarily responsible for acquisitions and capital raising for the company’s principal investments, including the Westin New York Hotel at Times Square and E-Walk Retail on 42 nd Street and was involved in closing over US$5 billion of transactions. Mr. Haskin was also responsible for all third-party contracts for the company as Hotel Operator, Advisor and Asset Manager. Prior to his tenure at Tishman, Mr. Haskin held positions with CBRE, Citicorp Real Estate Inc. and Chase Manhattan Bank’s Real Estate Finance Group. Mr. Haskin holds a BBA in Business Administration with certificates in Real Estate and Finance from Southern Methodist University, Edwin L. Cox School of Business in Dallas, Texas. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and has been a guest lecturer at various academic institutions.

Robert Palleschi

​CDO - G6 Hospitality

​G6 Hospitality announced the appointment of Mr. Rob Palleschi as Chief Development Officer (CDO), effective February 7, 2017. The newly created executive role is the result of the company's successful expansion and rapidly growing presence in international markets such as Latin America and India. In his new role, Mr. Palleschi will focus on leading the strategic growth of the company's international development and how to best leverage the company's successful domestic platform with international growth. Dean Savas, Executive Vice President of Franchise Development and Management will report to Mr. Palleschi. As the new Chief Development Officer, Mr. Palleschi will report to the President and CEO of G6 Hospitality, Jim Amorosia. Most recently, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of TGI Fridays where he demonstrated strong passion for long-term growth and cultivating customer engagement.

Dave Johnstone

CIO - McWhinney

Dave Johnstone brings more than 35 years of experience in real estate and hospitality services to McWhinney with responsibilities that include acquisitions, developments, asset management and dispositions. As McWhinney’s Chief Investment Officer overseeing hospitality projects, Dave is responsible for creating, documenting and executing new business strategies associated with all hospitality-related acquisitions and development. Dave began his real estate career in 1979 in Chicago with Laventhol and Horwath, a hospitality accounting and consulting firm. As an Investment Manager for Prudential Property Company in Atlanta, Dave was responsible for a $600 million equity portfolio of hotel properties located in the Southeastern United States. His duties included operator oversight and capital expenditure management, acquisitions, dispositions and involvement in new hotel developments. In 1989, Dave joined Sage Hospitality Resources, a Denver-based owner/operator of hotels throughout the United States, as a Principal and held subsequent roles of Senior Vice President and Executive Vice President with responsibility for acquisitions and developing and maintaining investor/partner relationships, while also providing asset management and investment advisory services to the firm’s partners and clients. In 1996, Dave joined The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, a subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc., in Hong Kong as Vice President, Development for the Asia/Pacific region, where he negotiated operating/management and technical services contracts for new hotel projects as well as coordinated the company’s feasibility, legal and technical services resources throughout the development process. In 1998 Dave joined Miller Global Properties, LLC, a real estate pension fund advisory firm, and most recently served as a Managing Principal/Chief Investment Officer – Hotels until joining McWhinney. Dave graduated from Michigan State University with a BSBA in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management in 1979. He received an MBA in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver in 1986. He previously taught classes and continues to guest lecture and serve on an advisory board at each university.

Allie Hope

Head of Development & Acquisition - Virgin Hotels

Allie is responsible for implementing Virgin Hotels’ global growth strategy. Allie’s primary responsibilities include sourcing and acquiring properties in key gateway cities, and structuring transactions that work for Virgin Hotels and our Owner/Developer partners. Prior to joining Virgin, Allie worked on acquisitions, dispositions and asset management at Sunstone Hotel Investors where she was instrumental in the acquisition and disposition of over $1 billion of hotel transactions. Allie was previously a partner at HMR Analytics, a hospitality asset management firm based in California, and a consultant with PKF Consulting, one of the top advisory services firms in the hospitality industry. Other experiences include hotel operations with Interstate Hotels and Resorts and spa development at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Allie is a graduate of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration where she received the Dean’s Baccalaureate Service Award, is a guest lecturer at Cornell Hotel School Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship, Columbia University and NYU, and was named Southern California Real Estate “Woman of Influence” in 2007.

