Bisnow Lodging Investment Summit

David Cordish

Chairman
The Cordish Companies

Mr. Cordish has a B.A. and a Masters in Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University. He has an LLB degree from the University of Maryland Law School and was on the Board of Editors of the Law Review. His career has included service in law, government, and commercial businesses. He served in both the Carter and Reagan Administrations as head of the Urban Development Action Grant Program. Mr. Cordish has served on numerous national, state, and local boards, including professional, civic, and charitable. He has acted as a pro bono consultant to Johns Hopkins University, Loyola University Maryland, Stevenson University, and other non-profit entities. Mr. Cordish was the recipient of the Johns Hopkins Real Estate Program’s Leadership Award, the David M. Sampson Award by the Greater Baltimore Urban League, the Baltimore WaveMaker Lifetime Achievement Award by the Urban Land Institute, and the Daily Record’s Most Admired CEO Award. Mr. Cordish is the recipient of numerous other regional and national honors and awards.

Don Peebles

Founder, Chairman & CEO
The Peebles Corporation

Recognized as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the nation, R. Donahue (Don) Peebles Jr. is Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Peebles Corporation. In an era where social responsibility and inclusion are often seen as buzz-phrases, Mr. Peebles is actively influencing change and creating opportunities that positively impact communities, through Real Estate investment and development. The Peebles Corporation is among the leading privately held real estate and development companies in the United States, with a multi-billion dollar project portfolio, spanning key markets in the nation including: New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Washington D.C. Mr. Peebles and The Peebles Corporation's uniqueness is guided by the company’s own principles of Affirmative Development (TM) to empower women and minorities in closing the wealth gap – with the aim of developing not just land or buildings, but also opportunities for people. Mr. Peebles is an industry leader in large scale real estate development through Public-Private Partnerships. Through construction excellence, sustainable materials, historic preservation and innovative design, every project is strategically selected to achieve transformative results for the company and community. Mr. Peebles is an avid supporter of mentoring underprivileged youth to expose them to the value of entrepreneurship. He is the former Chairman of the Board of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, is on the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Greater New York, was a two-time former member of President Barack Obama’s National Finance Committee, and the former Chairman of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. Mr. Peebles is a frequent guest commentator on CNBC, CNN, FOX News and FOX Business Network. He has written two books entitled The Peebles Principles and The Peebles Path to Real Estate Wealth, which provide the fundamentals for individuals striving to succeed in real estate. The books articulate Mr. Peebles optimism and belief that everyone’s career goals are achievable. Growing up as a child raised by a single parent, in a middle-class home, to achieving multimillionaire status by the age 27, Mr. Peebles believes that dreams really can come true.

Sid Narang

Chief Development Officer
SBE Entertainment Group

Kathleen Flores

EVP
Trump Hotels

Kathleen (Kat) Chiechi Flores, executive vice president at Trump Hotel Group, is responsible for a variety of functions across the portfolio including Sales, Marketing, Innovation, Branding and Communication. She is charged with driving the innovation and evolution of products and services across the business and has been instrumental in the launch of the Company’s recently announced 4-star brand SCION and 3-Star brand American IDEA Hotels. Flores joined Trump Hotels from The Assemblage, a hospitality concept blending social clubs and innovative work environments, where she served as managing director. There, she was responsible for the development and administration of the nascent brand concept. Previously, she served as chief administrative officer for Hampshire Hotels Management, now Dream Hotel Group, where she was responsible for strategy and performance management and the shared services of sales and marketing, revenue management, e- commerce, information technology and human resources. Prior to joining Hampshire, Flores was executive vice president of Human Resources and Communication at Wyndham Hotel Group, charged with oversight of the organization's global human resources strategy, including talent selection, talent management, workforce planning and administration of more than 4,000 employees. She also led the business’ global communication strategy. In addition, she has held senior-level roles with WhiteFence, ZipRealty and Kaplan, Inc. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia School of Business, a Master of Education degree from the University of San Francisco, and a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of California, Irvine. She is based in New York City.

Ken Greene

President, Americas
Radisson Hotel Group

Ken Greene is President, Americas for Radisson Hotel Group (formerly Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group). He responsible for leading operations, development and technical services in the Americas. Greene reports to John Kidd, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Radisson Hospitality, Inc. In his role, Greene is focused on the performance, and expansion of the Americas portfolio which includes over 700 hotels in operation and under development across the company’s core brands: Radisson Blu ® , Radisson ® , Radisson RED, Park Inn ® by Radisson, Park Plaza ® and Country Inn & Suites ® by Radisson. In addition, he oversees the company’s managed portfolio in the Americas, ensuring operational excellence and optimizing performance. Prior to joining Radisson Hotel Group, Greene was the Chief Executive Officer of Greenehouse Consulting, a Toronto-based start-up that provides management consulting and advisory services on company strategy, branding, and real estate transactions. Prior to that, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer for Delta Hotels and Resorts, where he transformed the company by repositioning it as a leader in the Canadian upscale, full-service hotel segment. From 2001-2012, Greene held various positions at Wyndham Worldwide, including President and Managing Director, helping to establish Wyndham’s Asia Pacific regional headquarters.

