2019 – 2020 Speakers

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Speaker: Mr. Raj Chandnani ’95, Vice President

Raj Chandnani oversees strategy for WATG. He has a wide range of hospitality industry expertise focusing on diverse segments, including consumer trends, travel and tourism, gaming, timeshare, residential and spas. […]

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Speaker: Ms. Tuesday Baptiste MMH ’15, Director of People and Culture

Tuesday Baptiste is the Director of People and Culture at Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore. She is responsible for driving a 5-star employee experience, recruiting and retaining the best and brightest […]

Lanhee Yung

Speaker: Ms. Lanhee Yung ’97, Global Head Capital Raising & Investor Relations

Lanhee Yung is a Managing Director and heads Starwood Capital’s Fundraising and Investor Relations Group globally. In this role, she is responsible for raising capital globally on behalf of the […]

Sush Torgalkar

Speaker: Mr. Sush Torgalkar ’99, President & CEO

Sush Torgalkar is President and Chief Executive Officer of Extell Development Company, a full-service, globally-acclaimed developer of residential, office, retail and hospitality properties. Operating primarily in Manhattan, the company’s impressive […]

Garnie Nygren

Speaker: Ms. Garnie Nygren ’05, Director of Operations

Garnie Nygren, the eldest daughter of Founder Steve Nygren is the COO for Serenbe. She grew up in Atlanta and Chattahoochee Hills, attended Woodward Academy and is a 1995 graduate […]

Helen Smith

Speaker: Ms. Helen Smith ’81 , Chief Customer Experience Officer

Helen Smith is British but moved to America for two years for the first time as a nine year old and was overwhelmed by Baskin Robbins and their 31 flavours […]

Jay H. Shah

Speaker: M. Jay H. Shah ’90, Chief Executive Officer

Jay H. Shah is Hersha Hospitality Trust’s Chief Executive Officer and a member of Hersha Hospitality Trust’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Shah is involved in all areas of the business […]

Jerry Lewin

Speaker: Mr. Jerry Lewin ’76, Senior Vice President of Field Operations

Jerry Lewin has worked in hospitality industry for forty-three years and spending the last thirty years with Hyatt hotels. Before joining Hyatt, Lewin served for ten years in various management […]

Barry Lewin

Speaker: Mr. Barry Lewin ’85, Partner

Prospect Hotel Advisors is the exclusive advisor for hospitality investments to the Blackstone Group, the largest owner of hospitality assets in the world.  Prospect also advises a select group of […]

Larry Lewin

Speaker: Mr. Larry Lewin ’74, President

Larry is an accomplished Senior Executive and Strategist with demonstrated success spanning international gaming, finance, and hospitality. Leveraging extensive experience with property development and high-performance management structures, Larry is a […]

Keith Barr

Speaker: Mr. Keith Barr ’92, Chief Executive Officer

Keith has been Chief Executive Officer of IHG® since July 2017. He has spent more than 25 years working in the hospitality industry, having started his career in hotel operations. […]

Anthony Capuano

Speaker: Mr. Anthony Capuano ’87, Executive Vice President, Global Chief Development Officer

Anthony Capuano is Marriott’s Executive Vice President and Global Chief Development Officer. He is responsible for the global development of all Marriott lodging brands and supervises offices in Bangkok, Barcelona, […]

Randy Garutti

Speaker: Mr. Randy Garutti ’97, Chief Executive Officer

Randy Garutti is the CEO of Shake Shack, a critically acclaimed, modern day “roadside” burger stand known for its community gathering experience, commitment to taking care of its team, premium […]

Leslie Hale

Speaker: Ms. Leslie Hale, President and Chief Executive Officer

Leslie Hale is the President and Chief Executive Officer of RLJ Lodging Trust, a leading hotel real estate investment trust. Since joining RLJ in 2005, Ms. Hale has played a […]