Todd Majcher

VP - Lowe Enterprises

Project Management Executive acknowledged for a superior record of leading and supporting major planning, design and construction initiatives for owners and developers and providing maximum value and optimum team performance through an expertise in design, construction and project management. Current commercial and hospitality management experience valued in excess of 1 billion dollars.

Ken Fearn

Managing Partner - Integrated Capital

Kenneth H. Fearn is Founder and Managing Partner of Integrated Capital, LLC. Prior to founding Integrated Capital, LLC, Mr. Fearn was Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Maritz, Wolff & Co., the primary activity of which was private equity real estate acquisition and development. Maritz, Wolff managed three private equity investment funds totaling $500 million in equity for the sole purpose of acquiring luxury resorts and hotels. Through this affiliation, Mr. Fearn was directly involved in more than $1 billion of hospitality acquisitions, including such renowned properties as the Four Seasons Aviara in San Diego, the Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara, the Fairmont in San Francisco, the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, and The Carlyle in New York. Previously, Mr. Fearn was with McKinsey & Company, a strategy management consulting firm in Los Angeles. There, Mr. Fearn worked with Fortune 200 companies to address issues of profitability and develop business strategies. Prior to his involvement with McKinsey & Company he worked at JP Morgan & Company, a global investment banking firm in New York City, where he was involved with corporate mergers and acquisitions, and was an associate at Los Angeles based Capital Group Companies prior to attending business school. Mr. Fearn received a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business. Mr. Fearn is also the co-author of a white paper entitled A Productive Inner City, Rebuilding Los Angeles' Competitiveness. The white paper examines economic development within the disadvantaged urban area of Los Angeles, and is the basis for work currently being conducted on "The Competitive Advantage of the Inner City" at Harvard Business School by Michael E. Porter, the Roland Christensen Professor of Business Administration. In October 2010, Mr. Fearn was nominated Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles ("CRA/LA") where he oversaw the multibillion dollar agency whose mission was to make strategic investments to create economic opportunity and improve the quality of life in the City of Los Angeles. He served in this capacity until March 2012. Mr. Fearn was appointed to the CRA/LA by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and approved by the Los Angeles City Council in October 2009. Under his guidance the agency was repositioned from an agency known for its bureaucracy into an organization with a laser focus on creating jobs and a streamlined the project approval process. Mr. Fearn also serves on the Board of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce (where he is a member of the Executive Committee and the Finance Committee), the Board of Directors of Berger Bros. (a well established California construction company), and the Owner Advisory Council for Marriott International. Mr. Fearn is also a member of the Young Presidents' Organization (where he served as Chairman for the Santa Monica Bay Chapter), and he serves on the Board of Directors of Challengers Boys & Girls Club.

Matt Marquis

CEO - Pacifica Hotels

Mr. Marquis began his business career on Wall Street with Dean Witter Realty, Inc., where he was an analyst and asset manager on a diversified real estate portfolio valued at more than $1 billion. He subsequently joined Investcorp International to assist in the reorganization of its real estate department, working with senior management on the acquisition, disposition, and asset management of more than $700 million in real estate investments. In 1997 he joined Pacifica Real Estate Group as an asset manager responsible for the commercial real estate portfolio. In 2000, Mr. Marquis, along with his father Dale Marquis, activated Invest West Financial Corp as the family's primary business and acquired Pacifica Hotel Company from their partners. Today they work together in creating and developing a dynamic family business focused on real estate and hospitality investments for the future. Mr. Marquis has a BA in Communications with a Business Minor from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Pepperdine's Graziadio School of Business. He also completed Harvard's Families in Business seminar. He has served on the boards of several community groups, including the United Boys and Girls Clubs, Autism Society of American, and Cold Springs School Foundation, and is also a member and past member of the board of the Young President's Organization (YPO).