Jonathan Mehlman

CEO
Hospitality Investors Trust

Jonathan P. Mehlman has served as a director of Hospitality Investors Trust, Inc. since March 2017, and also serves as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and President. Previously, Mr. Mehlman served as executive vice president and chief investment officer of the Company from its formation in July 2013 until December 2014. Mr. Mehlman has 22 years of experience in the real estate investment banking and capital markets with significant focus in the hospitality sector. Within the real estate industry, Mr. Mehlman has acted as a Mergers and Acquisitions advisor, investment banker and lender and has many years of experience coordinating transaction activity for public and private global hotel brands and U.S. hotel REITs. From August 2012 until January 2013, Mr. Mehlman was co-head of the real estate advisory group at KPMG before joining AR Capital, LLC (“AR Capital”), the predecessor to AR Global Investments, LLC (“AR Global”), in January 2013 as an executive vice president and managing director. During his tenure as an executive officer of the Company until the Initial Closing in March 2017, when we transitioned to self-management, Mr. Mehlman also served in the same capacity as an executive officer of the Former Advisor and the Former Property Manager. From September 2009 through August 2011, Mr. Mehlman was co-head of the lodging and gaming investment banking business for Citadel Securities. From August 2008 to September 2009, Mr. Mehlman served as head of the real estate advisory group at HSBC. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Mehlman led the hospitality investment banking effort for Citigroup Global Markets. From 1993 to 2005, he worked at Deutsche Bank Securities and its predecessor company, Bankers Trust Company, in the real estate investment banking group, specializing in the business development and client coverage within the hospitality sector and for real estate private equity sponsors. Mr. Mehlman received his bachelor of arts in history of art from the University of Michigan as well as a master in business administration with a focus in real estate and finance from the University of North Carolina.

Jim Abdo

CEO
Abdo Development

Mr. Abdo is the CEO and President of Abdo Development, a District of Columbia development and construction company that has built its reputation as a pioneering, innovative developer of award-winning residential, commercial, hospitality and retail development. Founded by Mr. Abdo in 1996, the company has a strong philosophy in smart growth and adaptive reuse. To date, the company has completed over thirty significant development projects, totaling nearly 1B dollars and approximately 2 million square feet, and has received critical acclaim from both the community and the press for its responsible approach to development and is considered a leader in the renewal of Washington’s historic districts. Mr. Abdo currently sits on the board of the Institute of Current World Affairs, and is an Honorary Trustee of Arena Stage. He is also a former board member of The Bank of Georgetown, Fight for Children, DC Building Industry Association, The DC Preservation League, the DC Chamber of Commerce, The College of Wooster Alumni Board and others. A long-time D.C. resident, Mr. Abdo also served as a board member and chair of the Development Committee for the Washington Convention & Sports Authority Board, which was responsible for the development of the $537 million convention center hotel. Mr. Abdo has been the recipient of numerous awards, including Trendsetter of the Year, Washingtonian of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, and CEO of the Year.

Maki Bara

President and Co-Founder
Chartres Lodging Group

Maki Nakamura Bara, President & Co-Founder of The Chartres Lodging Group, LLC and Chairman of the Board for affiliated management company, Sightline Hospitality, is a leading expert in investing in and repositioning urban hotels and resorts. Since the formation of Chartres Lodging in 2002, she has acquired and repositioned approximately $5 billion of lodging assets in the U.S. and Japan and completed more than $1 billion in the redevelopment of these assets. In recognition of her extensive experience in the lodging sector, particularly in acquisitions, asset management, development management and her role in the growth of the two companies, Ms. Nakamura Bara was recognized as the top "40 Under 40" by M&A Advisor, received the ''Best Executive" Stevie Award for Women in Business, was named a "Woman of Influence” in commercial real estate by Real Estate Southern California magazine, was a three-time honoree of Bisnow’s Power Women LA and recently honored as one of Hotel Management’s 2021 Influential Women in Hospitality. She is also a frequent speaker at various industry conferences. Ms. Nakamura Bara’s previous experience includes participating in the formation and growth of the lodging activities of Lend Lease Real Estate and Strategic Hotel Capital. She has also worked at Oxford Capital Partners, Inc. and PricewaterhouseCoopers in the hospitality consulting division. Ms. Nakamura Bara is a graduate of UCLA and is fluent in spoken Japanese.

