http://meninhospitality.com/about/the-team/keith-menin/

Barry Sternlicht is Chairman & CEO of Starwood Capital Group, the private alternative investment firm he formed in 1991 focused on global real estate, hotel management, oil and gas, and energy infrastructure. Mr. Sternlicht also serves as Chairman of Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD), the largest commercial mortgage REIT in the U.S.; and French crystal maker Baccarat S.A.; as well as member of the Board of Directors of Invitation Homes (NYSE: INVH) the largest publicly traded investor, owner and operator of single-family homes in the U.S.

For the past 26 years, Mr. Sternlicht has structured investments with an asset value of approximately $92 billion. Starwood Capital’s funds have invested in approximately 172,500 multifamily/condo units, 2,900 hotels, 74 million square feet of office properties, 54 million square feet of retail and 52,000 lots of land in residential subdivisions. The Firm currently manages approximately $56 billion of assets on behalf of its high net worth and institutional partners. Starwood Capital, its affiliates and externally managed public companies employ more than 3,700 professionals, while approximately 9,000 additional employees are involved with a dozen portfolio operating companies. The Firm maintains offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Greenwich, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., and affiliated offices in London, Luxembourg, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

From 1995 through early 2005, Mr. Sternlicht was Chairman and CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, a company he founded in 1995. During his tenure, he built Starwood Hotels into one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world, employing more than 120,000 people with 895 properties in 100 countries. Mr. Sternlicht created W Hotels, perhaps the world’s most successful “boutique” brand, and built the St. Regis Hotels brand from a single hotel to a global brand.

In 2008, Mr. Sternlicht founded SH Group, his new hotel management company. SH Group is the owner and manager of Baccarat Hotels & Resorts and 1 Hotels brands.

In 2016, Mr. Sternlicht was the recipient of PERE’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015, he was named the Global Industry Figure of the Year by PERE, received the Cornell Icon of the Industry Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Hotel Investment Forum. In 2013, Mr. Sternlicht was named the Most Important Person in Commercial Real Estate Finance by The Mortgage Observer. In 2010, Mr. Sternlicht was named Executive of the Year and Investor of the Year by Commercial Property Executive. Mr. Sternlicht was also named America’s Best Lodging CEO by Institutional Investor Magazine. He is a member of the Interior Design Magazine Hall of Fame. He has received the Preston Robert Tisch Distinguished Industry Leadership Award from New York University, the CEO Diversity Award from Diversity Best Practices/Business Women’s Network, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Travel Marketing Executives, the Hospitality Heritage Award from the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and the Marketer of the Year Award from Brandweek. Mr. Sternlicht’s humanitarian efforts have garnered prestigious national honors such as JDRF’s Man of the Year, JDRF’s Living and Giving Award and JDRF’s Chairman’s Award.

Mr. Sternlicht serves on the Board of Directors of The Estée Lauder Companies and the Real Estate Roundtable. Additionally, he formerly served as Chairman of the Board and is currently a Board member of The Robin Hood Foundation, and also serves on the Boards of the Dreamland Film & Performing Arts Center, and the Executive Advisory Board of Americans for the Arts. He is a member of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation Trustee Council, the World Presidents Organization and the Urban Land Institute.

Barry Sternlicht received his BA, magna cum laude, with honors from Brown University. He later earned an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School.

Seth Gadinsky entered the real estate business upon graduation with a Masters degree in Civil Engineering from M.I.T. in 1983. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Tufts University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Over the past 32 years he has developed, leased and operated shopping centers, large and small, and many single tenant projects for clients such as Walgreens, Starbuck’s and Blockbuster Video. He has also represented tenants in their expansion and consulted with owners to help bring retail projects to life on their property. He has also served as the Florida Board Chair for the Anti-Defamation League and currently chairs the Office for Engaged Creativity at Florida International University’s School of Architecture and the Arts.

