HICAPU17 Speaker Bios & Photos - HICAP...

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SPEAKERS As of 7 March 2017

Markus Aklin ONYX Hospitality Group Markus Aklin currently serves as the Executive Director of Orion Hospitality, the strategic alliance between ONYX Hospitality Group and Singapore Hospitality Holdings, aimed at accelerating the growth of the OZO midscale hotel and Shama serviced apartment brands across the Asia-Pacific region. ONYX Hospitality Group has a portfolio of 10 operating Shama properties in China, Hong Kong and Thailand, with eight additional Shama properties under development in locations such as Australia, China and Malaysia. An award winning brand, Shama has been named Best Serviced Apartment Operator of Asia by the AHF Asia Hotel Awards in 2016, 2015, 2013 and 2012. In total, ONYX has a full portfolio of 41 properties in seven countries and territories under the Amari, OZO, Shama and Oriental Residence brands, and 25 properties in the development pipeline. The rapidly-expanding group will also be marking its entry to new markets such as Vietnam and Malaysia with new hotel openings in the coming year. Markus joined ONYX Hospitality Group in 2003. His previous responsibilities at ONYX included the role of Vice President Development, Corporate Director of Projects and Resident Manager of the award-winning Amari resort in Samui, Thailand.

Athipong Amatyakul AMH Amatya Hospitality After having retired from IHG InterContinental Hotels Group in 2016, Mink has founded his own company, AMH Amatya Hospitality Co., Ltd. as an advisor to the hotel investors as well as development consultant for IHG and few other international hotel operators. At IHG, Mink has commenced his career since beginning of 2007 as the first corporate employee in Bangkok. His role was to establish a strong foundation for development in Thailand. Mink has contributed in growing IHG distribution and pipeline through the signing of more than 25 new deals plus renewals. Some of Mink’s notable signings include the rebranding of Crowne Plaza in Bangkok and the region’s first Holiday Inn Express and Hotel Indigo that made Bangkok the first city in the region to house 5 IHG® brands. Prior to working at IHG, Mink spent over 16 years at National Finance Plc. (NFS), renamed to Thanachart Capital Plc. (TCAP), where Mink assisted directly to the CEO in Investment Banking, Corporate Lending for Hotel Projects, and Investment in all non-core businesses i.e. MBK Plc. and its subsidiary and affiliated companies through his board seats as Director of the Board of Directors.

Ricky Ang Swiss-Garden Resort Ricky has some 27 years under his belt as a hotelier with roles in both Operations and Marketing for hotels; as well as Senior Management and board member responsibilities in Hotel Management and hotel ownership companies. Ricky currently helms the Swiss-Garden International Hotel group as Chief Executive Officer. His key responsibilities include the growing of the various brand(s) and the acquisition of new management contracts globally for the company. Ricky joined the Swiss-Garden International group in 2014 after having held various positions in reputable hotel companies like Shangri-La, Holiday Inn, Renaissance/New World and Equatorial groups.

Sanjeewa Anthony Jetwing Hotels Ltd Sanjeewa Anthony is an Attorney-at-Law (Supreme Court of Sri Lanka), Notary Public, Commissioner for Oaths and a Registered Company Secretary. He is also a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (FCMA) UK, Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), a Fellow Member of The Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka (FCMA) and a Fellow Member of Certified Professional Managers (FCPM). He commenced his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, prior to joining Jetwing Hotels Limited as Finance Manager in 1996 and is currently the Executive Director. He is also serving on several Directorates including a Publicly Quoted company. Sanjeewa is a Life Member of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL).

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Ananda R. Arawwawela City Developments Limited Mr Ananda Arawwawela has a wealth of experience in hotel management spanning over 36 years in Singapore and the region. Prior to joining CDL in 2013, he was the Managing Director of The St. Regis Singapore and Area Managing Director responsible for Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ operations in Singapore. Other senior regional positions in the hospitality industry he has held include Managing Director of Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel and Towers and Area Managing Director of Hong Kong and Macau. He has also been involved with a number of hotel openings and conversions in the Middle East, China and Fiji. Mr Arawwawela has also served as Chairman of the Hong Kong Hotels Association and Board Member of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Bill Barnett C9 Hotelworks Co., LTD. Bill Barnett is a globally recognized hospitality, tourism and real estate advisor. He is the Founder and Managing Director of Asia-based C9 Hotelworks. In addition to being a leading consultant, he is a frequent speaker at industry events and conferences. With over 30 years’ experience in the Asia Pacific region, he has an extensive background in hotel operations, development and asset management. His past employment highlights include Senior Corporate roles at international hotel chains and publically listed companies. Bill is considered to be one of the foremost industry experts in the hotel residences sector. As an entrepreneur Bill have co-developed two successful residential projects in Thailand and is actively involved in the online property marketplace FazWaz.com as Chief Strategy Officer. He is also currently acting as Business Development Advisor for Le Pirate International, which is a fast growing regional beach club chain. To date Bill is the author of four books on travel, property and hospitality under the titles of Slave to the Bean, Collective Swag, It Might Get Weird and Last Call. His participation in professional bodies includes the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) and is the Founding Advisor of the Phuket Hotels Association.

Olivier M. Berrivin Best Western Hotels and Resorts Olivier currently oversees all aspects of the franchised and managed properties for Best Western International in the Asian region, including the development, operational and financial matters and covering their ten (10) brands. Olivier started his career in Asia back in 1991, as a management trainee with Nikko Hotels in Japan. He joined Accor in 1994 and was subsequently assigned to China, with the Novotel Brand. He stayed with Accor until 2008 and held various positions all over Asia, ranging from pre-opening, running properties and re-brandings, mainly with the Novotel and Sofitel brands. In 2008, Wyndham presented him an opportunity of holding a cluster role in Dubai, which he held for two years, before moving back to Thailand in 2010 to open the first “Ramada Encore” in the region. Olivier returned to Accor in 2014 before being appointed to his current regional role at Best Western in March 2015.

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Gaurav Bhushan AccorHotels Gaurav Bhushan is the Global Chief Development Officer of AccorHotels, responsible for overseeing the group’s hotel development strategy worldwide AccorHotels has more than 4,000 hotels hotels, resorts and residences, as well as in over 2,600 of the finest private homes around the globe. Benefiting from dual expertise as an investor and operator through its HotelServices and HotelInvest divisions, AccorHotels operates in 95 countries. Its portfolio comprises internationally acclaimed luxury brands including Raffles, Fairmont, SO Sofitel, SOFITEL, onefinestay, MGallery by Sofitel, Pullman, Swissôtel and Grand Mercure, as well as the popular midscale and boutique brands of Novotel, Mercure, Mama Shelter and Adagio; and the in-demand economy brands including ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget. AccorHotels had a record year of openings in 2015 with 229 hotels and 36,172 and has a strong pipeline over 930 hotels and 177,000 rooms. AccorHotels opens more than one hotel every other day somewhere in the world. Reporting to CEO and Chairman Sebastien Bazin, Gaurav is responsible for the network growth for the group. Gaurav began his career with AccorHotels in 1995 in Australia, Where he held various posts in operations and finance. From 2006 he headed the Asia Pacific development teams. He was promoted to Global Chief Development Officer role in July 2015. Gaurav has an MBA from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Finance & Investments from the Securities Institute of Australia

James E. Burba BHN Jim Burba is the co-founder and president of Burba Hotel Network LLC (BHN), the worldwide leader in developing and producing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. BHN hosts ten events each year around the world including: ALIS, ALIS Law, ALIS Summer Update, AOCAP, HICAP, HICAP UPDATE, HIFI, CHRIS, HOLA, and Hot.E. In 2008, BHN and Google teamed up to host Digital Discovery Day (D3) and in 2011, Burba was retained by the ITC, a joint agency of the UN and WTO to help organize WEDF which focused on tourism development in the least developed countries of the world. Actively involved in the hotel investment arena for 30 years, Burba was formerly: a principal at Pannell Kerr Forster, Senior Managing Director with Insignia/Hotel Partners, VP/Worldwide Director of Advisory Services at WATG, and President at Horwath HTL (US). A member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) and the Industry Real Estate Finance Advisory Council (IREFAC), Burba has received numerous honors including the Educational Institute Lamp of Knowledge Award, IREFAC’s first Crystal Ball Award, and the ISHC Pioneer Award. In 2007, California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, re-appointed Burba to his second term on the California Travel & Tourism Commission and he recently served on its Executive Committee.