Javier Cano

VP - Ritz Carlton

Will Strang

President of The America's - TOTO USA

Bill Strang serves as President of the Americas’ Operations for TOTO USA and Chairman of TOTO Mexico. In these capacities, he is responsible for all of TOTO’s North American operations, including supply chain, design and development engineering, quality, ISO, environmental resource management, and management of TOTO’s five North American plants with 1.8 million sf under roof. Under Bill’s leadership, TOTO has received numerous awards and recognitions for its leadership in environmental resource conservation, including the U.S. EPA’s Water Efficiency Leadership award (TOTO is the only plumbing manufacturer so honored); former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue’s Water Conservation Leadership award; the South face Sustainable Homebuilders’ Argon* award; the City of Atlanta’s Phoenix Award, and the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s River Sustainability award. Recently, the Brookings Institution distinguished TOTO for its leadership in Clean Economy jobs creation. TOTO USA is the world’s largest manufacturer of bath products and is a leader and innovator in minimizing the impact of its products and manufacturing processes on the environment. Conserving water and energy and everything the company does has become an integral piece of product design evolution at TOTO. With over 1,500 engineers on staff and three centers devoted to research and development, TOTO is dedicated to engineering products that respect the environment while meeting people's needs for comfort, beauty and performance. TOTO's corporate philosophy – People-First Innovation – is the guiding principle for all the company's processes, from engineering and design to manufacturing and sales.

Jesse Stein

SVP - KHP Capital Partners

Jesse serves as Senior Vice President of Investments at KHP Capital Partners. Previously, Jesse led Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ West Coast deal team. Jesse’s past experience also includes development roles with Wyndham Hotel Group and Starwood Vacation Ownership. He earned undergraduate degrees in Real Estate and Finance, as well as an MBA, from Florida State University.

Bill Johnson

Associate Principal - The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry

Dan Lesser

President & CEO - LW Hospitality Advisors

Daniel H. Lesser brings more than 30 years of expertise in a wide range of hospitality operational, investment counseling, valuation, advisory, and transactional services. He provides services to corporate, institutional, and individual clients as well as public agencies on all facets of hospitality real estate including: litigation support and expert testimony, site evaluation, highest and best use analysis, appraisals for mortgage, acquisition, and portfolio management, workout strategies, operational analysis, property tax assessment appeal evaluations, economic impact studies, deal structuring, and fairness opinions. Mr. Lesser is a leading authority on hotel feasibility and valuation, and is highly sought after to speak at lodging and real estate events, as well as lectures at prestigious institutions of higher education, including Cornell University, Columbia University and New York University. He is widely published and quoted, and serves as a quarterly columnist for HotelNewsNow.com and GlobeSt.com. Most recently, Mr. Lesser created and served as the Senior Managing Director - Industry Leader of the Hospitality & Gaming Valuation Advisory Services Group at CB Richard Ellis Hotels (CBRE). Prior to joining CBRE, Mr. Lesser founded and led the Hospitality & Gaming Group at Cushman & Wakefield and was a founding member of the team at HVS International. Mr. Lesser has also held operational and administrative positions with Hilton Hotels Corporation and Eurotels - Switzerland. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University, and also attended the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland and Baruch College - City University of New York. Mr. Lesser holds the following professional designations: MAI (Member of the Appraisal Institute), FRICS (Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), CRE (Counselor of Real Estate), and CHA (Certified Hotel Administrator). Mr. Lesser is a member of and has served on numerous committees for the Counselors of Real Estate, the Appraisal Institute, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and the Board of Directors of the New York City Chapter of the Cornell Hotel Society. He is a former Advisory Board member and member of the Fundraising Subcommittee for the New York University Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management. Mr. Lesser is a founding member of the Lodging Industry Investment Council (LIIC), the hotel industry “think tank.” Furthermore, Mr. Lesser served as an Honorary Committee Member of the annual UJA - Federation New York Hotel & Hospitality Division Dinner, and is a member of the AIPAC Real Estate Division.