David Brillembourg

Founder, Chairman & CEO
Brillembourg Group

Mr. Brillembourg is a seasoned entrepreneur with more than 20 years’ experience specializing in developing companies that take advantage of market opportunities in emerging technology, demographic and economic macro trends. Since 1999 he has been Founder, Chairman and CEO of Brillembourg Holdings. After spending a decade in tech startups and another decade with various hotel investments, he saw that with his four children becoming full fledge millennials, consumption patterns of the millennial generation were going to fundamentally change the hospitality and technology industry. Brillembourg, is a holding company focused on the hospitality and technology fields, operates three divisions: Brillembourg Hospitality: a private equity investor in digital native and millennial hospitality concepts. Brillembourg Ventures: a venture capital investor in hospitality tech and fintech/Blockchain. Brillembourg Capital: an advisory group focused in the convergence of hospitality and technology. From 2006 to 2016, Brillembourg Hospitality (Bricapital) has acquired, invested and exited hotel properties across six nations, including The Raleigh Hotel in South Beach, sold to SBE; the Isle de France Hotel in Saint Barths, sold to LVMH; Cap Juluca Hotel in Anguilla sold to Belmond Hotels, and One Bal Harbour Hotel, which was sold to individual investors. The existing hotel portfolio includes the Viceroy Hotel Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Currently, Mr. Brillembourg is launching The Loop Hotels, a new ventured-backed hospitality concept focusing on the needs of millennials for fully experiential travel and an integrated tech experience, that includes actions sports, e-sports and immersive experiences. From 2001 to 2005, Brillembourg Ventures was a top investor in Emida Technologies, where Mr. Brillembourg was founder and CEO. Emida is a Fintech processor of electronic mobile prepaid topup in Latin America and the Caribbean with operations in 30 countries. In 2007, Emida merged with Debisys to form one of the largest country-footprint prepaid network in the Americas. He has been a member of the Board and shareholder of Emida from 2005 to the present. Currently, taking full advantage of his tech startup background, knowledge of the crypto community, and hotel investing experience, he spent the past few years researching the creation of an upcoming holistic protocol system to assist hotel owners with growth through crypto economic and blockchain models. In 1995 to 2001, Brillembourg Capital, financed Mr. Brillembourg first company, CycleLogic, Inc., where he was founder and CEO. CycleLogic, the largest provider of mobile Internet outsourcing services for operators throughout Latin America. CycleLogic was acquired in September ‘99 by StarMedia Networks (a NYSE company), the largest Internet media company in the Latin market at the time. He co-managed Starmedia Mobile until it was sold to Bellsouth in 2001. Brillembourg Capital now advises multiple hospitality and tech oriented companies in the Blockchain space. Mr. Brillembourg is a member of the Babson College Advisory Board at Babson (Wellesley, MA), where he is a Director of the SaludArte Foundation. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Babson.

Danny Hughes

EVP & President, Americas
Hilton

Danny Hughes is President of the Americas for Hilton and is based out of the company’s global headquarters in McLean, Virginia. In this role, Mr. Hughes is responsible for Hilton’s interests in the company’s largest region, spanning more than 5,620 hotels, 16 brands, and 27 countries across North, Central and South America. He is directly responsible for hotel operations and the coordination of functional leaders across development, brand management, revenue generation, human resources, communications, finance and owner relations in the region. A 35-year hospitality industry veteran, Mr. Hughes has developed a deep knowledge of the region and the business functions supporting it. His most recent role was SVP and Commercial Director in the Americas, where he led more than 4,000 Team Members and drove growth for Hilton’s portfolio of industry-leading brands. His leadership was central to strengthening the company’s revenue and distribution strategies, while delivering outstanding experiences for Hilton’s guests. Mr. Hughes also previously served as SVP, Caribbean and Latin America, where he was responsible for the operations of all Hilton-managed properties throughout the region. He has previously held the role of Area Vice President, Caribbean, Central America and Cancun, and worked in several management positions with Hilton across the globe. He currently serves on the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Board of Directors and HotelPAC Advisory Committee, the D.C. Policy Center’s Board of Directors, and is a Corporate Board Member for Jobs for America’s Graduates. Mr. Hughes received a degree in Hotel and Food Services Management from Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom. He currently resides in Vienna, Virginia.

Krissy Gathright

EVP & COO
Apple Hospitality REIT

Rob Palleschi

CEO
G6 Hospitality

Rob Palleschi is the Chief Executive Officer of G6 Hospitality, the parent company of the iconic brands Motel 6 and Studio 6. Rob joined G6 Hospitality in February 2017 as the new Chief Development Officer. In this role, Rob was responsible for leading the strategic growth of the enterprise’s franchise development group, driving forward business partnerships, and identifying ways to best leverage the company’s successful domestic platform with international growth. He successfully led G6 through year-over-year growth within franchising and also expansion into India. A seasoned leader with more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality and food & beverage industries, Rob has a proven track record of successfully developing and executing global strategies that focused on revenue growth, product quality and guest experience. Prior to G6 Hospitality, Rob served as the Chief Executive Officer of TGI Fridays and spent 12 years at Hilton Worldwide as global head of full-service brands where he was responsible for global growth and brand performance for Hilton, DoubleTree, and Curio by Hilton brands. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Rob is actively involved in key industry organizations, including AAHOA and AHLA.