Michael J. Burchett MJB Hoteliers A 40-year veteran of the hospitality industry, spending 17 years with Regent and Four Seasons Hotels in Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, China, USA and Indonesia; including opening General Manager at Four Seasons Jimbaran & The Regent-Four Seasons Jakarta. Michael continued his career as Vice President Operations with Royal Garden Resorts Thailand. In 2003 he returned to Bali to open the Conrad, where he spent 9 years, leaving in 2012 to set up MJB Hoteliers. MJBH specialises in Hospitality Management & Consulting Services, and currently manages The Elysian, Hideaway Villas, Dimitri Seraya Island, Bombora Medewi; with projects in development with Cavendish Nusa Penida, Satoria Dreamland, Bask Gili Meno. MJBH also provide project, opening and in-market management support for several International Hotel Groups establishing themselves in Indonesia. An active participant in various professional Associations and the community, Michael was instrumental in driving Bali's recovery program during his three terms as Chairman of Bali Hotels Association (BHA); past Vice Chairman Indonesian Hotel & Restaurant Association (PHRI); Past President Rotary Nusa Dua 2008/9; Director ROLE Foundation; Director Indonesian Australian Business Council; and Board Member Chaine des Rotisseurs Indonesia.

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Chiara Calufetti-Lim WATG Chiara Calufetti-Lim brings nearly 25 years of architectural experience to the team. Her project expertise includes urban planning, master planning, high-end and multi-family residential, retail, and renovation work. Chiara’s skills in producing successful hospitality and leisure projects makes her an asset to every team. Her global expertise spans three continents and includes many areas of architectural design including concept, schematic design, construction documents, permitting, design coordination, and construction administration. Her skill set also includes branding, interior remodeling, historic renovation, and knowledge of sustainability as a LEED Professional. Chiara’s energy and vibrancy is exuded in her work and she takes every opportunity to explore new ideas with her team. She is a teacher as well as a student and continues to build upon her skill sets and pass on her knowledge to WATG young designers. Since joining WATG in 2008, Chiara has been the Senior Designer on several high-profile projects including the Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Maldives and the Sofitel Nusa Dua Beach Resort which opened at the end of 2013 to host the APEC Conferences. More recently she has been working on the Crimson Resort Boracay which will open in 2017 as well as the master plan for a five-island resort destination in the Maldives.

Ivan Casadevall MNC Land Born and raised in Spain, Ivan Casadevall has enjoyed international education and global experience across several Western countries before his arrival to South East Asia back in 1998; “home" for him and his family until today. Over the past two decades, Ivan has devoted his life entirely to the hospitality industry working for various international hotel groups, such as Sol Melia, Victoria Hotels, Minor Hotels (Anantara) and Pan Pacific Hotels Group; particularly in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. After 15 years as General Manager of multiple international resorts, Ivan joined media mogul Pak Hary Tanoesoedibjo, Chairman and CEO of giant MNC Group, to assist in the aggressive development of the property subsidiary MNC Land as well as coordinating the set up of a new hospitality division. Amongst several ongoing multi-million dollar projects, Ivan is currently coordinating the development of the Trump hospitality projects in Lido and Bali, involving 6-star hotels, championship golf courses and uber-exclusive country clubs, as the quintessential components to the most exclusive niche residential communities and pioneering concepts involving world-class consultants and partnerships unprecedented to this region.

Bryan Chan IHG Bryan has a strong focus on various South East Asian and Korean markets, both for city hotels and resorts. At IHG, Bryan has worked on hotels and resorts developments across numerous jurisdictions and brands. Some of his notable achievements include introducing the Holiday Inn brand in Vietnam in 2016 and bringing the Crowne Plaza brand back to Malaysia in 2017. Prior to joining IHG, Bryan worked in project and structured finance at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) in Singapore, and prior to that at Morgan Stanley’s investment banking division in Hong Kong. Bryan holds a M.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor in Business Administration and Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley.

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Paul Chan SP Setia Berhad Paul Chan is the Divisional General Manager, Group Hospitality of S P Setia Bhd Group, Malaysia. Paul is responsible for the development of hotels within the S P Setia Bhd Group. Current hotel projects include KL Eco City, SPICE Penang and other hotel development projects in the Klang Valley and Sabah. In addition, Paul in his role as Director of S P Setia Property Services Sdn Bhd, oversees the operations of the recently expanded Setia City Convention Centre in Setia Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. Paul graduated from the University of Manchester, Institute of Science & Technology (“UMIST”), England with a Bachelor of Science (First Class), he also holds a Masters of Science degree from UMIST. Has over 30 years of in-depth Marketing and Commercial experience, having worked for MNCs in various countries and has handled a wide range of International Brands over the years. Prior to joining S P Setia Bhd Group in 2012, Paul was the Senior Vice-President, Sales & Marketing of Genting Malaysia Berhad, responsible for the entire Sales & Marketing functions of all the Entertainment Outlets and Hotels, including the Awana Hotels & Resorts chain; with a combined total inventory of over 8,000 rooms. He was also the Executive Director of Resorts World Tours and the CEO of the Awana Timeshare Ownership Scheme.

Satyajit Chatterjee Ambokka Holdings Ltd Satyajit is a chartered accountant and former investment banker turned visionary hospitality developer. Satyajit has spent the last 7 years in Sri Lanka following through on his vision to build an iconic resort destination on a magnificent rubber and pepper plantation in the heart of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle. During this time, Satyajit has taken the venture from zero to investor readiness: first, by acquiring the site and then, by building the core development team, initiating development plans, securing local tourism board approvals and raising capital. Prior to pursuing his Sri Lankan venture, Satyajit spent 17 years working in the City of London, first in accountancy and later in investment banking. While in London, Satyajit trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC). He then shifted to investment banking where he worked in Corporate Finance Advisory at NM Rothchilds and Lehman Brothers. Thereafter, Satyajit joined Fixed Income Credit Research at HSBC and Societe Generale. Satyajit holds an MBA from London Business School and a BSc (Hons) in Economics from Queen Mary & Westfield College at the University of London. Satyajit is a dedicated yoga practitioner, plays squash at club level, and is an avid photographer.

Talal Chihabi Al Marjan Island Talal Chihabi is Sales Director at Al Marjan Island, with responsibility for sales and investors relations. Prior to joining Al Marjan Island, he worked with leading organizations and companies, Head of Sales and Marketing at Victory Heights a JV Golf course Residential Project of Arcapita Bank and Dubai Sports City and Nakheel. With a 20 year career in the financial services industry and Real Estate that includes risk management, sales, marketing, product development, branding, Clients and Investors relation, Market intelligence, operations, strategies, and leadership. Talal holds a bachelors degree from Aleppo University and a Master in International Business Management from University of Toronto, Canada.

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Stephanie Choi Paradise Group Stephanie works for Paradise Group, a leading casino and hospitality company in Korea. At Paradise, she specializes in new business development, Owner’s relations, and group’s brand quality management. Prior to joining Paradise, Stephanie worked as a financial consultant at Deloitte with focus in hospitality developments and transactions, and as project manager at Parnas Hotels in Seoul. Graduate of Cornell Hotel School and present committee of CHS Chapter Korea, Stephanie remains actively involved in the industry and alumni relations.