Barbara Morrison

Founder & President - TMC Financing

Barbara Morrison, a Bay Area business and civic leader, is the founder and president of TMC Financing, a certified development company that provides commercial real estate financing. Since 1981, TMC has provided U.S. Small Business Administration funding for real estate projects totaling more than $9 billion in California and Nevada, benefiting nearly 5,000 businesses and creating and retaining an estimated 60,000 jobs throughout the region. TMC consistently ranks among the top CDCs nationwide, and is the largest SBA 504 lender in Northern California and Southern Nevada. In 2015, TMC became the largest SBA 504 hotel lender in the nation. Morrison is also the founder and board president of Working Solutions, an innovative nonprofit microlender that helps underserved entrepreneurs access the capital and hands-on technical assistance they need to start and grow their businesses. Morrison developed her passion for small business economic development early in her career as an investment banker and while serving as deputy director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development in San Francisco. Morrison has been widely recognized for her outstanding leadership and advocacy for women and small business owners. In 2016, she was inducted into the YWCA San Francisco and Marin’s Marin Women’s Hall of Fame. The San Francisco Business Times has named her one of the Most Influential Women in the Bay Area three times. She’s won the Financial Women’s Association of San Francisco’s Financial Woman of the Year Award, and the San Francisco Business Times and law firm Allen Matkins honored Morrison as one of their first Northern California Real Estate Women of Influence. She has also received the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women’s Women Who Make a Difference award; the San Francisco Business Times’ Women in Leadership award; the National Association of Development Companies’ Arthur Goodman Achievement and Diversity award; and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women in Business Advocate award. Under her leadership, TMC Financing has twice made the list of the Bay Area’s Best Places to Work, most recently in 2015. Among her many professional affiliations, Barbara was a founding board member of the Renaissance Entrepreneur Center, and has served as a member of the California Small Business Task Force of the Federal Reserve of San Francisco, is a former board member of the Harvard Kennedy School Women and Public Policy Program’s Women’s Leadership Board and was vice chair of the Buck Advisory Council for The Buck Institute for Research on Aging. A former mayor and city council member for the city of Belvedere, Morrison has provided leadership for a number of community organizations, including the Belvedere-Tiburon Library Foundation and the Belvedere Community Foundation.

Nizar Allibhoy

Co-Founder & CEO - KEYPR

Mr. Nizar Allibhoy is Co-Founder and Chief Executive officer at KEYPR since 2012. Mr. Allibhoy previously served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of ActiveMedia Group, a unit of ActiveVideo Networks and was responsible for the development and support of programming solutions that allow network operators, content providers and advertisers to maximize the revenue potential of the ICTV ActiveVideo platform. He served as an Executive Officer of WorldWide Stage, Inc. He served as Chief Executive Officer of AccelerateTV. Mr. Allibhoy served as Chief Executive Officer of ClickStar, an online film distribution company. Prior to heading ClickStar, he spent more than three years as Vice President with Sony Pictures Digital, Inc., where his duties included interactive television, content distribution services and the development of its Digital Service Platform and Digital Distribution products. He also held positions at Time Warner Cable, Intertainer and other digital media firms.