Ian Carter

President, Global Development, Architecture, Design & Construction
Hilton

Ian Carter is President, Global Development, Architecture, Design & Construction for Hilton. Mr. Carter was Chief Executive Officer of Hilton International prior to its re-acquisition by the company in 2006. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Carter served as Officer and President of Black & Decker Corporation, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. In this role, he was responsible for all operations outside of the Americas. Prior to Black & Decker, Mr. Carter spent more than a decade with General Electric Plastics, ultimately serving as President of General Electric Specialty Chemical. Mr. Carter serves on multiple boards and organizations including:  Visit Florida – Member of the Board of Directors for the state’s official tourism marketing corporation which serves as a key resource for travel planning to visitors across the globe.  Boston University School of Hospitality Administration- Vice Chair of the Board of Advisors.  Board of Burberry Group plc – Non-Executive Director of the FTSE 100 British luxury fashion house, which manufactures clothing, fragrance and fashion accessories.  Del Frisco Restaurant Group (DFRG) – Chairman of the Board. DFRG owns and operates three contemporary, high-end, complementary restaurant concepts.  Dame Maureen Thomas Foundation for Young People – President of this charitable trust that raises funds to support young people in the areas of health and education across Europe. Mr. Carter is a graduate of the University of West London, School of Business and Management, and received an honorary doctorate from the University for his industry accomplishments and ongoing support of the development of future hospitality leaders.

Austin Flajser

President
Carr Companies

Austin Flajser is in charge of day-to-day operations of The Carr Companies with over 40 executive suite, hotel, commercial and retail assets under management in 8 markets across the country. These assets account for over $180M in annual operating revenue and over $200M of new projects currently in the development pipeline. Austin received his Bachelor of Science from Vanderbilt University, his Masters in Real Estate from Georgetown University and his Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management from Cornell University.

Jennifer Dakin

SVP & Team Leader, Hospitality Finance Group
Wells Fargo

Jennifer A. Dakin is a Senior Vice President and Team Leader in Wells Fargo Bank’s Hospitality Finance Group in Washington, D.C. She has 19 years of lending experience in all property types of commercial real estate and has focused primarily on the lodging space for the past nine years. Ms. Dakin started her banking career in the Corporate Management Training program at KeyBank National Association in 1997 and subsequently worked in various lines of business at KeyBank, including mezzanine finance, structured finance and loan sales and syndication. In 2002, she moved to Washington, D.C. to join the KeyBank Institutional Real Estate Finance Group where she provided financing to REITS, opportunity funds and large private real estate companies in Washington, Philadelphia and New York. In 2004, Ms. Dakin joined the Wells Fargo Bank Real Estate Banking Group where she was a commercial lender marketing all product types (office, industrial, retail, multi-family and hotels) and concentrated on customers in the greater Washington D.C. area. In 2008, Ms. Dakin helped to establish Wells Fargo’s Hospitality Finance Group and has primarily focused on East Coast customers. Since its formation, the Wells Fargo Hospitality Finance Group has hired a team of over 50 professionals who currently manage nearly an $11B in commercial loan portfolio. Her current customer base includes opportunity funds and large private real estate companies that are headquartered on the East Coast. Ms. Dakin was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She currently resides in Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. Ms. Dakin received her B.A. in Economics in 1997 from Trinity College and an M.B.A., with a concentration in Finance and International Management, in 2001 from Case Western Reserve University.

Corry Oakes

CEO & Co-Founder
OTO Development

Corry Oakes is a Founding Partner, the President and Chief Executive Officer of OTO Development. He serves on the Franchise Advisory Council for Hyatt Place by Hyatt and is the President for the AC by Marriott Advisory Council. Mr. Oakes was previously the Chief Operating Officer and President of Extended Stay America, Inc, a NYSE listed lodging chain with 475 locations, representing three national brands in 42 states. Extended Stay America, Inc. was the fastest growing owner-operated hotel chain in lodging history prior to selling to Blackstone in 2004 for over $3.1 billion dollars. Mr. Oakes had responsibility for all aspects of the development and operation of the company.