Raul leads Virgin Hotels and is responsible for the company’s overall expansion, customer experience and culture. In a career that spans 30 years, Raul has held top management positions for Interstate Hotels, Lane Hotels and the Continental companies and is one of the few hospitality industry executives that understand both the lifestyle and branded hotels segments. In between 1996 and 2010, Raul was President and Partner at Tecton Hospitality which owned and operated over 35 full branded hotels and was named a “Preferred Hotel Management Company” by most of the major brands. In 2002 he launched Desires Hotels, a management company focused on the growing lifestyle hotel segment. Desires Hotels had 20 award winning modern boutique hotels located in urban and resort locations domestically and internationally. Desires Hotels was named “Best Management Company of the Year” by Lodging Hospitality in 2008 and consistently achieved high levels of REVPAR and profitability as well as social media rankings and owner satisfaction. Raul also serves on the Boards for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Cornell University.

As executive director for the Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Alyce M. Robertson directs the activities of the public organization and help drives its mission to make Downtown Miami the most livable urban center in the nation and strengthen its position as an international center for commerce, culture, and tourism. With more than 36 years of experience in local government, Ms. Robertson has been instrumental to the development and execution of projects countywide. The Miami DDA won awards in 2012 from the American Society for Public Administration, South Florida Chapter for Agency of the Year and in 2014 the Economic Development Award from Miami Association of Realtors.

Robert Finvarb is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1993. Following his graduation from law school, he practiced law at Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. in Miami. In 2003, he founded Robert Finvarb Companies (RFC) and currently serves as its CEO. Under Robert’s leadership, RFC has become an industry leader in developing, owning and operating mixed-use hotel projects throughout the United States. RFC has developed projects in excess of $1bn of market value, containing more than 3,000 hotel rooms and over 200,000 square feet of retail space throughout the U.S. and the company’s projects have been recognized for excellence by several organizations and municipalities, including, the American Lodging Investment Summit (best hotel project in 2017), Marriott International (Outstanding Contribution), the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) and the City of Miami Beach. Robert is a Founder of Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach, a Diamond Society Member of the Miami Children’s Hospital and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Miami Country Day Sc

Young, creative, talented and driven Pubbelly Restaurant Group’s Founding Partner and Managing Director, Andreas Schreiner (35) just might be Miami’s hardest-working hospitality professional – at least it would appear as such. Conceptualizing, planning, managing and implementing the inner and outer workings of five unique restaurant concepts and six overall locales, all trendy and successful, in just over three years with additional plans in the works, is quite a feat and one that requires a seasoned professional, such as Schreiner, who has the job deep in his blood, loves it and simply cannot stop doing it.

Schreiner began his love affair with food, wine and service at the age of 14 while working with his father at their family’s popular fine-dining restaurant, Augusto’s Cuisine, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The young man grew up at the restaurant, cooking, waiting tables, bartending and learning about food from his father who before that was executive chef for the Hilton International, also in San Juan. The passion for the industry quickly flourished and continued to grow well into adulthood.

Fluent in Spanish, English, German and Italian, Schreiner has over 12 years of food and beverage management experience in four different countries. A graduate of Florida International University’s School of Hospitality Management, Schreiner also possess a Master’s degree in Business Administration from NOVA Southeastern University. The determined young man worked for Barton G catering and Hyatt Corporation before joining Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Palm Beach as Associate Banquet Manager. Schreiner then went on to open the Four Seasons Miami property as their Food and Beverage Manager. He continued his career with Four Seasons in the Bahamas and Costa Rica in various capacities before returning to Miami as Director of Food and Beverage for Casa Tua Hotel and Restaurant. After three years he was recruited to open the acclaimed Elysian Hotel in Chicago where he held the position of General Manager of Restaurant Operations. During the first months of operation, Schreiner and his team were able to achieve nominations for “Best New Restaurant of the Year” for both Chicago restaurants.

Schreiner decided to return to Miami and Casa Tua as General Manager of Operations in 2010 with the goal of establishing himself in the city’s growing restaurant industry, and developing his dream of opening and owning a restaurant company of his own. Within as little as a year, he joined forces with partners Jose Mendin and Sergio Navarro to open the popular Asian-inspired gastropub Pubbelly, as well as SM&N Hospitality Group and Pubbelly Restaurant Group. The group quickly built a restaurant empire, opening their five über popular concepts with six restaurants – Pubbelly, Pubbelly Sushi, Barceloneta, Macchialina, Barceloneta South Miami and PB Steak – in just over three years.