Ray Haj

VP - Swinerton Builders

Ali Kasikci

CEO - Bentley Management

Lisa Kolieb

Partner - Akerman

Lisa Kolieb focuses her practice on land real estate development matters, governmental and administrative law, as well as other matters involving local and state administration and legislative decision-making. Lisa's experience includes advising clients on regulatory, environmental, political, and technical issues involved in real estate development in California. She has represented retailers, commercial, residential, and industrial property developers and owners, outdoor advertising and billboard clients, and academic institutions in securing land use approvals as well as environmental and regulatory permits. She also has experience obtaining local discretionary approvals associated with alcohol licensing. She regularly appears before planning commissions, city councils, and other governmental agencies. Lisa has extensive experience performing land- use due diligence evaluations for property owners, developers, media companies, and institutional lenders. Her experience includes substantial work with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Lisa has also represented clients in connection with government contracts and bid protests. She is well versed in providing political and public relations assistance to both private sector and public sector clients. Additionally, she has assisted clients with land use litigation, defending development projects against CEQA and other land-use related claims. Previously, Lisa worked in the not-for-profit sector and as Deputy Press Assistant to Special Counsel to the President of the United States and also has campaign experience at the local and national levels.

Rich Brand

Partner - Arent Fox

Rich Brand is the firm’s San Francisco Managing Partner and head of the Sports practice group. He focuses on sports law, real estate and corporate transactions, e-commerce, hospitality and leisure, and partnership and corporate law. Rich is recognized as a leading sports attorney by Chambers USA and Legal 500 and as a leading real estate attorney by Best Lawyers. As noted by Chambers USA, “he is highly regarded for his expertise in representing both sellers and purchasers of sports teams” and “he brings tons of experience, and good business sense to the deal table.” Rich is also recognized as a SportsBusiness Journal Power Player. Rich speaks extensively on many aspects of sports, real estate and hospitality law at major industry conferences. He is frequently featured on the Yes Network’s Forbes SportsMoney sports talk show and has appeared on CNN, Fox Sports and other national video/television/radio programs. Rich is also an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, where he leads seminars on sports law transactions. Rich regularly guest lectures at prominent undergraduate and graduate Sports Administration programs. Rich’s practice encompasses several main transactional areas, including: Sports Representation of professional sports franchises, owners of sports and entertainment facilities, sponsors and service content providers in connection with naming rights transactions, media rights agreements, sponsorship agreements, advertising agreements, promotional agreements, food and beverage agreements, suite and club seat licensing, and financings for professional sports teams and owners of sports and entertainment facilities; Representation of prospective purchasers and sellers of professional sports franchises and sports and entertainment facilities; and Player, coaches, and executive contracts, license agreements, salary cap and collective bargaining interpretation, and related matters for professional sports teams. Real Estate/Hospitality & Leisure/Corporate Representation of local and national owners, developers, and users in all aspects of real estate transactions, including hotel, office, and industrial acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, development, construction, financing, and management of commercial properties; Joint ventures and related equity financings; Formation of start-up entities and the sale of existing businesses; and Representation of lenders and borrowers in complex debt and equity transactions, consensual real estate workouts, restructurings, and reorganizations.

Deborah Friedland

Managing Director - Eisner Amper

Deborah S. Friedland is a Managing Director in the Corporate Finance Group and is head of Hospitality Advisory Services. Deborah specializes in feasibility and benchmarking studies, operational strategy analysis, property conversion analysis, asset management, valuation, and transactional due diligence for investors and lenders. With over 25 years of experience, Deborah has advised clients in connection with the acquisition, finance, conversion or operation of real estate, including hospitality, gaming, restaurant, industrial, commercial, mixed-use, golf course, and amusement park properties, as well as numerous REITs dedicated to investing in such properties. She has structured master leases for taxable and nontaxable REIT structures involving public and private projects. Deborah has been involved in the successful turnaround of numerous hotels, resorts, restaurants, and mixed-use properties. She is also involved in the firm’s Real Estate Services Group. Prior to joining the firm, Deborah served as Managing Director of a financial services firm’s real estate and hospitality consulting practice. She was also Managing Director of the Schonbraun McCann Real Estate Advisory Group at FTI and a Director at Horwath Horizon, consulting on real estate development, market studies, acquisition due diligence, conversion analyses, and operational and internal control review and assessments. In addition, Deborah has past experience as Vice President and principal REIT analyst at ABN AMRO, where she covered public REIT companies. Deborah was also a REIT and gaming analyst at Smith Barney, where she was responsible for preparing financial models, writing earnings reports, communicating with management and advising the institutional investment community on investment decisions. Deborah started her career as a real estate consultant at Arthur Andersen. Deborah has also contributed to several articles for various real estate and hospitality industry publications.