John Rutledge

Founder, President & CEO
Oxford Capital Group, Oxford Hotels & Resorts

John is the Founder, President and CEO of Oxford Capital Group, LLC, a national real estate investment and development firm focusing on large scale hospitality, mixed-use, senior housing, multifamily, urban retail, parking, and other operationally intensive forms of real estate. Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, its wholly owned management affiliate, specializes in developing, operating and branding distinctive, high design lifestyle hotels, rooftops and other food & beverage venues around the country. Oxford, its affiliates and principals have been involved in approximately $3 billion of transactions, including approximately 13,000 hotel rooms. Noted national projects include Godfrey Hotel-Hollywood, Godfrey Hotel-Boston, Metropolitan Hotel and Lexington Hotel – New York City, National Conference Center-Lansdowne, VA, Residence Inn and Spring Hill Suites in Charleston, SC, and Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas-Tampa Bay. Included in his 17 Chicago area projects (13 of which are hotels) are the recently topped off 56 story Essex on the Park luxury apartment building, and his soon to open Hotel Julian-Millennium Park. Other Chicago projects include Langham Chicago, LondonHouse Chicago, Godfrey Chicago, Hotel Essex, Hotel Felix, Hotel Cass, Hotel Versey, Claridge House, Hyatt Magnificent Mile, Renaissance North Shore, Doubletree North Shore, and Hyatt House Northwest. Additional rooftop and food and beverage venues include IO, LH, SX-Sky Bar, ALK, WTR and Spa Boutique. John and/or Oxford have been nominated for and/or won numerous awards including: Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Arthur Rubloff Humanitarian Award, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Crain’s “40 under 40” and Who’s Who, Developer of the Year, Development of the Year, Redevelopment of the Year, National Hotel Transaction of the Year, Historic Redevelopment of the Year and the Top Hotel in the Continental US. He earned a BA from The University of Michigan and an MBA from University of Chicago. He also studied at Northwestern University, Harvard Business School (YPO’s Presidents’ Program) and Oxford University (Christ Church).

Asad Kazim

Managing Director
UBS

Asad Kazim joined UBS in 2010 and is currently a Managing Director in the Real Estate, Lodging, and Leisure Group. During his career at UBS, Mr. Kazim has completed over $50 billion in M&A, equity capital markets, and debt capital markets transactions. Prior to joining UBS, Asad was a Portfolio Manager and Global Strategist at Deutsche Bank (RREEF). While at RREEF, Asad participated in over $500bn of global capital raising in the real estate, lodging and home building sectors. Asad allocated in excess of $10bn of capital across the US, Asia, Europe and Australia, investing in all sectors of real estate with a top quartile performance track record.

Mari Balestrazzi

VP, Americas Design Services
Hyatt Hotels

Mari Balestrazzi is Vice President of Americas Design Services for Hyatt Hotels Corporation where she oversees design for Hyatt's portfolio of full service brands. Prior to her role at Hyatt, Mari was Senior Vice President of Design at Morgans Hotel Group where she was responsible for overseeing all design for the company. Previously, Mari was Director of Design for St. Regis Hotels at Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Studio Director for Aero Studios Limited in New York City where she oversaw new construction and renovation projects for both private residences and commercial projects, including 60 Thompson and Giorgio Armani’s private residence in New York.

Rani Gharbié

VP of Development and Acquisitions - North America
Virgin Hotels

Rani oversees Virgin Hotels growth in North America and works closely with capital partners and strategic investors to increase management agreements and equity positions for new and existing properties. Rani was most recently the Principal at Cedar Funds, a New York City based hotel and real estate development and investment firm with a focus on progressive hotel assets. Prior to launching Cedar Funds, he worked in key positions in the hotel and real estate industries for over 19 years. He was regional Director of Development MEA, with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), where he was responsible for actively expanding IHG’s premier hotel brands, including InterContinental, Hotel Indigo, and Holiday Inn. In this position, he oversaw and contributed to the growth of 19 hotels worth over $1.8 B in real estate value. Prior to IHG, Mr. Gharbié worked for Jones Lang LaSalle where he advised key clients on real estate investment and development projects valued at $4.2 B. Rani is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Master in Real Estate program in New York. He holds a Master degree from that program, an MBA from the HEC Business School in Montréal, a Bachelor degree in Hotel Management from the Glion Hotel School in Switzerland, and a Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management from Cornell University in New York.