As Founding Partner and Managing Director, Schreiner wears a multitude of hats, overseeing day-to-day operations, creating and managing wine lists, influencing marketing, promotions and public relations, human resources, acting as restaurant manager and whatever else may be required of him at the time. His adoration for wine and spirits led him to achieve the official sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers, an achievement for which he is very honored and proud.

Jackie Soffer is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman of Turnberry, a privately held real estate development group based in South Florida. Founded more than 50 years ago, the company specializes in large-scale lifestyle developments within the hospitality, retail, residential, and office sectors.

Jackie has evolved Turnberry from the regional leader into one of the most creative and dynamic organizations in real estate today. She leads through innovation, combining her passion for retail and hospitality with creative design-led thinking. She first applied this approach at Aventura Mall, which she transformed from a classic shopping mall into one of the country’s premier lifestyle destinations by attracting luxury retailers such as Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Cartier, Gucci, Burberry, Fendi, Tiffany & Co., and Bally and integrating them with museum quality contemporary art by Ugo Rondinone, Jorge Pardo, Julian Opie, Donald Baechler, Louise Bourgeois, Friends with You, Daniel Arsham, Jen Stark, and many more.

Soffer continues to magnify this vision with a new tri-level, 315,000 square-foot expansion of Aventura Mall that showcases the next evolution of experiential retail. Designed by world-renowned architect Carlos Zapata, the expansion features substantial site-specific installations from some of the biggest names in contemporary art including Carsten Höller & the Haas Brothers; Treats Food Hall featuring Zuuk Mediterranean, My Ceviche, Luke’s Lobster, Shake Shack, Figs + Mozzarella by Todd English; multiple full service restaurant destinations such as Genuine Pizza, CVI.CHE 105, Pubbelly Sushi, Serafina, Le Pain Quotidien, Tap 42, and Blue Bottle; the Level Three VIP lounge; flagship retail stores from Topshop Topman, Zara, and Adidas; and a beautifully landscaped rooftop terrace and plaza. In addition to Aventura Mall, Soffer oversaw a 100,000 square-foot expansion of Destin Commons, an open-air lifestyle center in Northwest Florida, and the ground up development of Town Square Las Vegas, a 1.5 million-square-foot super regional lifestyle center located on the Las Vegas Strip.

Soffer recently formed a partnership with LeFrak to develop a 184-acre site along Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami aptly named SoLē Mia. The largest development in North Miami’s history, when complete SoLē Mia will include 1.4 million square feet of retail, 37 acres of parks, 4,390 residences, crystal lagoons, a hotel, gourmet groceries, dining outlets, and market-leading entertainment and amenities.

Soffer is actively involved in management and development of all Turnberry’s hospitality and residential assets including Fontainebleau Miami Beach, one of the world’s top destination resorts, as well as Turnberry Isle Miami, a 300-acre resort and country club in South Florida, Turnberry Ocean Club Residences, a 154-unit ultra-luxury condominium and JW Marriott Nashville, a 533-room hotel located in downtown Nashville.

In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities for Turnberry, Soffer serves as an Independent Director on the Board of Washington Prime Group, a retail real estate investment trust with a portfolio of 120 enclosed regional malls and open-air lifestyle community centers. She is a member of the University of Miami Board of Trustees, and the Board of Trustees for the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami.

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.

NIKI LEONDAKIS, one of the leading women executives in hospitality, joined Commune Hotels & Resorts

in November, 2012 to lead the expansion for the Commune brands. Previous to Commune, Leondakis led

Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants as their President and Chief Operating Officer, where she started in

1993 and was a key member of the executive team that led the growth of the company from 15 hotels to

50. Under her leadership, Kimpton was named one of Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work

For in 2009, 2011 and 2012.