Michael Scheinberg

Partner - Pircher, Nichols & Meeks

Michael E. Scheinberg joined the firm in 1989 and is a partner in the firm’s real estate department. Mr. Scheinberg’s practice focuses on commercial real estate transactions, including private equity, restructurings, development, loan origination and workouts, joint ventures, acquisitions and dispositions as well as leasing.

Adam Lair

Managing Director, Senior Partner - HVS

Adam Lair partners with Suzanne Mellen to oversee the firm's California practice, and is currently based in both San Francisco and New Orleans. Adam has been involved with appraisals and consulting for hotel and commercial real estate since 2002. The hundreds of assignments under his belt include existing and proposed properties throughout the United States. Adam oversees some of the firm's most complex consulting and valuation engagements. Adam excels at complex financial analyses for commercial real estate assets. His standout accomplishments at HVS include a feasibility study for a proposed full-service resort hotel outside of Atlanta and the appraisal of the Westin New Orleans Canal Place in the city’s historic French Quarter. Adam has also written on the post-Katrina, post-recession growth of the New Orleans hotel market. He graduated cum laude from Louisiana State University and studied under scholarship at Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans. He has also completed an advanced set of courses in the analysis and valuation of real estate through the Appraisal Institute. Adam holds the designation of MAI as a Designated Member of the Appraisal Institute and is a state-certified general appraiser. Adam played for Louisiana State University’s Tigers as a quarterback during the 2001/02 college football season; the team won the SEC Championship and the Sugar Bowl, and Adam was named an Academic All-SEC. Adam loves to travel and has lived in cities around the world, including Paris, Charleston, and Honolulu.

Tom Ito

Principal - Gensler

Tom launched Gensler’s Hospitality Practice in the late 1990s, when he led the celebrated renovation of the Beverly Hills Hotel. He has since expanded the practice to an international scale, leading numerous complex mixed-use, entertainment, master planning and hotel projects across the U.S. and worldwide. His expertise was integral to the leadership of the 18-million-square-foot CityCenter development on the Las Vegas Strip, and his team recently completed the architecture, interior design and branding for the award-winning Shore Hotel, a LEED®-certified luxury oceanfront resort in Santa Monica. Currently under construction is the Westin Hotel, part of the South Terminal Redevelopment Program at the Denver International Airport, which includes a conference center and train station. Tom is a Registered Architect and earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the University of Southern California.

Richard Millard

CEO - Trust Hospitality

A well-known and highly respected industry veteran, Richard Millard has been at the helm of Trust Hospitality for nearly three decades. Prior to joining Trust, the UK-born hotelier served in management positions with some of the world’s most recognized hotel companies, including Hyatt, Sheraton and Hilton. A self-described “lifetime hotelier,” he led Trust into the boutique segment and continues to guide its development and growth.