David Bowd

CEO
Salt Hotels

David started his ground-up career holding various positions for hospitality giants, Hilton and Marriott in his native U.K. before taking his first General Manager position in 2001 for Thistle Hotels. Three years later, David was recruited by then Ian Schrager Hotels as General Manager of St Martins Lane in London. Quickly thereafter in 2004, David was promoted to Regional Vice President for Europe overseeing both Sanderson and St Martins Lane where he successfully worked on repositioning Sanderson as a market leader. In just two years the hotel was voted “2006 hippest hotel in Europe” by TripAdvisor readers and travel experts, while Travel Weekly pronounced it one of the coolest brands in the UK. David’s successful work in London led to his promotion to Senior Vice President of Operations at the corporate offices in New York. In this position, he oversaw the day-to-day operations for eleven Morgans Hotel Group properties comprised of 3073 rooms. In 2009, David assumed the role of Managing Director at The Ian Schrager Company. Working directly with Ian, David developed the operational structure for two new brand concepts and oversaw the sale and handover of the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York. Most recently David was the Chief Operating Officer for Andre Balazs Properties, a position he held from 2011-2014. Aside from directly supporting the company’s founder Andre Balazs, he oversaw the management of nine uniquely positioned hotels including the Standard brand and the iconic Mercer in New York, Chateau Marmont in Hollywood and opened the highly- acclaimed Firehouse in London. In 2014 David launched Salt Hotels with his partner Kevin O’Shea and is currently The Chief Executive overseeing the 4 hotels located in Provincetown - Cape Cod, Shelter Island - New York and Asbury Park – New Jersey. Salt Hotels has a further 3 hotels under development. Salt’s properties have received worldwide critical acclaim from leading travel experts and publications including; Condé Nast Traveler’s Hot List, The World’s Greatest Hotels, Boston Magazine “Best of Boston” Travel and Leisure IT List, USA Today best new Hotel in America.. In 2016 David entered a Joint Venture with Williams Sonoma Inc. to form west elm Hotels. David is a principal of the company and is responsible for Culture, Employee & Guest Experience and works hand in hand with the west elm design team to create unique hotel experiences in each location. west elm Hotels currently have 5 hotels in development in Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Charlotte and Portland ME.

Michael Blank

Principal
Woodmont Lodging

Michael L. Blank is a Principal at Woodmont Lodging. Mr. Blank has over 20 years of lodging industry experience including real estate investments, capital markets, hospitality and tourism consulting and hotel operations. Prior to co-founding Woodmont Lodging in 2015, Mr. Blank was an executive at RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE: RLJ) where he had portfolio analysis, transaction, and corporate finance responsibilities. Most recently, Mr. Blank managed the company's Business Intelligence function, which was responsible for portfolio data analysis. During his tenure at RLJ, Mr. Blank formalized and expanded RLJ’s business analytic function, enhancing the data collection and reporting processes of over 125 hotels and 16 different management companies. Mr. Blank also held positions in Asset Management with oversight of a portfolio of focused-service Marriott and Hilton branded hotels and in Investment and Portfolio Analysis underwriting over $2.4 billion in potential lodging transactions. Additionally, he managed the successful closing of multiple acquisitions and dispositions. Prior to joining RLJ in 2010, Mr. Blank worked in acquisitions and dispositions at Host Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: HST) and in equity research at FBR Capital Markets covering publicly-traded lodging REITs. Mr. Blank also had roles at PKF Consulting and at the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel. Mr. Blank earned his undergraduate degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University and earned his MBA from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Mr. Blank has served as a guest lecturer at both Georgetown University and American University.

Roger Hill II

CEO
The Gettys Group

With the guiding mantra of “beautiful design is good business,” Roger co-founded The Gettys Group with Andrew Fay in 1988. He now leads the development strategy and analysis for this award-winning and influential global hospitality design, procurement, branding and consulting firm. A true hospitality visionary, Roger’s vision and forward-thinking approach has grown The Gettys Group into a global company with six offices in the U.S., Asia Pacific and the Middle East. He frequently shares his industry insights on the redevelopment, renovation and repositioning of hotels for various publications and organizations. A graduate of Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Roger’s vast knowledge, combined with his civic work with such groups as the Urban Land Institute, the International Society for Hospitality Consultants and the White House Conference Delegate for Small Business, has earned him Hospitality Design Magazine’s prestigious Platinum Circle Award, an honor widely recognized for praising exceptional achievement in the hospitality design industry.

Jason Fudin

Co-Founder & CEO
Placemakr

Jason Fudin is the CEO and Co-Founder of Placemakr (formerly WhyHotel), based in Washington D.C. Placemakr is a venture-backed platform that operates at the intersection of hospitality and multifamily real estate. With its pop-up hotels, it operates furnished, transient stays out of the vacancy of newly built luxury apartments during the lease-up phase. With its hospitality living buildings, it operates assets as a mix of multifamily and hospitality on a permanent basis with the ability to flex the inventory between both uses. Prior to Placemakr, Jason was the VP of Strategic Initiatives at Vornado Realty Trust where he worked on developing innovative commercial real estate concepts for the organization. Over his career, Jason has managed commercial real estate development projects valued at over $2 billion and has worked in real estate development, acquisitions, and capital markets. He has his B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Management from McGill University and his M.S. in Finance and Real Estate from American University.