Prior to joining Kimpton, Leondakis held various leadership roles with the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company

from 1985 – 1993. She began her hospitality career for Marriott Hotels in 1982 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The force behind Commune’s global growth, Leondakis has expanded the company’s Thompson Hotels

and Joie de Vivre Hotel brands, as well as introduced the Singapore-based Alila Hotels & Resorts, and

soon-to- be launched tommie to the corporate portfolio. Her goal of creating a workplace culture that

instills pride and ownership among employees has led to numerous awards and accolades for Commune,

including being recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work for 2015” by Crain’s New York and

rankings on both the San Francisco Business Times’ “Best Place to Work” and Chicago Tribunes’

“Chicago’s Top Workplaces” 2015 lists. Individually, Leondakis has received numerous industry awards,

including being cited in 2015 by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the Bay Area’s Most

Admired CEO. A recipient of the Leadership Excellence award by HR.com and LEAD2016, Leondakis

has been named one of the "100 Most Influential Women" by the San Francisco Business Times every

year since 2002. She was recognized as one of "30 Women Power Players" by Nation's Restaurant News

and named one of the "Most Powerful Women in Travel" by Travel Agent Magazine. She was the

recipient of the International Food Service Manufacturer's Association Silver Plate Award for Operator of

the Year, the Fred Tibbits Hospitality Award for Lifetime Excellence, and Penn State's Hotel and

Restaurant Society Hospitality Executive of the Year. Further, Leondakis' alma mater, the University of

Massachusetts Amherst's Department of Hospitality and Tourism, awarded her its Stephen E. Elmont

Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011, and in 2012 she was honored with Hospitality Design's Platinum

Circle Award. In 2014 she was awarded the Horst Schulze Award for Excellence in Hospitality.

Tempering business with community stewardship, Leondakis served as Chair of the Dress for Success

Worldwide Board of Directors from 2009 – 2011; an international nonprofit that promotes the economic

independence of disadvantage women. Leondakis continues to serve as a board member for Dress for

Success where she chairs the Strategic Planning Committee.

A native of West Springfield, Massachusetts, Leondakis now resides with her husband in San Francisco,

California.

Susan is an award winning Interior Designer with expertise spanning Hospitality and Residential projects across the country. Her knowledge of emerging trends, detailed focus on design aesthetics, and a deep understanding of her client’s needs allow her to take a holistic design approach, creating spaces that are timeless and tell a story for each guest. With a unique approach to conceptualizing design, she instills a blend of meticulous project management among her team merged with a passion for the highest levels of design and modernity, all while maintaining the integrity of the building, the community and her client’s needs.

Michael Tillman is the CEO and CIO of PTM Partners, a Fort Lauderdale-based real estate investment and development firm focused on designing and building tech-forward sustainable multifamily housing in urban markets. PTM has invested, developed, constructed, and managed over $2.5 billion in real estate covering a broad range of mixed-use inclusionary projects in D.C., Virginia, Florida, and North Carolina. PTM seeks medium-to long-term community-oriented development opportunities that create substantial value for residents, partners, and investors. Prior to PTM, Michael was a managing director of development and acquisitions for LeFrak, building and overseeing their multi-billion-dollar portfolio in South Florida. He holds his BBA from Emory University and earned his MBA from Columbia University’s Business School.

Hailing from a long lineage of hospitality and real estate professionals, Jared Galbut brings a wealth

of industry expertise to his position as co-founder and managing principal of Menin Hospitality.

Galbut has a deep understanding for hospitality development with two decades of experience in

organizational and operational management.

Growing up in Miami Beach, Galbut was already well immersed in the industry by his teen years

when he worked for his notable uncle, Russell Galbut of Crescent Heights -- one of the nation’s

largest developers of high-rise, multifamily housing and hotels. After many years of working closely

alongside some of the best in the marketplace, he discovered his passion and decided to claim the

world of hospitality a career of his own. After gaining a deep understanding of the industry, Galbut

acquired the Raffaello Chicago and relocated to Illinois to develop the hotel. While maintaining

success of this new venture – a hotel that is still part of Menin Hospitality’s portfolio – Galbut sought

out further opportunities to take him home to Miami Beach and founded Menin Hospitality with

another emerging hotelier, his cousin Keith Menin.

Menin Hospitality consists of a fast-growing, eclectic portfolio of brands spanning throughout South

Florida and Chicago. Offering upscale lodging, lifestyle restaurants and nightlife venues, Menin

Hospitality currently owns, manages and/or operates the Mondrian South Beach; Shelborne South

Beach; Gale South Beach; Raffaello Chicago; Drumbar Chicago; Bodega Taqueria y Tequila; and

Pizza Bar South Beach. Presently, Galbut oversees operations for each property and venue within

the Menin Hospitality portfolio.