Nicholas Clayton Capella Hotel Group Asia Mr. Nicholas Matthew Clayton brings with him a depth of global experience in hotel development and operations with preeminent luxury brands. Being a visionary leader with a proven track record, Mr. Clayton will lead Capella Hotel Group’s continued expansion plan in Asia through Capella Hotels and Resorts as well as Solís Hotels and Resorts. With his strategic guidance, Capella Hotel Group Asia will continue to increase brand equity and strengthen its leading position within the ultra-luxury segment. Mr. Clayton is an internationally acclaimed business leader in the hospitality industry. Most recently, he was the Chief Executive Officer, Operations, of Jumeirah Group and prior to that, he was the President of the Viceroy Hotel Group. Mr. Clayton’s solid foundation in luxury hotel development and operations is built upon three decades of an illustrious career with some of the world’s most respectable brands such as Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons. His professional journey has taken him across the Americas, Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Kevin Colket Starwood Capital Asia Kevin Colket is a Managing Director at Starwood Capital Group. Prior to relocating to Hong Kong in March 2015 to lead the firm’s Asia efforts, Mr. Colket was Co-Head of the Firms’ Global Hotel Acquisitions Group based in London and led Starwood Capital’s hospitality acquisition efforts in Europe from 2012. Since joining Starwood Capital’s Greenwich, C.T. office in the U.S. in 2007, where he worked until moving to the U.K. in 2012, Mr. Colket has successfully led more than $4 billion in closed equity and debt transactions. Mr. Colket has also asset-managed many of the Firm’s key hospitality investments and made several large mezzanine loans for Starwood Property Trust. Prior to joining Starwood Capital, Mr. Colket worked as Director of Acquisitions and Development for Edinburgh Management, a U.S. based hotel joint venture with the Bank of Scotland. Before that, Mr. Colket held various finance and investment banking positions at Goldman, Sachs & Co., Bank of Boston (now Bank of America), and Paine Webber (now UBS). Mr. Colket earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a B.A. degree in economics from Trinity College.

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Huy Q. Doan BIM Group Mr. Huy Q. Doan is a recognized business executive and entrepreneur in Vietnam. He currently serves as Executive Vice President at BIM Holdings, a Vietnamese conglomerate where he manages the group’s real estate development division. Mr. Doan also co-founded Lifestyle JSC, Vietnam’s leading operator of tness centers and children entertainment centers where he serves as company’s Chairman Under Mr. Doan’s leadership BIM Group has developed a number of recognized projects in Vietnam including a gold-standard service residence and shopping center in Hanoi managed by Frasers Hospitality, two 5-star hotel projects managed by Intercontinental Hotel Group, and an integrated 247 hectare Halong Marina township in Halong City with a total investment value of over $1.2 billion USD. Mr. Doan holds a B.A form the University of Southern California with a double degree in Construction Management and Business Administration and a MBA from the Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.

Kirk Ellis dwp Limited Spanning three decades, Kirk’s career in hospitality design has uniquely integrated guest behaviors into the design of hotels, resorts, and restaurants. With a recognized ability to design relative to operator standards and market positioning, Kirk was selected to create design prototypes for hotel brands in both North America and Asia-Pacific region. His sound technical background in both architecture and interior design ensures that each project is well-integrated and unique.

Ame M. Engelhart Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP Ame Engelhart is an accomplished architect and urban designer focused on the design of cities, districts, and large, complex architectural projects. Based in Hong Kong since 1993 she has extensive experience in China and SE Asia. As the Director of SOM’s Hong Kong office she is responsible for steering the firm’s overall strategic objectives and growth of regional development in ASEAN/Pacific and PRD markets With her background in both architecture and urban planning, she brings together the design skills and ambitions of both disciplines to develop holistic plans for urban centers and communities. She has been collaborating with multi-disciplinary design teams on large scale mixed use developments and urban districts across Asia for the last 25 years. These projects include a variety of functional typologies; transportation oriented development, airports, urban growth, new communities, research and education. Engelhart creatively addresses challenges and opportunities emerging from established and developing cities in Asia. She is dedicated to promoting the fundamental principles of livability and sustainability, and approaches each design project with respect to the unique social, economic, environmental and geographic conditions inherent in each city and site. She directs high-visibility, forward-facing projects that strategically define or redefine important places, positioning them for enduring growth.

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Nihat Ercan JLL A JLL career professional, Nihat has been with the firm’s Hotels & Hospitality Group since 2002. With over 15 years of experience selling hotels, Nihat has conducted US$6.5 billion in hotel transactions to date across Europe, Asia and the Indian Ocean. Nihat’s successes include the sales of Jumeirah Dhevanafushi Maldives for a record price per key, Grand Park Orchard Singapore, the largest commercial transaction in the city’s history and the largest hotel sale globally in 2013, and most recently the sale of InterContinental Hong Kong for USD 936 million.

Patrick Finn Hyatt Hotels Corporation Patrick Finn is Vice President of Real Estate & Development for Hyatt Hotels Corporation in Asia Pacific. He is based in Hong Kong and is responsible for Hyatt's brand development efforts in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Maldives) and North Asia (Japan, Korea, and Micronesia). Patrick has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has a successful track record of closing hotel deals in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Prior to joining Hyatt, Patrick worked ten years in Acquisitions & Development with Starwood Hotels & Resorts in EAME, and has also held positions in consulting and financial services in Chicago and New York. Patrick is a graduate of Boston University (BA Economics) and the Kellogg School of Management (MBA). He speaks French, Spanish, English, and German.

Justin Gross Withersworldwide Justin is partner of Withers' Asia Pacific Hotel practice. He has almost 20 years' professional practice experience in Funds and M&A transactions in Europe and Asia Pacific. His practice focuses on structuring and executing transactions in the property, hotels and tourism industries, covering simple asset and share deals through to highly complex multi-jurisdictional leveraged transactions. Justin's experience was gained practicing accounting, tax and law in private practices both domestically and overseas with top tier firms including PwC, Simmons & Simmons and most recently Baker & McKenzie and hotel specialists Ryan Lawyers. Justin has years of experience as an employed in-house corporate counsel at The Trust Company Limited, an ASX listed financial intermediary. With his strong combination of accounting, tax and legal experience and professional qualification, Justin is particularly skilled at finding practical commercial solutions to complex structuring and legal requirements. Justin’s expertise includes mergers and acquisitions, fund and trust structuring and investment, joint ventures and co-investment arrangements and reorganisations and restructures.

Robert V. R. Hecker Horwath HTL Robert manages the Pacific Asia region for Horwath HTL with offices in Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta. Since his arrival in the region with Horwath in 1988, he has developed an extensive background and expertise in the region’s developing hotel and tourism industries through his direct involvement in the planning and analysis of more than 500 projects located throughout the Pacific Asia region. Overall, he has over 35 years of experience including work in hotel operations with Pacific Plaza Hotels at various properties in northern California and conducting market and financial analyses for hotels, resorts, cruise ships, convention centers, conference centers and restaurants while with Laventhol and Horwath in San Francisco. He is also a frequent speaker at industry-related conferences around the region and has published numerous research articles in regional industry publications.

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Benjamin Allan Hirasawa Clyde & Co Benjamin represents hospitality, commercial, industrial, retail and residential developers in all real property transactions. He focuses on providing practical and commercially sound advice to hospitality, real estate and corporate clients on international business transactions by advising on all aspects of the project development cycle. His expertise includes private equity financings, joint ventures, start-ups, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, management agreements, operational issues and licence agreements. Benjamin currently advises leading hospitality and leisure companies across the Asia Pacific region on all aspects of hotel development and operations, including niche areas such as timeshare, fractional ownership REITS and branded residences, and has becomes the ‘go-to’ individual in Thailand, Myanmar and various other jurisdictions in Asia Pacific for several of the world’s largest hotel operating companies and hotel owners. Benjamin is noted by Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2017 to be "renowned for his hospitality sector expertise". Previously, he has been included in Who’s Who Legal - Franchise 2015 and recognised as a notable practitioner in Thailand and Myanmar by Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Chambers Asia Pacific.

