John T.A. Vanderslice is global head of Hilton Worldwide’s luxury and lifestyle brands – Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, and Canopy by Hilton – and leads each brand’s development strategies, operations and product innovation, training and culture, and global marketing initiatives.

Vanderslice joined Hilton Worldwide in September 2009 and now oversees 50 luxury and lifestyle properties located in the world’s most sought-after and desired leisure and business destinations. Prior to his role with Hilton Worldwide, he has worked at such notable companies as Club Med, Inc. and Kraft General Foods.

Vanderslice previously served as president and CEO of Club Med Americas, operator of more than 65 leisure resorts around the world, where he led Club Med's operations in North and South America. He was credited with successfully integrating Club Med's marketing and commercial activities, finance and operations while repositioning the all-inclusive resorts as upscale destinations.

Prior to joining Club Med, Inc., Vanderslice served as CEO for Miraval Spa in Tucson, Ariz., and was instrumental in transforming the 13-year old spa into a top-ranked lifestyle resort.

Vanderslice has also held executive positions with Triarc Restaurant Group, Fort Lauderdale, and its subsidiaries, including Arby's and T.J. Cinnamons, Inc. Prior to that, he served in a leadership capacity overseeing legacy brands and new product introductions for Kraft General Foods.

A leader in the business community, Vanderslice has served on the boards of the Bethesda Hospital Foundation in Boynton Beach, Fla., and Junior Achievement of White Plains, NY.

Vanderslice received a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College School of Management.

Mr. Gray, based in San Francisco, is a Partner and one of the founders of Rockwood. Mr. Gray has 28 years of experience in the real estate industry. Mr. Gray serves on various portfolio management and investment committees as well as on Rockwood's Investment Strategy and Research committee (as chairman) and Human Capital Committee.

Mr. Gray has overall responsibility for managing Rockwood's acquisition activities, including personnel located in the firm's three offices. Mr. Gray's specific responsibilities include overseeing the selection of markets, projects and partners, and the negotiation and structuring of transactions. As chairman of Rockwood's investment strategy and research committee, Mr. Gray plays in key role in the development of the firm's real estate investment strategy.

Prior to the formation of Rockwood, Mr. Gray worked with Bechtel Investments (now known as the Fremont Group) where he was responsible for originating and underwriting new real estate investment opportunities in the western United States and handling general asset management of Bechtel's real estate portfolio. He also spent time with Standard Realty and Development (a subsidiary of Union Pacific Realty), where his responsibilities included management of industrial and land development projects and portfolio management of the western U.S. region.

Mr. Gray received a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California in Berkeley, CA. Mr. Gray is a member of the Urban Land Institute, Pension Real Estate Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers, Fisher Center at U.C. Berkeley, Stanford Real Estate Council, Lambda Alpha International, as well as various other industry organizations.

Since becoming President and CEO, Joe D’Alessandro has driven San Francisco Travel to adopt the city’s ethos of community, innovation, and openness.

Joe led the creation of San Francisco’s Tourism Improvement District, grew visitation to San Francisco by nearly 30%, completed a massive expansion of its convention center, and rebranded the association, charting an ambitious course for its next 100 years.

Joe also serves on the executive committees for U.S. Travel and Visit California. He was inducted into US Travel’s Hall of Leaders in 2020 and awarded the 2020 Destination Organization Leadership Award by Destinations International.

He was also named 2014’s Most Admired CEO by The San Francisco Business Times.

A highly energetic, highly spirited, innovative professional with 25 years of executive management experience who enjoys the challenge of working in an exciting, entrepreneurial-focused organization with a team environment. Excellent leadership, marketing, organization and communication skills. Perceptive problem-solver able to evaluate trends quickly and respond promptly. Able to provide the strategic vision and tactical ability to maximize shareholder value, enhance P&L scenario, build dedicated teams, and penetrate competitive markets. Through experience and educational pursuits, recognized as a leader in sales, marketing, general management as well as resort and hotel development.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (2006-Present)

Area Vice President, Lodging Development

Director, Development Planning & Feasibility

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP, Atlanta, GA

Associate Director, Asset Management

Director, Staybridge Suites Brand Development & Analysis

Director, Market Planning

Analyst, Market Planning

ARTHUR ANDERSEN, Los Angeles, CA

Hospitality Consultant

WESTIN HOTELS & RESORTS, San Francisco, CA

Systems Specialist, Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel

Night Manager, Westin St. Francis Hotel

Management Trainee, Westin St. Francis Hotel

EDUCATION- Bachelor of Arts, University of California, Berkeley

As Principal, Alex Samek is responsible for creating and executing Kor’s strategy for commercial investment, acquisition and development. This includes optimizing the value of Kor’s current property portfolio, and identifying and securing future acquisitions and business development opportunities. Since joining Kor in 2004, Alex has overseen more than $600 million in acquisitions and development for the company, including hospitality, multifamily and residential projects in the US and the Caribbean. Prior to joining Kor, Alex invested more than $100 million in equity to acquire and integrate six companies while at North Castle Partners, a private equity firm with more than $500 million under management. While in the Technology Corporate Finance Group at NationsBank/Bank of America, Alex raised more than $600 million of capital to finance highly leveraged transactions for financial sponsors and provided more than $1 billion of debt financing for technology companies. Alex earned a BSBA from Washington University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Alex is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Hans is Senior Vice President – Development with Pacific Eagle and its US Real Estate Fund. He oversees developments from acquisitions to completion. His most recent portfolio of acquisitions and developments include 1545 Pine Street, 555 Howard Street, and 1125 Market Street in San Francisco as well as a condo conversion in Malibu and 8701 Park by Renzo Piano in Miami. For the Pacific Eagle (US) Real Estate Fund, Hans is also involved in all fund-raising efforts with institutional capital providers in China. Pacific Eagle’s parent owns Langham Hotels and Resorts including its three brands, Langham, Eaton and Cordis.