Galbut received his Bachelor’s in Accounting and Finance from the University of Miami. He resides

on Miami Beach with his wife Stacey and their two children.

Thomas Meding, born in Hamburg, Germany, brings more than 17 years of management experience in the luxury hospitality sector to Miami. A frequent traveler throughout Europe during his childhood, Meding grew a deep appreciation for the vibe, ambiance and glamour of hotels. He began his career with Intercontinental Hotels in Germany before relocating to San Francisco, where he obtained his degree from the Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management (HRIM) at Golden Gate University. Most recently, Meding was the Director of Operations, Hotels, for sbe Group in Los Angeles and the General Manager of SLS Beverley Hills. Prior to joining sbe Group, he served as General Manager of Le Parker Meridien Palm Springs, California, for six years. Under Meding’s leadership, the hotel became an undisputed market leader. He received the General Manager of the Year Award in 2009 from the Hospitality Industry and Business Council (HBIC) for the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau. Prior to his tenure at Le Parker Meridien, Meding worked in a variety of senior executive positions within the Ritz Carlton, Fairmont and Four Seasons portfolios, as well as The Waldorf Astoria and The St. Regis Hotel in New York. Meding lives in Miami Beach with his wife, Alisa, and his two sons, Tristan and Tanner. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and skiing.

Matthew Sherman has a mission to raise the vibration of miami by making clean eating fun, one jugofresh at a time. sherman received his bachelor’s degree from the university of maryland of baltimore county in psychology and interdisciplinary studies, a certification as a holistic and nutrition coach from the institute of integrative nutrition, and a master’s degree in sports and exercise psychology from barry university. sherman officially launched JugoFresh in may 2012 as a cold-pressed juice company. the company has expanded into various health food options, catering to thousands of clients daily in South Florida.

Adelee brings extensive operational skills and a passion for hospitality to her position in Miami. Her wide range of experience makes her a natural leader at SCG, with expertise leading operations and logistics for distinguished special events, including a dinner for the King and Queen of Spain hosted by the Mayor of Miami. With experience in New York City, Dominican Republic, Providence, and Miami, Adelee brings a global perspective and true love of travel and international cuisine to SCG.

Allison McCarthy is a real estate and hospitality lawyer in Florida based in Holland & Knight's Fort Lauderdale office. As a member of the firm's Hospitality, Resort and Timeshare Group, Ms. McCarthy's practice focuses on commercial real estate and commercial lending, with a strong emphasis in hotel and resort development, and hospitality law. This includes hotel acquisitions and dispositions; development and finance; mixed-use development projects; hotel management agreements; branded residential projects; restaurant and spa agreements; and general hotel operation matters throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean. Ms. McCarthy has a thorough understanding of the legal intricacies that affect the hospitality industry, and represents owners, developers and international hotel companies in sophisticated and complex hospitality transactions.

Daniel F. Benavides is a partner in the Miami office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where he is a member of the Real Estate Practice Group.

Daniel’s practice is focused primarily on Florida’s hospitality industry. He advises hotel and restaurant owners and operators seeking to enter or expand their presence in the Florida market, assisting with real estate transactions, leasing and hotel-related due diligence. Daniel also assists many local hospitality establishments with a wide array of day to day, operational legal matters, ranging from negotiation of vendor and sales and marketing contracts to addressing employment, permitting and compliance-related issues.

Among his many hotel-related matters, Daniel served as lead counsel in a high-profile, landmark arbitration case, following a “midnight raid” termination of a local hotel operator by the hotel owner. As a result of his successful representation of the hotel operator in that case, he was recognized as a finalist for the Daily Business Review’s prestigious “Most Effective Lawyers: Arbitration” award. Daniel is also a frequent guest lecturer on hospitality-related legal issues.

Prior to joining Shutts, and during the last recession, Daniel was a commercial bankruptcy attorney at a Miami-based bankruptcy law firm, where he represented debtors and creditors in hotel and restaurant-related insolvency matters, including bankruptcy cases and Florida assignment for the benefit of creditors proceedings. He was also a real estate transactional attorney at the New York firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver& Jacobson, LLP.

Daniel is a graduate of Harvard Law School and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida. He is fluent in Spanish and Italian.