Mak Hoe Kit Frasers Hospitality Group Mr Mak Hoe Kit, Chief Investment Officer, Frasers Hospitality Group. Responsible for overseeing the business development, investment and acquisition strategy of hospitality assets as well as portfolio and asset management of the group’s assets. Global portfolio stands at 140 properties in 80 key gateway cities, with 23,400 apartments worldwide. Hoe Kit was previously the Executive Director (Real Estate) for the Northstar Group. His prior experience includes Executive Director and Co-Leader (Real Estate) at Ernst & Young, Senior Vice President (Direct Investments & Private Equity) at Pacific Star Group, and Director of Business Development & Asset Management at The Ascott Group Limited. Total deals executed in the region covers various real estate asset classes and exceeds US$3 billion. He is a CFA Charter holder and an active volunteer with Chartered Financial Analyst Institute. He was also an industry practitioner tutor for Certificate of Real Estate Finance for the Asia Pacific Real Estate Association. He holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and Master of Science (Real Estate) from the National University of Singapore.

Cyndy Tan Jarabata TAJARA Hospitality Group Cyndy Tan Jarabata has diverse experience extending 20 years in the hospitality, leisure and property development. She heads business and project development, acquisition, marketing and asset management. TAJARA is the leading hospitality consulting and development company working with hotel investment firms and property developers in the Philippines, including clients in Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, China and Thailand. Its in-depth knowledge and experience in mainstream and emerging destinations guide owners and investors in making strategic decisions and provide local intelligence to facilitate the projects’ development process. TAJARA handles rollout plans for independent and chain hotels taking on the projects’ full development cycle from acquisition, technical services, marketing, hotel operator selection, project management, pre-opening and asset management. Cyndy is a 3-time Chairperson of the Philippine Property Awards, part of the region’s Southeast Asia Property Awards. She was also Chair of the Muntinlupa Investment Board and served as consultant on investment and tourism-related projects to the City Government. She is an active board director to several NGOs dealing with population management and development, HIV/AIDS prevention, and youth empowerment.

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Nikhom Jensiriratanakorn Horwath HTL Asia Pacific Based in Bangkok, Nikhom Jensiriratanakorn represents Horwath HTL in the Thailand market. He has brought with him comprehensive skills in feasibility analysis, investment underwriting and asset management, and a well-rounded experience from years with hotel management companies, investment funds and consulting firms of various cultures. At Pan Pacific Hotels Group and Host Hotels & Resorts, Nick managed a portfolio of hotels in multiple geographical regions such as Oceania, Southeast Asia and India. His role includes not only monitoring financial performance in collaboration with hotel leadership teams, but also handling complex projects, for example, return on investment analysis on major renovation projects and asset enhancement strategy. Nick also provided business insight to the underwriting and execution of acquisition opportunities. At Jumeirah Group, he worked with Dubai Headquarters to set up the Asia Pacific development planning function and ensure a successful market entry. The firm has expanded a footprint in China and secured more strategic opportunities in Southeast Asia. Nick is a Thai national, and has a Bachelors in Business Administration from Thammasat University. He started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers Thailand, and subsequently pursued Masters in Hospitality Management and Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investment and Asset Management from Cornell University.

Joshua RR Judd SRSS ID Studio Joshua is a graduate of the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London and has been designing hotels for over 25 years with projects in Europe, The U.S.A, the Middle East and across Asia. For ten years he ran his own design business and is now joint head of the SRSS Interior Design Studio in Singapore. Graduating from University he designed the interiors of Mohammed Al Fayed’s castle in Scotland and subsequently designed hotels for John Graham (Formerly Graham-Solano) in the United States with projects in Marrakech and Brussels. After 8 years at G.A. Design in London he started his own company J2 Design until 2010 when he moved to HBA as a Projects Director in Singapore and Dubai before moving to head up SRSS’s Interior Design Studio. His design philosophy is “All Designers want to create something stunning and design is many things but it is not a broad brush discipline. It may be an over-used phrase but the devil is still in the detail. At SRSS Interior Design Studio, every design detail is considered across an interior. We design everything right down to door handles and on occasion, even fabrics. This gives the client a truly holistic design solution and maximizes his procurement possibilities. We do not like multiple finishes or over-complicated interiors. Simple layering and exquisite detailing lie behind all that we do.” Along with his passion for design, Joshua is fluent in French and German and is a keen epée and sabre fencer.

David Keen QUO An evangelist for the power of experiential branding, David Keen is a successful entrepreneur and leading strategist for the travel and hospitality industries. Over the last 20 years, David has published and been interviewed in dozens of publications and has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences, tradeshows and professional events. David was born in London and educated in New York at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. After embarking on his career in London and the United States, David ventured to Asia as a writer and editor, travelling widely in the region. In 1997, David settled in Bangkok, where he founded QUO, a brand strategy and integrated communications agency. Today, QUO’s portfolio spans five continents and includes many of the world’s most venerated hotels and resorts, tourism destinations, United Nations agencies, and international organizations. As CEO, David leads a team of over 90 esteemed professionals from around the globe and continues to grow QUO.

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Grant Kelley City Developments Limited Mr Grant Kelley was appointed as CDL’s Chief Executive Officer in 2014. He has over 25 years of global experience in corporate strategy, private equity and real estate investment. Before joining CDL, he was the Co-Head of Asia Pacific for Apollo Global Management, and led their real estate investment activities in the region. In 2008, he founded Holdfast Capital Limited, an Asian-based real estate investment firm that was acquired by Apollo in 2010. From 2004 to 2008, as the CEO of Colony Capital Asia, Mr Kelley guided its strategic planning, acquisition and asset management activities in Asia. From 2002 to 2004, he was based in New York as a Principal at Colony, responsible for identifying US investment opportunities. Mr Kelley holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Adelaide, a Master's degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics, and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. He is a Council Member of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Thorsten Kirschke Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Thorsten Kirschke is responsible for leading the strategic growth of Carlson Rezidor’s hotel business in Asia-Pacific. Currently, Carlson Rezidor has over 190 hotels in operation and under development in the region. Carlson Rezidor’s brand portfolio includes Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson Red, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, and Country Inns & Suites by Carlson. Mr Kirschke is a hospitality veteran with more than 25 years of experience. Prior to returning to Asia, he was president of the Americas and the chief operating officer of Carlson Rezidor’s global business. During his tenure in the Americas, his achievements include brand revitalization, accelerated development and the creation of an effective, global commercial organization. Previously, he was executive vice- president and chief operating officer for the Rezidor Hotel Group based in Brussels, Belgium. Carlson is the main shareholder of Rezidor, which is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. Kirschke has a master's degree in hospitality from IMHI Essec University, Paris.

Tasos Kousloglou JLL Tasos oversees the Asset Management function of JLL H&H in Asia. Over the last five years as a member of JLL, the largest global Hotel Asset Manager, he has led numerous Asset Management and Hotel Operator Selection assignments in the region. He is currently the President of Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA) Asia Pacific. Tasos has extensive Asset Management experience working with Hotel Owners and Operators in Asia and the Middle East. Prior to joining JLL in 2011, he headed the Finance and Asset Management function of Emaar Hospitality Group with a prime hospitality asset portfolio comprising luxury and upper upscale hotels, serviced residences, golf clubs and yacht clubs. He has also spent six years with OUE Group based in Singapore supervising the Asset Management function. He holds a Master of Science in Real Estate from National University of Singapore (REDAS gold medal award) and a Master of Science in Financial Engineering (National University of Singapore) and an MBA from University of Macedonia, Economic & Social Sciences. He has also undertaken Hospitality courses in Cornell Institute of Hospitality Management. He is currently a participant in a Harvard Business School program.

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Don Lam VinaCapital Group Don Lam, a founding partner of VinaCapital, has more than 20 years of experience in Vietnam. He has overseen VinaCapital’s growth from manager of a single USD10 million fund in 2003 into a leading investment management and real estate development firm in Southeast Asia, with a diversified portfolio of USD1.5 billion in assets under management. Before founding VinaCapital, Mr. Lam was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (Vietnam), where he led the corporate finance and management consulting practices throughout the Indochina region. Additionally, Mr. Lam set up the VinaCapital Foundation whose mission is to empower the children and youth of Vietnam by providing opportunities for growth through health and education projects. He also is the Vice-Chairman, Global Agenda Council on ASEAN for the World Economic Forum. He has a degree in Commerce and Political Science from the University of Toronto, and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Canada. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Securities License in Vietnam.

