ERIC DANZIGER
Having started out his lodging career as
a bellman at the historic Fairmont Hotel
in San Francisco, the president and
CEO of Parsippany, NJ-based Wyndham
Hotel Group has an impressive resume
indeed, having previously held leadership positions with the likes of Carlson
Hotels Worldwide, Starwood Hotels and
Resorts Worldwide, Double Tree Hotels
and the former Wyndham International. He has also been
CEO of WhiteFence, an online home services comparison website and also was president and CEO of ZipRealty.
JACK DEBOER
Known in the industry as the creator of
extended stay lodging, DeBoer was the
founder of Residence Inn, Summerfield
Hotel Corp. and Candlewood brands.
DeBoer is the chairman of Value Place
LLC of Wichita, KS, an extended stay
lodging brand he founded in 2002, and
is also a member of the board of trustees of Chatham Lodging Trust, an
upscale hotel REIT.
BENJAMIN “PATRICK” DENIHAN JR.
Patrick Denihan’s lodging experience dates back to his childhood when he got his start in the family business that owned
and operated hotels in New York City. Today, he is co-CEO of
Denihan Hospitality Group with his sister Brooke. Patrick
orchestrates the development side of the business and day-to-day directs all aspects of the company’s investment, finance and
growth strategies. Denihan Hospitality Group has been owned
and operated since 1963 by members of the Denihan family,
who have expanded the company from one hotel, the 129-suite
Affinia Gardens (formerly the Lyden Gardens), to a collection
of highly rated, highly profitable hotels in New York City,
Chicago, Washington, DC and Miami.
JEFFREY FISHER
A practicing attorney for five
years before getting started
in the hospitality business,
Fisher has held key positions
with a number of major
hoteliers. He is currently the
chairman, CEO and president of Chatham Lodging
Trust, a Palm Beach,
FL-based REIT that owns 19
hotels ( 2,536 rooms/suites)
in 11 states and the District
of Columbia and a minority
investment in a joint venture
that owns 55 hotels. From
1994 to 2007, he served as
chairman, CEO and president of Innkeepers USA Trust, a lodging REIT he founded and
took public in 1994. Fisher grew Innkeepers’ portfolio from seven
hotels at the time of its initial public offering to 74 properties at
the time of its sale in June 2007 in a deal valued at $1.5 billion.
JONATHAN GRAY
After Blackstone announced last October
it had closed the largest real estate oppor-
tunity fund ever with $13.3 billion raised,
Forbes said the following: “Forget Donald
Trump and Sam Zell. The new real estate
king is Jonathan Gray, the understated
and media-shy 42-year-old global head of
real estate at the Blackstone Group.”
who also sits on the New York City-based firm’s board of directors,
has helped build the largest real estate platform in the world with
more than $50 billion in investor capital under management.
Blackstone’s portfolio includes hotel, office, retail, industrial and
residential properties in the US, Europe and Asia. Major holdings
include Hilton Worldwide, Motel 6, Equity Office Properties and
London’s Broadgate office complex.
ROBERT L. JOHNSON
Before launching the multi-fac-eted real estate investment
company, RLJ Cos. in Bethesda,
MD, Johnson was known nationwide as the founder of Black
Entertainment Television, the
nation’s first network tailored
for the African American audience. In 2001, he sold BET to
Viacom for approximately $3
billion and remained the CEO
through 2006. As founder and
chairman of the RLJ Cos.,
Johnson, who was named in 2007 by USA Today as one of the 25
most influential business leaders of the past 25 years, owns or
holds interests in businesses ranging from hotel investment to
video lottery terminal gaming. Among RLJ Cos.’ core assets is
RLJ Lodging Trust, which has a portfolio of 146 hotels in 21
states and the District of Columbia.
STEPHEN P. JOYCE
Joyce, who has been in the hospitality business for more than 30
years, has helped to grow some of the best-known hotel brands
in major cities around the world. As president, CEO and board
member of Choice Hotels International Inc., he oversees operations for one of the largest hotel franchisors in the world, representing more than 495,000 rooms in the US and more than 30
other countries and territories. As of Sept. 30, 2012, 435 hotels
were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for
development in the US and overseas. Before joining Choice
Hotels, Joyce served as executive vice president, global develop-ment/owner and franchise services for Marriott International
Inc., where he was responsible for the development of Marriott’s
lodging brands worldwide.
RICHARD M. KELLEHER
Following some time in the construction sector, Kelleher, principal and chief executive officer of Boston-based Pyramid Hotels,
has worked more than 30 years in the hospitality sector. He leads
a company that manages and provides services to 38 hotels and
16 resorts, totaling nearly 22,000 rooms in 24 states, Washington,
DC and the Caribbean. Its portfolio also includes 16 spas, 26 golf
courses and nearly two million square feet of meeting space.