Fran Taloricco

Managing Director, East Coast
Best Western

Fran Taloricco started in hotel operations after graduating from Penn State (B.S. – Economics) in May of 1991 joining Coakley & Williams, a Washington DC based hotel Management Company. Fran served as a Director of Sales for a 171 room hotel in suburban Philadelphia for 2 years. In 1993, he then joined HFS (Hospitality Franchise Systems), today known as Wyndham Hotels in the capacity of Director of Franchise Sales representing the Ramada, Days Inn and Howard Johnson brands in the Mid-Atlantic area of the US. In 1995, he joined Choice Hotels International as a Director of Franchise Sales representing the Clarion, Quality Inn, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands in the Mid-Atlantic US. In 2001, he was promoted to Regional Vice President of Franchise Sales overseeing the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic US sales teams. In 2013, he joined Roedel Companies, a hotel specific construction and ownership group as Vice President of Development assisting the principals in acquiring hotels and soliciting hotel projects for renovation and construction. In 2014, he was recruited by Best Western to join their North American Development Team and in 2 and a half years, closed 37 hotel contracts. In the Summer of 2017, he was promoted to Managing Director for the East Coast and now manages the 8 person staff that covers the Eastern US and the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. Additionally, he started a bicycle shop in the fall of 2011 that today now employs 6 people and has annual sales of over a million dollars. His business has been named the top bicycle retailer in Bucks County 5 consecutive years. In 2017, he was recognized by the regional newspaper (Daily Intelligencer) as one of the most influential local business leaders for the year.

Simon Hunter

Partner & Chief Innovation Officer
CO OP

Simon combines more than 30 years of communications expertise with a focus on providing business guidance for clients. He has worked on a bewilderingly wide range of clients in the U.S., Europe and globally in categories including hospitality, real estate, travel, and food and beverage. Simon brings knowledge and inspiration from various disciplines to bring innovation to destination brands – CO OP’s unique strategic approach to brand creation. As Partner and Chief Innovation Officer, Simon is charged with executive oversight for strategic deliverables on all projects. At CO OP he has been the lead behind nearly every hospitality project, working on rationalizing global brands and creating innovative local hero brands. Simon began his career in advertising in London where he was responsible for a bewildering range of projects from Nestle’s beverage NPD program to globalizing Viagra, from creating new beer brands to reviving traditional fashion companies, from exotic destinations to pragmatic car rental services. In every category, Simon seeks to unlock the full potential of brands by identifying opportunities others overlook.

Greg O’Stean

Chief Development Officer - North America
Interstate Hotels & Resorts

Greg O’Stean is the Chief Development Officer - North America for Interstate Hotels & Resorts. Greg is responsible for driving overall business growth across North America. Prior to joining Interstate, Greg held executive roles with Loews Hotels, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Piper Jaffray, GE Capital, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Greg is a proven hotel industry leader, with a rich history of delivering exceptional results and leading teams to achieve extraordinary growth. A global leader in third-party hotel management, Interstate Hotels & Resorts’ depth of experience across all lodging segments and asset classes drives results in each of its managed hotels worldwide. For more information on Interstate Hotels & Resorts, visit www.InterstateHotels.com.

Dan Thorman

SVP, Development
Aimbridge Hospitality

Dilip Petigara

CEO
Access Point Financial

Dilip Petigara serves as chief executive officer. He has more than 23 years of experience in both the hospitality and finance industries. Petigara joined Access Point Financial from a real estate and capital advisory service firm which focused on hospitality. Prior to his advisory role, he served as senior vice president of Specialty Finance Group (SFG). His responsibilities included management of loan operations, internal credit approval, closing/funding and asset management with specific focus on support to participations, syndications and reporting to warehouse lenders. Prior to SFG, Petigara served as assistant vice president and senior underwriter at GMAC Commercial Mortgage – Asset Backed Lending Division. Petigara has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from Temple University, a Juris Doctor degree from Widener University School of Law and a Master of Laws degree in Taxation from the University of Miami – School of Law.

​Matt Wexler

Managing Partner
Foxhall Partners

Matt Wexler is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Foxhall Partners. Mr. Wexler oversees Foxhall's acquisition activities, asset management, community & neighborhood partnerships and debt and equity relationships. Mr. Wexler has over fifteen years of experience in commercial real estate acquisitions, joint ventures and mixed-use development in the Washington, DC market. Previously, Mr. Wexler was Vice President of Investments at the Bethesda, MD office of CIM Group. Mr. Wexler also served as a Senior Investment Analyst for The JBG Companies, a Chevy Chase, MD-based development firm, where he started his career in commercial real estate. Matt is a member of the D.C. Real Estate Group and the Urban Land Institute, which has invited him to speak at its fall annual meeting, its capital markets interchange and a panel on Adams Morgan neighborhood investment. He is also a board member of the Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District as well as the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management alumni club of Washington. Mr. Wexler holds a B.A., graduating Magna Cum Laude and with distinction, from Cornell University and an M.B.A. in Real Estate and Finance from the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management.

