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.

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.

In a global hotel, hospitality and luxury travel industry increasingly defined by the need to intelligently and creatively differentiate lifestyle, design, and boutique hotel brands, Niki Leondakis stands out as a genuinely innovative CEO, thought leader and architect of cultural transformation. From her keynote presentations on branding ... to her work with celebrity chefs on breakthrough Food & Beverage (F&B), bar and nightclub concepts at Kimpton ... to her ability to adeptly lead, strategize, and deploy a multi-brand platform of global hotels and resorts worldwide ... her efforts have shaped a wide array of customer-centric hospitality products and services. She is especially skilled at understanding hotel customers and accommodating the needs of those ranging from tech-savvy millennial business travelers who want an intimate, fun hotel, to Boomers who crave unqualified luxury with a personal touch. She was the first hospitality CEO to implement an interactive text-based communications and check-in system for all guests, leading to high guest satisfaction. Niki is also highly respected for her strong focus on workplace quality, diversity and cultural enrichment, consistently earning national accolades as one of Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Places to Work" and Bay Area's "Most Admired CEOs." In addition to serving as an involved Chairman Emeritus and current Board member who chairs the Strategic Planning Committee and Finance Committees for the worldwide "Dress for Success" social service non-profit, she serves as Director Emeritus for the National Restaurant Association (NRA), where she Initiated and chaired the Environmental Task Force and launched an industry-leading environmental program. As a conference keynoter, Niki speaks widely on addressing brand challenges in travel technology, hospitality and luxury goods, as well as on "Leadership and Building High-Performing Workplace Cultures."

Robert Olson is the founder of R.D. Olson Development, an Irvine, California-based firm engaged in the development and repositioning 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 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 recently 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.

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.

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.

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).

Allie is responsible for setting and implementing Virgin Hotels’ global growth strategy. Allie’s primary responsibilities include identifying properties in key markets, 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 on a team that completed 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, was named Southern California Real Estate “Woman of Influence” in 2007, and is the co-chair of the Dean’s Young Advisory Board for Cornell Hotel School.

Jason joined YOTEL in 2012 to lead the company’s aggressive global growth and development strategy. He heads the acquisitions and development teams responsible for securing new YOTEL projects in key city centres and international airports in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. He also manages the design and construction teams responsible for working with YOTEL’s owners and development partners to deliver and evolve the concept as the brand expands. Currently, YOTEL has signed over USD $1.5 billion worth of hotel development projects representing over 3,000 keys set to open by 2018 in markets such as Dubai, Singapore, Paris, London, Geneva, Miami, San Francisco and Boston.

Jason joined from Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, where he served in senior roles in acquisitions & development, corporate finance & strategy and real estate investment management. During his tenure at Kimpton, Jason managed acquisitions, dispositions, recapitalizations and financings on behalf of Kimpton’s discretionary private equity real estate funds. Prior to Kimpton, Jason was part of the founding team at the start-up luxury destination club, One Key, and began his professional career as a consultant with Ernst & Young in their Transaction Real Estate & Hospitality group.

Over his career, Jason has been involved in over $6 billion of hospitality transactions and is passionate about hospitality entrepreneurship, serving as an advisor to institutionally backed technology start-ups and investors. Jason received his bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University where he remains involved in the Center for Real Estate and Finance as well as the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship.

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.

Kevin Brickner, senior vice president, franchise sales and development, is responsible for creating and executing the franchise sales and development strategy in the eastern region of North America for Wyndham Hotel Group’s 15 hotel brands including well-known names like Ramada®, Days Inn®, Super 8®, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham®, Howard Johnson® and Travelodge®, among others. He was appointed to his current position in 2015 after serving the company as vice president, franchise development, responsible for implementing Wyndham Hotel Group’s development strategy, and overseeing the retention and relicensing efforts in the U.S. and Canada.

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.

Bill is a seasoned hospitality industry executive with over 30 years of industry experience. He has been involved with the TAO Group for over five years and is responsible for leadership development of the senior management team. As COO, Bill is the gatekeeper of the Guest Experience and the groups' profitability. He is responsible for the adherence to all standards and acts as the steward of the TAO Group culture. Bill's focus is on operational excellence, incremental improvement of profitability and the continued development of the senior management team. Prior to joining the TAO Group, Bill was a managing partner in the Carmine's restaurant group and came up through the ranks in management at The '21' Club and Elio's restaurant. Bill studied art and literature at Bennington College from 1979-1981 and completed the Executive Training Program at Cornell University in 1991.

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.

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 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.

Timothy Haskin is a Partner and Senior Managing Director of AECOM Capital and is on the investments team, joining the firm in 2013. He focuses on all AECOM Capital investments and identifying, structuring, and negotiating complex development and value-add projects. He has an extensive background in real estate finance, with over 39 years of experience and expertise in developing, financing and repositioning large-scale real estate projects.