Before joining Pacific Eagle, Hans spent 9 years with Jones Lang LaSalle last leading the Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels practice in Beijing. He advised international investment banks and private equity buy-out firms on non-performing loan and real asset portfolio acquisitions; he later followed the rise of Chinese capital in China’s domestic markets restructuring national state-owned enterprises in propco-opco deals and working with developers on urban highest-and-best-use assessments. Hans covered more than 400 projects worth US$12 billion and located in 60 markets across China. His development experience encompasses more than 70 million sf of urban mixed-use, hospitality and residential projects, including 2,200 for-sale units as well as 2,500 rental apartment units.

As Founder and CEO of Synapse Development Group, Justin directs the continued growth and vision of the company, while overseeing all aspects of Synapse’s real estate investments.

Prior to co-founding Synapse, Justin served as Assistant Vice President at Lehman Brothers, where he oversaw the work-out and repositioning of a 1,300-unit multi-family portfolio in New York City, as well as the foreclosure and restructuring of a large mixed-use development portfolio totaling 1.4 million square feet of development rights located in New York and Washington, D.C. At Lehman, Justin completed more than $75 million in construction projects, primarily in New York City. Justin began his career in real estate at Clarion Partners (formally ING Clarion), a global real estate investment management firm with $36 billion in assets under management. While at Clarion, Justin served as a Portfolio Analyst and was a member of the Lion Value Fund portfolio management team.

Justin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and macroeconomics with honors from the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences at Bernard Baruch College (CUNY).

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.

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.

Todd focuses on investment and portfolio strategy, deal procurement, financial oversight, capital partner strategy and execution, and overall portfolio management for JMA.

Todd joined JMA Ventures in January 2002 as executive vice president and general counsel and was later promoted to president and chief executive officer. Prior to joining JMA, he was an attorney with the law firms of Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe, LLP (San Francisco) from May 1999 to January 2002 and Allen Matkins Leck Gamble and Mallory (Los Angeles and San Francisco) from May 1997 to February 1999 where he served as JMA Venture’s primary outside counsel for six years and represented significant institutional and development clients throughout the United States.

Todd is a passionate deal maker at heart and is experienced in the structuring of joint ventures and other complex business transactions in real estate acquisition, development, leasing and financing. In his career, he has overseen in excess of $2.5 billion of real estate sales, acquisitions and financings for both JMA Ventures and other clients.

Robert D. Kline '84 is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Chartres Lodging Group, LLC, a private equity

investment firm he formed in 2002; and is Co-Founder/Chairman of Sightline Hospitality, LLC, formed in

2005 as a property manager. Kline is recognized as a proactive investor and a pioneering asset manager

in the lodging sector. He has been an early cyclical investor in turnaround hotels and resorts. Kline was

among the first investors to evolve an institutionally recognized program of asset management systems

and procedures and is a Founding Director of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association.

Kline began his career in 1984 upon graduating from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration

(SHA) and has since led over $12 billion in transactional activity. He founded the preeminent lodging

investment practice under The Yarmouth Group/Lend Lease, and conducted extensive business

throughout the U.S., Asia, Mexico, and Europe. Kline previously served as the initial head of acquisitions

for Strategic Hotel Capital, where he oversaw the purchase of $2 billion of luxury hotels. In 1998 he

began investing directly as a principal and has successfully invested over $6 billion of capital.

Mr. Kline sits on the boards of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and WildCare of the Bay Area.

He’s an Advisory Board Member of Cornell’s Center for Real Estate Finance and the Dean’s Advisory

Board. He established No Reservations Giving Foundation and sits on the Hotel Investment Roundtable

where he developed the Lodging Confidence Meter in 2010. Mr. Kline is a frequent lecturer and

contributing author to Hotel Asset Management, and spearheaded HAMA’s first international expansion

into Japan and the creation of the Certified Hotel Asset Manager program.

Mr. Grenfell has over 17 years of experience in the environmental and transactional due diligence consulting industry and has worked in various disciplines, including regulatory compliance, EH&S, asbestos abatement and air monitoring, Tier II reporting, in addition to his core competency in environmental and physical due diligence practices, including Phase I ESAs, Phase II ESAs, Property Condition Assessments (PCAs), and Seismic Risk Assessments (SRAs). Mr. Grenfell’s primary area of expertise is in the environmental due diligence field, where he has performed and/or managed thousands of Phase I ESAs and physical diligence projects, including multiple large multi-site due diligence portfolios.

Mr. Grenfell currently works as a relationship manager providing consulting services and transactional due diligence solutions to a variety of client types, including banks, insurance lenders, brokers, developers, individual investors, and equity/institutional investors. Mr. Grenfell’s experience allows him to provide risk-based solutions with a keen understanding of environmental and physical due diligence risk as it relates to specific stakeholders within a particular transaction. Mr. Grenfell enjoys assisting his clients in meeting their goals by providing well documented reports and risk-based solutions that allow his clients to make sound risk management decisions and close deals.