Andrew I. Langdon Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Andrew Langdon joined the company in 2015 as Senior Vice President for Asia. In this role Andrew supervises Movenpick Hotels and Resorts operations throughout the Asia Pacific. As of December 2016 he is the global Chief Development Officer of Movenpick Hotels and Resorts, responsible for overseeing the group’s hotel development strategy worldwide. He has a well-established track record throughout the Asian region. Over 25 years of diverse property experience, the majority specialising in the hospitality sector, particularly in asset management, hotel management contracts, capital markets, investment, financing and development. Prior to joining Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Andrew was an Executive Vice President of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Hotels and Hospitality Group in Asia. He is a frequent speaker and panelist at industry conferences and universities, and the author of published articles on the hotel and tourism industry. Andrew graduated in his native Australia from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Business and he is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS).

Allen Law Park Hotel Group Park Hotel Group owns and manages 15 hotels across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Australia, South Korea and Maldives. As Chief Executive Officer, Allen leads the strategic management and expansion of the Group's properties under the luxury "Grand Park" and upscale "Park Hotel" brands. Since joining Park Hotel Group in 2004, Allen has been focused on growing the Group's portfolio, building its brands and strengthening its talent and operational capabilities. While the Group expands through acquisitions and hotel management services, the hotels seek to extend the service philosophy of providing "Loving Hospitality" through service delivered from the heart to all customers, guests and the community. In recognition of its business and service excellence, the Group was honoured Best Regional Hotel Chain for five consecutive years from 2012 to 2016, amongst other accolades.

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Vu Hoang Le MIK GROUP Le Hoang Vu is currently working in MIK GROUP as Senior Vice President – Hospitality Management, responsible for asset management and operation of all tourism real estate projects for the company in Vietnam. However, with his strong expertise and background in hotel management and development, Vu not only ensure fulfillment of the investment objectives and strategy targets in relation to asset management and operation of each project, but also to contribute to the strategic planning of project in term of defining products and branding and strategically partnership with hotel operators and service providers for the management of the projects’ operation. Vu was previously Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center, Deputy Director of Project Investment of SacomInvest, Executive Vice Chairman of Toan Thinh Phat Binh Thuan Co. Ltd. (Hana Beach Resort & Spa), Deputy General Manager of Kumho Asiana Plaza Saigon Co. Ltd., Deputy General Manager of Kumho Industrial Co. Ltd. (known as Kumho E&C), Associate Director of Sales of Park Hyatt Saigon, Director of Catering of New World Hotel Saigon, etc… Vu has also exposure of international working experience in New World Hotel properties in Hong Kong as Food and Beverage Coordinator and in Kauwaii Marriott Resort in Kauwaii, Hawaii, USA as Catering Manager. Vu has hold an Executive Master of Business Administration – Finance & Banking degree from University of Applied Sciences NorthWestern Switzerland, a Bachelor Degree of Hotel Management from University of Economics of Ho Chi Minh City, Hotel Management Certification from the Cornel Hotel School PDP Program.

Jing Yang Lee SC Capital Partners Group Jing Yang joined SC Capital Partners, manager of the Real Estate Capital Partners (RECAP) series of opportunistic real estate funds, in November 2012. At SC Capital Partners, he covered the Myanmar and Australian markets, working on deals totalling more than $200 million in equity. The investments he were involved in span the hospitality, retail and office sectors. Jing Yang has been covering the Myanmar market for close to four years where he has navigated the challenging regulatory, tax and legal environment. He has executed investments using structures which are pioneering in Myanmar. Currently, he is asset managing RECAP’s properties in Myanmar and Australia and keeping track of the investment pipeline. Jing Yang received an Honours Degree in Accountancy and Honours Degree in Business Management majoring in Finance from the Singapore Management University in 2009.

Al C. Legaspi Ayala Land Hotels & Resorts Al Legaspi is President & CEO of AyalaLand Hotels & Resorts Corporation (AHRC), owner of a portfolio of global hotel brands, and also owner, developer and operator of its home grown Seda Hotels. AHRC currently has 15 hotels and resorts in its portfolio with 15 more under construction. He is concurrently President & CEO of Ten Knots Development Corporation, owner-operator of the world renown El Nido Resorts group in Palawan comprised of four eco-tourism island resorts: Miniloc Island Resort, Lagen Island Resort, Apulit Island Resort and Pangalusian Island Resort. Al also sits as President of the owning companies of the Fairmont and Raffles Hotels Makati, Holiday inn & Suites Makati, Cebu City Marriott, and the various Seda Hotels in Bonifacio Global City, Nuvali, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Iloilo. He serves as Vice President and Director of the Philippine Hotel Owners Association.

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Eric J. Levy TSI Eric Levy is Managing Director of Tourism Solutions International (TSI). TSI is a hospitality investment firm with more than 20 years presence in Asia. In addition to its investment and asset management activities, it conducts select advisory work that is investment related. With TSI, Eric was a founding partner with Octagon Capital Partners in 2002 to 2005. At Colony Capital Asia Pacific, Eric was Executive Vice President, where he was involved in various sectors of the real estate industry. His main focus was to drive Colony’s hotel investment efforts in Asia. Prior to returning to TSI, he was the Senior Vice President Growth and Development for Pan Pacific Hotels Group where he had global responsibility for growing the company through acquisitions and third party management contracts. He was also a Senior Partner with Horwath Asia Pacific and a Founder and President of Horwath Hotel Partners, providing hotel brokerage services primarily to Asian hotel owners. Eric has lived in Singapore for the last 26 years, dating from when he opened the Singapore office of Horwath Asia Pacific. He joined Horwath in the early 80’s, and was based in Hong Kong prior to his move to Singapore. Throughout his tenure in Asia, he worked on hundreds of projects in various countries all over Asia Pacific – Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, China, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the Philippines, Guam (USA) and Saipan.

Ian G W Lien SC Capital Partners Group Mr. Lien is a partner in the firm and a member of the investment committee. He manages acquisition, value enhancement and realization activities. SCCP has raised USD1.8 billion of equity capital for its RECAP funds. Currently USD850 million is being invested via RECAP IV. He is also a member of the investment committee of the $400 million open-ended core plus fund the firm is currently raising and a board member of Japan Hotels and Resorts, Asia's largest hospitality REIT by market capitalization listed in Tokyo. Prior to joining SCCP, Ian co-founded Octagon Capital Partners as an Asia focused hotel investment firm providing end-to-end solutions for real-estate investment vehicles it originated in partnership with co-investors. Ian commenced his career in 1988 in development planning with Westin and quickly rose to become the Asia-head of Acquisitions & Development for Westin and eventually Starwood Hotels & Resorts, responsible for managing and coordinating all aspects of growth and development for Starwood in the region, including acquisitions, joint ventures and contract growth. Ian has a BSc degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University in 1988 and is a member of ANREV, ULI and CSHA.

Matthew Lim Surya Internusa Hotels Matthew is a solid professional leader with competitive advantage experiences in the areas of world class operational exellence, hotel development, revenue analysis, and guest experience. Matthew studied in Hospitality Management from University of Nevada, Las Vegas and layered his expertise with strong experience in international hotel brands; Shangri-La Hotels and Resort & InterContinental Hotels Group over the last 10 years. Surya Internusa Hotels is a subsidiary of Surya Internusa who owns Gran Melia Jakarta, Melia Bali, Banyan Tree Bali, Batiqa Hotel Management and Plaza Hotel Glodok. Surya Internusa Hotels is aiming to share Indonesian hospitality and give more opportunities to provide authentic local experiences in key destinations in Indonesia for guests. In 2016, Surya Internusa Hotels opened 3 hotels in secondary cities in Indonesia. There are another 3 hotels in the pipeline.