Previously, Haskin was the Founder and President of Peninsula Real Estate LLC, a New York City based real estate investment fund focused on value add investments. Prior to Peninsula, Haskin was a Partner and Managing Director and Executive Vice President of Tishman Hotel and Realty Corporation for 13 years. He was responsible for acquisitions and capital raising for the company’s substantial principal investments, including the Westin New York Hotel at Times Square and E-Walk Retail on 42nd Street, and was involved in closing over $5 billion of transactions.

Haskin holds a Bachelor in Business Administration with certificates in Real Estate and Finance from Southern Methodist University, Edwin L. Cox School of Business. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and has been a guest lecturer at various academic institutions.

Mr. John T. Livingston serves as the Chief Executive Officer of AECOM Capital at AECOM Technology Corporation, AECOM and AECOM Canada Limited. He serves as Chief Executive of AECOM Capital at Tishman Construction Corporation. Mr. Livingston serves as the President at Tishman Realty & Construction Co., Inc. He oversees the overall business operations of AECOM's Construction Services group and is responsible for business planning and executing strategy for the business line and its more than 2,300 professionals. He is responsible for the day-to-day operation of TCC, as well as AECOM's Program Management Construction Management (PMCM) practice in the U.S. and the Middle East; as the cost management consulting services of Davis Langdon, an AECOM company, in North America. He is 27-year veteran of the construction, finance and real estate industries in both the public and private sectors. He also serves as the President at Tishman Urban Development Corporation (TUDC). Previously, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Construction Services at AECOM Technology Corporation. He joined AECOM in July 2010. He is an adjunct professor for Columbia University's School of Business and for its master's in real estate program. He has lectured at prestigious universities such as Cornell University, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania. He served as the President of Corporate Operations at Tishman Construction Corporation and served as its President of New York since May 2004. In the mid 90s, he supervised the restoration of the historic New Amsterdam Theatre for the Walt Disney Company. Prior to joining Tishman in 1994, he was a Partner of The Linpro Company, overseeing its development activities in New York and Connecticut where he supervised the development and construction of the Federal Office Building at Foley Square and was responsible for the master planning of the New Penn Station proposed for the Farley U.S. Post Office Building. Earlier, he served as an Executive Vice President of Development for the New York City Public Development Corporation (now Economic Development Corporation). He has also held positions in the real estate departments of New England Mutual Life Insurance Company and VMS Realty, Inc

Michael Dean serves as chief development officer, Americas, for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, responsible for growing the brand sthrough franchise development and management agreements. Previously he was Managing Director at GE Capital where he played a pivotal role in creating the franchise finance division hotel construction lending program. In this role he worked closely with all of the major international hotel franchise companies designing finance programs targeted to their ownership base.After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Hotel Management at Florida International University in Miami. Michael worked at Hyatt,Marriott, and IHG hotels before starting Rockgate Management Company. He served as a partner and CEO of this international ownership and management company. He then served in strategic roles with both Saratoga Hotel Group and Intell Management & Investments.Through his numerous industry speaking engagements, he is a frequent contributor to both charitable and industry equality initiatives.Michael splits time together with his wife Lisa and their children Samantha and Thomas between NY, AZ and MN.

With a legacy of more than 40 y ears of real estate and

hospitality experience, Dave Johnstone, McWhinney’s Chief

Investment Officer - Hospitality, is responsible for acquisitions,

developments, asset management and dispositions.

Specifically, he creates and executes business strategies

associated with all hospitality-related acquisitions and

development.

His career began in 1979 in the Windy City at Laventhol and

Horwath, a hospitality accounting and consulting firm, before

moving in 1981 to open their Denver office. He then served as

an Investment Manager for Prudential Property Company in

Atlanta, GA in 1987, where he was responsible for an equity

portfolio of hotel properties located in the Southeastern United

States. He then joined Sage Hospitality in 1989, where he

served as Principal for the Denver-based, nation-wide owner/

operator of hotels. In 1996 he departed for Hong Kong, and

his role as Vice President, Development for the Asia/Pacific

region at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, a subsidiary of

Marriott International, Inc., where he negotiated operating,

management and technical services contracts for new hotel

projects. In his final role before joining McWhinney in 2015,

Dave joined Miller Global Properties, LLC, a real estate pension

fund advisory firm, in 1998 , where he developed and acquired

hotels throughout the United States.

Passionate about creating new destinations with endless

possibilities in the ever-changing world of hospitality, Dave is

driven by the numerous opportunities McWhinney discovers.

He continues to give back to the industry that has shaped his

professional life by serving on university boards and councils,

as a guest lecturer and authoring several articles and book

chapters on industry related topics

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.