Will Obeid

Head of Hospitality
Kushner Companies

Will Obeid is VP & Head of Hospitality at Kushner Companies. In this role, Mr. Obeid pursues hotel acquisition and development opportunities in urban and leisure markets across the United States. Prior to joining Kushner, Mr. Obeid was President & CEO of Gemini Real Estate Advisors LLC. At Gemini, Mr. Obeid grew the company’s portfolio to include $1.5 billion of assets in the retail and hospitality sectors. Gemini’s hospitality assets included full-service, upper-upscale, and select-service hotels in New York City, Boston, and Miami Beach. Mr. Obeid also created and launched two original boutique hotel brands – The Gem and The Jade. Earlier in his career, Mr. Obeid worked as an investment banker at CitiGroup Smith Barney, and The Blackstone Group. Mr. Obeid graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Bob Mannon

VP, Development
LodgeWorks Partners

Steve Solomon

Member
Friedlander Misler

Steve joined Friedlander Misler in 2016. He has more than thirty years of experience representing clients in connection with sophisticated commercial transactions with an emphasis in hospitality, real estate and finance. Steve was in-house counsel for Marriott International, Inc. for five years where he represented the hotel operations group for two years and the hotel development group for three years. During his time at Marriott, Steve was the lead attorney in connection with nearly one hundred hotel acquisition projects, specializing in select service transactions. In addition, Steve handled all of the legal work in connection with the creation of Marriott’s frequent traveler program, drafted the revised version of the Marriott hotel franchise agreement and negotiated all of the Marriott Hotel telecommunication and computer acquisition agreements. Steve also negotiated numerous hotel management agreements for both Marriott full service and limited service hotels. After joining three of Washington, DC’s most respected law firms, Steve formed his own law firm and established a residential real estate settlement company, which has been consistently ranked as one of the top five settlement companies in the Washington, Maryland and Virginia area. He specializes in complex transactions and crafting creative solutions to difficult problems. He represents real estate developers, lenders, hotel developers and management companies and is recognized for his negotiation of hotel and restaurant franchise and management agreements. In addition, Steve drafts and negotiates joint venture and operating agreements for diverse ownership structures. He also negotiates debt, preferred equity and mezzanine finance agreements in an array of real estate and hotel transactions. Steve has spoken at various conferences regarding hotel transactions, franchise agreements and management agreements. He has guest lectured on the topic of distressed hotel properties at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Steve served as a board of director member for the Washington Hebrew Home. He has been actively involved with the Winston Churchill High School PTSA. Steve also coached basketball for several select youth teams.

Mark Lomanno

Partner
Kalibri Labs

Mark Lomanno is a Partner and Senior Advisor for Kalibri Labs, a hospitality data analytics company that focuses on helping hotels improve profit contribution by evaluating performance based on revenue net of customer acquisition costs. In addition he advises several start-up and investment companies in the hospitality and data space, including Duetto Research, Aspire Marketing, Venturism and FireLight Camps, where he also sits on the Board of Directors. In that role he takes an active role in helping to shape the respective company’s strategic direction, creating and enhancing new research solutions and building relationships with hospitality brands, owners and operators. Lomanno is the former President and CEO of Smith Travel Research (STR), the hotel industry’s global lodging authority on current trends in hotel supply, demand, occupancy, average room rates and RevPar. Under Lomanno’s leadership, the number of hotels sending performance data to and subscribing to the various STR product offerings grew to tens of thousands of hotels globally, representing over 5 million hotel rooms. During his tenure, STR and STR Global became the world’s foremost and most reliable and accurate sources of historical lodging performance trends, global hotel census databases and hotel development and construction databases. In 2011, Lomanno co-authored “Distribution Channel Analysis: A Guide for Hotels”, which is believed to be the most comprehensive study on the lodging industry’s on-line environment. This study was the culmination of research on distribution practices, the distribution landscape and hotel performance based on booking channel mix. Specific attention was focused on various aspects of hotel Internet bookings including rooms booked through the various OTC sites. In addition, the study also focused on the nature of the search process that consumers undertake prior to booking hotel rooms, and the price they pay for the room. Prior to distribution, study results were delivered at two leading hotel industry conferences, The International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show (“IHMRS”) held in New York, NY in November 2011 and the Americas Lodging and Investment Summit, held in Los Angeles, CA. in January 2012. Thereafter, over 20,000 copies of the over 200 page report were downloaded in the first 2 weeks of availability. Mr. Lomanno serves on the advisory board of The School of Tourism & Hospitality Management at Temple University, where he also teaches a graduate level course entitled “New media and Distribution”. In addition, he serves on the advisory board of The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University, The School of Hospitality at The Pennsylvania State University, and University of Delaware’s school Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. Mr. Lomanno is a named Research Fellow at Cornell University, an active member in the Hotel Development Council of the Urban Land Institute and is a named Conti Professor at Pennsylvania State University. Because of his in-depth understanding and knowledge of current industry issues Mr. Lomanno is asked to give numerous speeches at industry conferences, industry seminars and company meetings throughout the year. Mr. Lomanno holds an MS degree in Marketing from LaSalle University and an MBA from Temple University. He lives in Cape May, NJ with his wife and is an avid Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies fan. Mark’s favorite quote: “Well done is always more important than well said” - unknown