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Serena Lim Marriott International Inc. Serena Lim is the Regional Vice President of Development at Marriott International. She has been with Starwood/Marriott for 20 years and first started in feasibility before transferring to development in 2001. Her previous work experiences include positions at HVS in Mineola, New York and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in Hong Kong. Serena graduated from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. She currently resides in Singapore with her husband and two teenage daughters.

Jeffrey Lu D3 Capital Jeff has been an investor, entrepreneur, and executive in billion-dollar companies and successful start-ups in travel, real estate, technology and biotech across Asia and USA. Jeff is a Managing Director at D3 Capital, an Asian investment firm. In Myanmar, D3 founded the Golden City Yangon real estate development in 2013. Golden City is the top luxury real estate development of its kind in Yangon, with over a thousand condominiums, retail, hospitality, and offices across >3 million square feet of GFA. Four 33-storey towers (tallest in Myanmar) have been completed on-time, with several more under construction. D3 also has more projects upcoming. Jeff was formerly Head of Strategy and CEO's #2 at the pan-Asia AirAsia-Expedia JV, delivering rapid growth, profitability and >17X shareholder returns (sale at US$345M valuation). He managed strategy, analytics, CEO's Office, supply, special projects, and selected region P&Ls. He also worked at AirAsia as a Group Head in Commercial and Head of Strategy in Tony Fernandes's CEO's Office, handling commercial initiatives, strategy, airline setup/turnarounds, and new business creation. Jeff loves innovation and entrepreneurship and has a portfolio of several technology and biotech holdings. Jeff also worked at Bain & Company and graduated summa cum laude from UPenn.

David Mallinson Withersworldwide David leads the firm's Hotels and Sports practice in Hong Kong. David has the rare attribute of having experience both as in house counsel as well as in private practice and uses this in advising clients across Asia Pacific on transactions in the hotels and hospitality and sports sectors. Prior to joining Withers in August 2016, David was a partner at Mayer Brown JSM in Hong Kong which he joined in 2006. Before that David was in house counsel with Le Meridien and Starwood Hotels and Resorts (2003-2006) and at World Sport Group (1996-2003). David’s expertise includes, hotel and branded residence management agreements, acting for property developers, owners, and international hotel operators, hotel and resort sales and acquisitions and hotel portfolio developments and franchises and joint ventures between hotel brands and property developers and institutional investors.

Tom McLoughlin GBH Maldives Resorts Private Limited Australian 17 yrs experience of living & working in Maldives, Conceptualising, Creating, Managing & Developing Iconic Maldives Island Resorts.

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Gregory Peter Meyer PT. BASK Gili Meno Greg Meyer leads the The Meyer Group and its property development interests in Australia and Indonesia. Greg’s successful business track record is long and diverse, including founding The Rental Management Finance Group in 1985, which became one of Australia’s largest financiers of specialist technology and telecommunications ventures, having in excess of 25,000 operating lease clients. In 2004 Greg founded EPAC Salary Solutions, a vehicle leasing and salary packaging company which quickly became Australia’s 3rd largest salary packaging company. Greg spent several years attracting the right team to enter Asia’s beach resort market, with the first project BASK GILI MENO commencing 2017 and plans for two more within Indonesia in the near future. With successful background in finance and property he’s using his skills to complete his Vision of a new progressive and modern beach club resort offering and resort. Employing the best advisors and staff is a key in all of his business ventures, having carefully taken to time to enter the Indonesian market this project has received 11 international Design awards and exceptional press. An independent board and corporate governance has always been an integral part of Greg’s approach to business.

Johannes Willem Niemeijer YAANA Ventures Willem is the CEO of YAANA Ventures, an owner, partner and operator of entrepreneurial travel and hospitality ventures in Asia. Through YAANA, Willem builds brands that share real experiences that are grounded in the cultural richness of Asia. More importantly, Willem drives each venture to champion the triple bottom-line: to nurture the people with whom YAANA works, to sustain the planet we all share, and to pursue profits to expand YAANA’s mission. Willem founded Khiri Travel in 1993 with a vision of creating a travel company delivering Thailand and Indochina as “4 countries, 1 destination”. He created Khiri Reach, Khiri Travel’s dedicated foundation, which adopted projects that aid underprivileged communities, promote animal welfare, protect local heritage and steward the environment. Over the following years, he expanded Khiri Travel into Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the Maldives. Willem then turned his eye to transplanting the seeds of success to the businesses that today form the core of YAANA Ventures: Anurak Community Lodge, GROUND, Khiri Travel, Banteay Chhmar Tents and Grasshopper Adventures.

Jonas F. Ogren Horwath HTL Jonas Ogren is back in a Director role at Horwath HTL Singapore. Prior to the break he was responsible for the introduction and expansion of STR Global and its products and services in Asia, bringing hotel benchmarking and hotel industry statistics to new heights in the region. Arriving to Singapore in 2005, he joined then Horwath Asia Pacific’s team of hospitality consultants where the role included work on feasibility studies, valuations, master planning projects, and strategic brand expansion studies. Prior to Singapore, Jonas was based on the island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands where he headed up the Marianas Tourism Authority responsible for marketing and destination management efforts in the US Commonwealth. He was engaged in a wide variety of economic and tourism development initiatives in the region including a seat on the board of PATA. With over 25 years of industry experience, including management positions in human resources, food & beverage, and sales & marketing, Jonas has developed a comprehensive background and extensive expertise in the region’s hotel and tourism industries.

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Michael Ong Pan Pacific Hotels Group Michael is responsible for growing our Group’s pipeline of projects across the Asia-Pacific region through third-party management contracts. He brings more than 20 years of management and business development experience in Asia. In a decade long career with FRHI Hotels and Resorts, Michael drove the company’s expansion strategy for China and secured management contracts in prominent cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Sanya. He was most recently Senior Director, Development, Asia Pacific with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group where he expanded the Group’s presence into Southeast Asia.

Jesper Palmqvist STR Jesper Palmqvist is based in Singapore as Area Director Asia Pacific for STR - leading the company and regional team in sales, strategy and development for the region. He has twenty years of experience in both supplier and aggregator sides in hospitality, online travel and IT through various verticals in regional European IT start-ups and hotel chains, as well as global companies such as Orbitz Worldwide, Wyndham Hotel Group and Groupon. As a strong supporter of big data facilitation he works to increase the engagement in data intelligence and clarify the decision making for hospitality, research and investment companies in Asia Pacific. Jesper frequently presents the latest trends and updates at industry events in the region. STR Global track supply and demand data for the hotel industry and provide valuable market share analysis for global hotel and investment companies and agencies across the globe.

Joan Plouviet Pontiac Land Pte Ltd Joan Plouviet is VP Acquisition & Development at Pontiac Land Group, a private real estate investment and development group based in Singapore. The group has a collection of distinctive assets and investments in Singapore, Australia, Maldives and the US. Prior to joining Pontiac, Joan worked on business development with Patina Hotels & Resorts, a luxury hotel management group owned by members of the family behind Pontiac Land Group. His earlier experiences include business development with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, valuation and feasibility with HVS, and management with Sofitel in Shanghai as part of a JV between Accor Group and Jin Jiang International. Joan has a MBA from INSEAD and a BSc. from Lausanne Hotel School, he speaks business-level Mandarin and is passionate about outdoor sports.

Barry Robinson Wyndham Hotel Group Barry Robinson joined Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific in September 2003 as CEO and Managing Director. In 2009, he launched Wyndham Hotel Group in the South Pacific. Barry has been the driving force behind many significant new property acquisitions, enhanced resort developments and has brought a renewed customer focus to the business. Under his leadership, both Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific and Wyndham Hotel Group in the South Pacific have expanded their portfolios throughout Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and South East Asia. Appointed President and Managing Director of Wyndham Hotel Group South East Asia and Pacific Rim on January 1, 2015, Barry continues to lead the expansion of both Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific and Wyndham Hotel Group across the region. Barry oversees a property portfolio of more than 100 hotels and resorts under seven different brands. With more than 30 years’ hospitality experience, Barry has a vast knowledge of the hotel and resort industry – from management, operations, development, branding and franchising. He has held a number of senior leadership positions in the Asia Pacific region and has worked for some of the world’s largest hospitality companies including Swiss-Belhotel International, Swissôtel Worldwide Partner Hotels and Choice Hotels International.