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.

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).

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.

With her extensive history in the industry and keen understanding of the markets, Suzanne R. Mellen, MAI, CRE, FRICS, ISHC, sets new standards for hospitality and gaming valuation.

Suzanne is the Senior Managing Director of Consulting & Valuation for HVS San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles offices, and HVS Gaming Services. She has unparalleled experience, having appraised thousands of hotels, gaming assets, and related real estate throughout the world over the past 35 years. She specializes in complex hotel and casino feasibility issues and is nationally recognized for her industry expertise. In 2012 and 2013, she led the valuation of several high-profile multi-billion dollar hotel portfolios. In that time she also developed an expertise in the valuation of casinos for assessment purposes and recently testified as an expert witness in one of the nation’s largest casino property tax cases.

Suzanne opened the second office of HVS in 1985, locating in San Francisco to expand the firm’s hospitality valuation services to the West Coast. She also led HVS’ expansion to Las Vegas (2009) and Los Angeles (2013). She has grown her practice from that of a solo practitioner to a current staff of 20; offices under her leadership are renowned for excellence and integrity. Suzanne has also developed innovative appraisal methodologies such as a mortgage-equity income capitalization formula for variable income properties, a refinancing model for hotel investments, and a methodology for valuing the real property component of casinos in Pennsylvania, where gaming has been newly established. As an in-demand presenter for conferences throughout the United States, Suzanne has spoken at numerous industry events that include annual appearances at JMBM’s Meet the Money and the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS).

Suzanne holds the following designations: MAI (Appraisal Institute), CRE (Counselor of Real Estate), FRICS (Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), and ISHC (International Society of Hospitality Consultants). Her professional experience includes consulting and appraisal positions with HVS New York, Morgan Guaranty Trust, Laventhol & Horwath, and Helmsley-Spear Hospitality Services, Inc. in New York City and Harley-Little Associates in Toronto, Canada. She gained her operational experience at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Suzanne earned her B.S. degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.

Barbara Morrison is a business and civic leader. A small business advocate. And a changemaker. She and her well-

trained team ensure small-business owners can step onto the path of property ownership and business expansion.

Small-Business Advocate

As the founder, chief executive officer, and president of TMC Financing (TMC), a Certified Development

Company (CDC), Ms. Morrison works closely with the Small Business Administration 504 (SBA 504) program to

secure funding for business owners to purchase commercial real estate; often, in the exact building they lease

from a landlord.

To date, TMC has facilitated and secured more than $10 billion in funding for real estate projects in California and

Nevada and Arizona, its designated service region. As a result, 6,000 businesses were able to create and retain

60,000 jobs throughout the region. In 2021, TMC earned the top rank as the nation’s number one SBA 504 lender

in the nation.

Serial Entrepreneur

In 1981, Ms. Morrison created TMC to provide a clear and accessible roadmap for small-business owners to the

SBA 504 loan program. Building on TMC's success, Ms. Morrison sought more in-depth solutions to address the

needs of start-ups, women, minority, and low-income businesses unable to

obtain conventional financing.

In 1999, Working Solutions debuted to a welcoming audience; In 2009, it

became a designated Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

In early 2019, TMC Community Capital joined the Morrison family of

companies, launching as an online, nonprofit microlender for under-served and

resourced business owners. With emphasis on lower-income women

entrepreneurs, Ms. Morrison and her team are closing in on lending inequality.

Business to Public Service to Business

Early in her career, Barbara Morrison spent two years on the institutional trading desk of a regional investment

bank. In mayor Dianne Feinstein's administration, Ms. Morrison became the deputy director of the Mayor's Office

of Economic Development and developed the city's Small Business Administration (SBA) program. She also

served as a former mayor and city council member in Belvedere, California.

Among award recognitions: Financial Woman, San Francisco, Financial Woman of the Year for 2012; San

Francisco Business Times’ "Northern California Real Estate Women of Influence Hall of Fame”; Marin County

Women's Hall of Fame; TMC recognized for four years as San Francisco Business Times’ "Bay Area Best Places

to Work"; SBA's "Small Business Advocate Award"; and the Arthur Goodman Achievement and Diversity award.

Education

Barbara Morrison earned her Master of Public Policy from California State University, San Francisco, and a

Bachelor of Political Science and History from the University of Vermont.

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.

Javier Cano is Vice President and Market General Manager for The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE, as well as the Courtyard and Residence Inn Los Angeles L.A. LIVE. Born in Los Angeles, Cano brings more than 38 years of hospitality experience to his role, with 36 of those years spent in The Ritz-Carlton and Marriott International family. As vice president and market general manager, Cano has been instrumental in advocating the ongoing renaissance of downtown Los Angeles and Marriott’s position within this burgeoning market. He currently oversees all aspects of hotel operations for the L.A. LIVE properties, including sales, guest relations, housekeeping, maintenance, finances, and staff development.