Bob Sonnenblick

Chairman - Sonnenblick Development

Mr. Robert Sonnenblick, Principal of Sonnenblick, LLC, is a graduate of the Wharton School of Finance of the University of Pennsylvania with more than 30 years of experience in various aspects of real estate and real estate finance. From 1981 to 1991 Mr. Sonnenblick was the driving force and power behind Sonnenblick-Goldman Corporation of California. Mr. Sonnenblick completed over $1.5 Billion of commercial real estate transactions on the West Coast and as a result is regarded as one of the West Coast’s leaders in the field of commercial real estate. Among the more notable projects for which Mr. Sonnenblick personally structured the financing for are The Beaudry Center, Los Angeles, California ($197 million), the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Pasadena, California ($97 million), One Waterfront Plaza, Honolulu, Hawaii ($100 million), and the Los Angeles World Trade Center, Los Angeles, California ($55 million). In 1991 Mr. Sonnenblick was appointed Director of Development for the New Jersey and L.A. MetroMalls, with the responsibility for oversight and direction of the design, financing and leasing programs for two proposed $250 million enclosed regional malls totaling 1.2 million Sq. Ft. each. Mr. Sonnenblick personally oversaw more than 1 million Sq. Ft. of leases in connection with this position as well as arranging the necessary debt and equity financing. The New Jersey project opened to one of the strongest starts in the history of the United States mall industry. In addition, Mr. Sonnenblick was an original development partner of the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. This 360-room, $90 million hotel was recently sold for $125 million. Prior to forming Sonnenblick Development, LLC, Mr. Sonnenblick was the senior partner in a Los Angeles-based real estate development firm (Sonnenblick Del Rio Development) which specialized in public-private partnerships, specifically the development of four major government-leased office buildings throughout the Los Angeles basin. During this tenure, Mr. Sonnenblick successfully developed nearly 1 million square feet of government leased buildings, occupied by such tenants as U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services and Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. Mr. Sonnenblick is a frequent speaker at various real estate-related functions, such as those hosted by Deloitte Touche, ICSC, Value Retail News, Crittenden, USC, UCLA Real Estate Program, IMN Real Estate Conferences and the Institute for International Research, The Opal Group, iGlobal Forum Group, Globe Street/Realshare Conferences and Bloomberg Conferences. Mr. Sonnenblick is a member of the Advisory Board of the Golf Development Institute, a member of the Board of Real Estate Council of the Century City Chamber of Commerce and is a published author on subjects ranging from architecture to general real estate market conditions. In addition to Mr. Sonnenblick’s expertise in development, finance, joint ventures and equity structuring, Mr. Sonnenblick has also been certified as an expert in the area of real estate bankruptcy/foreclosure. Mr. Sonnenblick is a qualified expert witness in the area of Commercial Real Estate Finance and Interest Rates for the United States Federal Court System in numerous jurisdictions.

Claudia Margolis

Team Leader, China - US Business - Lockton Insurance

As the U.S. leader of Lockton Insurance Brokers’ China Practice, Claudia is at the center of the investment flow from China into U.S. real estate. She and her Lockton teams help large and medium-sized Chinese developers and investors overcome the insurance and risk management challenges of real estate projects here. For example, she has drastically driven down insurance costs for her client SCG America (the U.S. branch of Shanghai Construction Group, one of the world’s largest contractors and developers) on its redevelopment project at Broadway at Fourth, a 400-condo unit revitalizing the historic core of downtown Los Angeles. Claudia advises clients in mitigating risks in real estate development, optimizes risk transfer strategies, develops and implements cutting-edge solutions, and holds carriers accountable for claims resolutions. She has 20 years of insurance industry expertise from life & health to property & casualty insurance, and received her MBA from USC. Claudia’s fierce dedication to client service is one reason why Lockton, the world's largest privately-held global insurance broker, has a 98+% client retention rate in the Pacific Region (over 13% higher than industry average). Driven by market-leading 10% organic growth for the past 50 years, Lockton now has over $1.35 billion in revenue and a stellar reputation for delivering top technical expertise for Mid-Market and Fortune 1000 companies, with particular strength in development, construction, and real estate management. Claudia and her real estate teams maintain a peerless commitment to providing five-star service and value-added consulting from the beginning stages of project planning and throughout the years-long cycles beyond the completed projects. Claudia is passionate about our Southern California communities, and in recognition of that was recently re-appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to a second term as a Commissioner of the L.A. County Arts Commission. She is equally passionate about helping Southern California businesses succeed and serves on various nonprofit and civil boards in the community.