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Tony Ryan JLL Tony leads the Global Mergers & Acquisitions team of JLL Hotels & Hospitality. The team provides JLL's hospitality industry clients with strategic advice on optimizing their local and international businesses. Tony and his team work in conjunction with JLL’s Global Corporate Finance team with over 120 staff in 8 offices worldwide. Tony provides hospitality industry clients with strategic and tactical advice in relation to corporate and entity level transactions, buy and sell side M&A advisory, cross-border expansion, capital sourcing and joint ventures, and business restructuring. Tony has over 30 years’ experience providing commercial and legal advice to hotel owners, operators, developers and financiers across the globe. Tony has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Sydney University) and Graduate of Advanced Management Program, School of Hotel Administration (Cornell University).

Peter R. Ryder Indochina Capital Peter is the CEO of Vietnam-based Indochina Capital, one of Vietnam’s leading advisory, investment and real estate development companies (Indochina Land). Since Indochina Capital’s establishment in 1999, Mr. Ryder has focused on the company’s real estate activities but also played an active management role in the other aspects of the company’s business (advisory, equities and finance). Indochina Land has developed a number of prominent commercial and residential projects in Saigon and Hanoi, including River Garden (Saigon) and Indochina Plaza Hanoi and several resort and residential developments along Vietnam’s pristine coast, most notably the renowned luxury resorts, The Nam Hai (Hoi An), Six Senses Con Dao, and Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa. Today Indochina Land is pursuing a wide number of real estate development opportunities within its Vietnam focused partnership with Kajima Corporation, one of Japan’s largest and most prestigious contractors and real estate developers, and Indochina region hospitality projects via its joint venture with Vanguard Hotels. Peter has lived and worked in Vietnam for the last 25 years. He was the chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi from 1999 to 2001 and served as a board member from 1995 to 2005, rejoining the board in 2015. Educated as an anthropologist/archaeologist, Peter received a Masters of Arts degree in Anthropology with a Mayan studies focus from the University of Pennsylvania in 1983.

Michael Sagild Sagild & Associates Michael Sagild is a seasoned corporate executive with hotel experience across four continents. He most recently held the position of Managing Director Asia Pacific Development for MGM Hospitality and prior to this Chief Executive Officer of Stein Group International where he was responsible for directing all aspects of the strategy, growth, and worldwide expansion for Stein Group International. Prior to his role with Stein Group International, Michael held the position as Chief Operating Officer for Minor Hotels and Resorts in Bangkok, Thailand where he was instrumental in creating the Anantara brand and asset managing a portfolio of Four Seasons Hotels among other responsibilities. Prior to this, Michael led the Asia-Pacific region for Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts. He has also had extensive experience in hotel operations in the Asia-Pacific region with Hyatt and Shangri-La. Michael is a graduate from Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland and completed the Advanced Management program at Cornell University. Sagild & Associates was founded in 2014 and provides highly bespoke advisory services to clients with multiple hotels, mixed-use projects, or integrated resorts. A particular focus is placed on assisting clients with the developments of pan-Asian hotel portfolios, helping to align asset delivery with brand ambitions and strategy. Michael is based in Bangkok, Thailand where he resides with his wife and children.

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Dean R. Schreiber Oakwood Asia Pacific Ltd. Dean Schreiber is Managing Director, Oakwood Asia Pacific, Ltd. and manages the company, its properties and operations in the Asia Pacific region. He also leads Oakwood Asia Pacific’s business development, finance, and investor relations. He also has the responsibility for locating properties suitable for Oakwood Asia Pacific management in each of the Asia Pacific countries and building the Oakwood brand. Schreiber has nearly 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Prior to joining Oakwood Asia Pacific, he was the Senior Vice President of Operations with Pan Pacific Hotels Group, a fully owned subsidiary of United Overseas Bank, where he oversaw the management of the performance of the group's portfolio of international hotels, ensuring profitability for stakeholders whilst enhancing the guest and associate experience. His other hospitality career roles include the Group Managing Director of KOP Hotels & Resorts where he oversaw the global development and operations for KOP’s hospitality brands, Franklyn Hotels & Resorts and Montigo Resorts; Vice President Operations with luxury hospitality group, Essque in the Middle East; Group Operations Director with Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts. Schreiber also worked in various capacities with Harbour Plaza Hotels and Resorts, Century International Hotels in Hong Kong and Indonesia; and the Holiday Inn Worldwide group in Australia, Hong Kong and Tibet. An Australian national, Schreiber graduated from Hotel Management from the College of Hotel Management and Tourism in Austria.

Thomas Schmidt Sepia Design Consult Ltd Thomas Schmidt, AIA, LEED AP, is an award-winning Licensed Architect (USA), LEED Accredited Professional (AP), and Managing Director of Sepia Design Consultants Limited, a hospitality consultancy firm based in Hong Kong. In addition to his contributions in the design of hotel projects and tourism / master plans, his varied experience over the past 28 years has included living in China and Taiwan, where he gained basic proficiency in spoken Mandarin and knowledge of local business practices. Mr. Schmidt’s international hospitality experience includes providing a wide range of services for over 580 hotel and resort projects throughout 34 countries around the world -- ranging from project visualization and concept design, through to technical services, detailed back of house planning, and pre-opening services. Prior to founding Sepia Design Consultants Limited, Mr. Schmidt held key design positions at hospitality design firms WATG and Hirsch Bedner & Associates (HBA), before specializing in technical services in the role of Design Director at Marriott International, and later as Vice President Technical Services for Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts, at their regional corporate offices in Hong Kong. Schmidt is an award-winning author / illustrator and is a Founding Member and Past Chapter Secretary of the Hong Kong Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

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Lada Shelkovnikova Withersworldwide Lada is a highly experienced hotel specialist, focusing on hotel operator appointments relating to new hotel developments and re-flagging of existing properties. Prior to joining Withersworldwide in October 2016, Lada had been working in Dubai, within a Hospitality practice, for the largest Middle Eastern law firm Al Tamimi & Company. Lada has acted for clients in Asia, United Arab Emirates, Middle East, Kenya, Egypt, Georgia and Ukraine. Prior to that Lada headed the Hospitality practice of one of the largest law firms in Ukraine and has been elected as a Chairwoman of the Hospitality Working Group of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kiev, Ukraine. Lada’s expertise includes hotel operator appointment including negotiation of hotel management agreements, sales & marketing agreements, pre-opening and technical assistance agreements, license/royalty agreements and other ancillary agreements, large-scale cross border investment projects, hotel acquisitions and disposals, project structuring of mixed-use developments, serviced apartments with rental pool arrangements, negotiation of license/royalty agreements for branded residences, negotiation of franchise and manchise agreements, fractional ownership/ timeshare arrangements, mediation in hospitality, corporate structuring of joint venture arrangements between hotel developer/investor and hotel operator, and structuring relationships between joint venture partners via shareholders agreements.

Andrew William Steele Katamama Hotel

Hailing originally from Australia and most recently working in China, Andrew joined PTT family with over 25 years of experience in hospitality. A graduate of prestigious Ecole prestigious Ecole Hotelier Les Roches in Switzerland, Andrew began his international journey in Hongkong as part of the pre – opening team of the Group’s flagship property the Island Shangri-La, spending almost 16 years with the Shangri-La Group. Andrew’s career has brought him to work in many other places globally, including Hangzhou , Xian, London, Koh Samui, the Great Barrier Reef, Taipei, Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Shanghai, New Delhi and Sanya. Andrew’s passion is to nurture talented individuals and he believes strongly in developing and training both local and international staff, as well in delivering a calm and hands-on leadership style to guide his management teams to greater heights. Andrew’s varied and drilled down experience in all aspects of the hospitality industry plays an important role in the expansion plans of the business, and will prove particularly useful in the successful openings of PTT Family’s three planned hotel properties.