Before joining the opening team at L.A. LIVE, Cano served as the general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii, overseeing all aspects of the 548-room, AAA Five Diamond resort for nearly five years. Prior to that, he served as the area general manager for the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel, and in 2001, was named “General Manager of the Year” for the Western Region. This marked the second time Cano was awarded this title; he was also the Western Region’s “General Manager of the Year” in 1999 while at the Marina Beach Marriott. In 2012, Cano received the prestigious “General Manager of the Year” award, recognizing his leadership at L.A. LIVE among Marriott and Ritz-Carlton properties throughout the Americas, Caribbean and Canada.

An active and committed community leader involved with numerous charity efforts, Cano led the L.A. LIVE hotels to receive the “Alice S. Marriott Award for Community Service” in both 2012 and 2014. During his tenure with the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel, the property was recognized with a “Spirit to Serve” award given by Marriott International for outstanding community service. Additionally, in 2001 he was named “Volunteer of the Year” for Los Angeles County by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors for his work on several educational and service-oriented boards.

Cano has served on the board of the local convention and visitor’s bureau (CVB) in essentially every city in which he has lived, and was instrumental with the creation of the Marina del Rey CVB. He is currently active with the Los Angeles Tourism Convention Bureau, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Collins College of Hospitality Management Board, Los Angeles Rotary Club California Hospital Medical Center Foundation and Los Angeles Tourism Marketing District. Cano also is honored to be part of Marriott’s General Manager Advisory Committee, providing mentorship and counsel for property leadership throughout the brand.

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.

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.

Todd leads entitlement, design and construction for Lowe in Southern California, currently leading the redevelopment of the 950-room Town & County Resort in Mission Hills. He has played a primary role in some of Lowe’s most successful projects including Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes and the San Diego County Operations Center. Previously, Todd was with Design Workshop in Jackson Hole, designing and entitling complex mixed-use and hospitality developments. Todd sits on the NAIOP San Diego Board of Directors and Kearny Mesa Planning Group. He was chosen for the CCASLA Award of Merit and the SBBEC Southern California Environmental Developmental Leadership Award. Todd enjoys surfing and spending time with his family enjoying nature. Education: University of British Columbia School of Architecture, BLA

Highly effective business leader with over 15 years' experience operating at Board level; strong influencing and advocacy skills; strategic thinker delivering economic development and lobbying campaigns; successful revenue raiser and company spokesperson; able to balance commercial imperatives with corporate responsibility; excited by the global retail and real estate sectors; enthusiastic and committed to lead teams to achieve bottom line and award winning results.

Swinerton Senior Vice President and Region Manager Ray Haj is responsible for the overall vision, financials, and management of all operations totaling over $2.0 billion annually within Swinerton's Southern California and Hawaii Region. Ray manages 1,600 Swinerton employees within this region.

Ray is responsible for the oversight and success of the entire region. His focus with his core team in recent years has been developing a Best-in-Class culture, client relationships, establishing a diverse market portfolio, and leading and managing rapid business growth as a master builder. Recently Ray's primary focus has been on building a shared vision and leading succession planning to ensure Swinerton's continuous success in the future years, led by the rise of the next generation of leaders.

Ray has nearly 30 years of experience in the construction industry (22 years with Swinerton), with a Master's Degree in Engineering Management from Brigham Young University, a Master's Degree in Project Management from the University Centre of Business Administration in Vicenza, Italy, and a Bachelor's of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Brigham Young University. Ray first worked with a top Italian contractor overseas before joining the Swinerton Los Angeles office in early 2001.

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 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 Stanford Law School and 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.

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.

Tom has more than 25 years of professional experience as an architect, serving as the design and entitlements lead on a variety of building scales and project types, predominantly focused on urban markets. Tom has deep experience in several market sectors, including large-scale mixed use; multi-family residential; pre-development services; and branded resort, residential and hospitality projects. Evident throughout his portfolio is his focused effort in coordinating a variety of domestic and international sustainability standards, introducing clients to innovative green technologies and incorporating local cultures and lifestyles to fully realize unique, relevant and responsible design. What excites Tom about design is the process itself. “The dynamics of the team approach to design, being around creative people and leading the effort to blend diverse viewpoints and backgrounds into unique and cohesive ideas, is my focus,” says Tom.

Adam Lair oversees the firm's California practice with Suzanne Mellen, 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.

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.

A well-known and venerated industry veteran, Richard Millard was at the helm of Trust Hospitality for over three decades before joining Highgate to lead business development and owner relations efforts in the region. 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,” Richard continues to guide Trust’s development and growth.

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.

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.

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.