Jon K. Stonham Elite Havens Jon Stonham is the CEO of the Elite Havens Group. Jon founded Private Homes & Villas in 2008 (rebranded The Villa Guide) with the objective of consolidating accurate information and unbiased reviews with a technical distribution platform and first class customer service for the villa market in Asia. The company purchased Elite Havens (2013), Prestige Bali Villas (2014) and Awesome Villas Thailand (2015) to become Asia’s largest private luxury villa management and marketing company with over 200 villas in Bali, Lombok, Phuket, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. A twenty-year veteran of the online travel sector, Jon co-founded the highly successful asia-hotels.com pioneering the introduction of guest reviews in the 1990s and published the successful Asia’s Best Hotels & Resorts. Asia-hotels.com was sold to Orbitz in 2005. Jon has a Master’s Degree in Engineering and Business from Imperial College, University of London.

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Suksit Suvunditkul Deevana Hotels and Resorts Suksit Suvunditkul is the CEO of Deevana Hotels and Resorts. During the past 11 years with the group, he has been instrumental in expanding its portfolio from 1 to 8 hotels in Phuket and Krabi and growing a family business into a large corporation. He is actively involved in overseeing hotel development and investment processes from acquisition, project finance, development planning to construction. With years of experience in hotel business, he leads the group to develop own brands and create an operating platform for its assets. The brand portfolio includes Deevana Plaza, Deevana, Recenta Suite, Recenta and Recenta Express. The group also works with international brands such as Ramada. Besides his corporate job, he takes on two key roles as Vice President of Thai Hotel Association, Southern Chapter and Advisor to National Human Rights Commission of Thailand on economic, social and cultural rights. He is also a regular guest lecturer on hotel and tourism management at Chulalongkorn University. Suksit graduated from Chulalongkorn University with a Bachelor degree in Business Administration before pursuing overseas education at Nanyang Technological Univerisity in Singapore with a Master degree in Technopreneurship and Innovation Management.

Chris Teo Roxy-Pacific Holdings Ltd Chris Teo Hong Yeow joined our Group in 1993 and his main task is in the planning and facilities design of Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel. He has been an Executive Director since 4 January 1999 and was appointed as our Managing Director on 16 July 2001. He was last re-elected as Director on 28 March 2013. Mr Teo is primarily responsible for all aspects of our Hotel Ownership business, including ongoing evaluation, investment and improvement of the hotel segment. Mr Teo graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. Mr Teo has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He has previously held managerial appointments at several international hotels in Asia, such as the Oriental Hotel in Singapore, the Amanpuri in Phuket, Thailand and the Amandari in Bali, Indonesia.

Fraser Thompson AlphaBeta Dr. Fraser Thompson is Director of AlphaBeta (www.alphabeta.com), an economic strategy firm based in Singapore and Australia. AlphaBeta supports supports governments, investors, and companies in the Asia-Pacific region on issues ranging from market entry, to regulatory engagement, policy development, and economic advice. Fraser previously led McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the economic research arm of McKinsey, in Southeast Asia. Fraser has authored numerous articles in leading business and academic publications. His recent publications include “Three paths to sustained economic growth in Southeast Asia” (2014);“Myanmar’s moment: Unique opportunities, major challenges” (2013); and “The archipelago economy: Unleashing Indonesia’s potential” (2012). Fraser is a frequent speaker at conferences on economic issues in Southeast Asia and globally. Fraser was previously a consultant at McKinsey in London and the Middle East; a consultant for The World Bank; and a tutor at Oxford University. Fraser received a Doctorate and Masters in Economics from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He also has undergraduate degrees from Melbourne University (Australia) and Butler University (United States) in Commerce and Arts, majoring in Finance, Economics and Mandarin Chinese. Fraser is a board member of AustCham Singapore.

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Norbert Vas Archipelago International Norbert has more than 25 years of hotel industry experience in Indonesia, the USA, Germany, Belgium and Spain. This experience includes 7 years for Ian Schraeger and Omni Hotels in New York City and Chicago as well as time with Shangri-La, Mandarin Oriental, Swiss-Belhotel International and the Intercontinental Hotel Group in Asia Pacific. Since 2008, Norbert has been instrumental in developing Archipelago’s seven hotel brands making Archipelago International one of the largest hotel management companies in Indonesia with an underlying portfolio of more than 170 hotels. Norbert is also a hotel owner owning his own 109 room favehotel in Bogor, a popular Indonesian weekend and MICE destination about one hour south of Jakarta. Archipelago’s brand collection covers luxury villas with KAMUELA, upscale hotels with the ASTON and ALANA brands, and midscale to budget with HARPER, QUEST, FAVEHOTEL and Hotel NEO.

Hubert Viriot YOTEL Hubert joined YOTEL in May 2014 to roll out an aggressive growth strategy targeting key city centres and international airports in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. More than 3,000 new cabins are already scheduled to open by 2018, including YOTEL hotels in Dubai, Singapore, Paris, London, Geneva, Miami, San Francisco and Boston. Prior to his appointment as the CEO of YOTEL, Hubert was CEO of Raimon Land PLC, a leading real estate developer listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). During his four-year tenure in Thailand, Hubert orchestrated the successful turnaround of Raimon Land and increased the company’s development portfolio from USD200million to USD1.1billion. Raimon Land's stock was one of the top 5 performing stocks on the SET and incorporated in the SET 100 Index. Previously, Hubert spent four years as Vice President of Investments & Acquisitions with IFA Hotels & Resorts, YOTEL’s parent company, and five years with HVS, a global consulting firm focused on the hospitality, tourism and real estate industries. Hubert has a BS degree in International Management from the University of Wales and a BS degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the Glion Hotel School in Switzerland.

Vijitha Wijesuriya Marriott, Sri Lanka Vijitha Wijesuriya currently serves as the Managing Director of East West Properties PLC, in his current role he oversees the design and development of a 200 key Marriott Resort & Spa in Weligama Bay, Sri Lanka, which is due to commence operations in July 2017. He is also spear heading the groups hospitality expansion to a further 1200 keys across 5 properties around Sri Lanka. His work also involves managing the funding for the groups hospitality related investments and in 2014 successful concluded the Series A funding for the groups expansion. He has previously served on the board of the Ceylon Continental Hotel, Sri Lanka’s first 5 Star hotel property. Vijitha holds a Bachelor of Science from Imperial College, London and is an Associate of the Royal College of Science.

Chavatik Wanakasemsan Lub d Co., LTD Chavatik (Winn) Wanakasemsan joined the Lub d hostel in 2013 and seventeen years experience in operation, marketing, business development and finance. After three hostels in Bangkok and Phuket Thailand, his main focus is expand the hostel across the South East Asia and drive Lub d into the leading international hostel.

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Robert Williams Withersworldwide Robert Williams heads Withers' Asia Pacific Hotels practice and works from the firm’s Sydney and Singapore offices, advising clients across Asia Pacific on transactions in the hotels and hospitality sector. Robert is recognised as a leading lawyer for corporate, finance and M&A matters in the hotels and hospitality industry. Prior to joining the firm in 2016, he was a partner at hotels specialist Ryan Lawyers, and Baker & McKenzie in Australia for over 10 years. Robert has industry-leading experience, acting for hotel owners and hotel operators on hotel and resort sales, acquisitions and financingl hotel development - advising on fund and project structuring, including for mixed use sites and joint venturesl hotel management agreements, acting for property developers, owners, and international hotel operatorsl investment structuring and capital raising for hotel fundsl hotel operating leases and franchise arrangements, including master franchise/platform transactions, and fractional ownership schemes - advising clients on establishing new shared ownership schemes and existing operators on regulatory and compliance matters. With long-standing relationships in the sector, Robert and his team are uniquely placed to help clients unlock opportunities on hotel deals in Asia Pacific.

HICAPU17 Speaker Bios & Photos - HICAP...

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