Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series

Rohan Thakkar is the Chief Development & Strategy Officer at YOTEL, based at the company’s London headquarters. He leads YOTEL’s global growth strategy and oversees the full development lifecycle across all brand platforms, including business development, corporate strategy, and design & construction. In this capacity, Rohan is responsible for accelerating YOTEL’s expansion through management, franchise […]

Justin Wai is Blackstone’s Head of Real Estate in China, based in Hong Kong. Justin currently oversees Blackstone’s real estate business in Greater China and its investment and operational teams in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Since joining Blackstone in 2007, Justin has focused on acquiring and managing real estate investments in Greater China, including the […]

Abigail joined Aramark in the management training program after earning her degree from Cornell University in 1995. She progressed through a variety of HR and operational positions in different lines of business until 2018, when she briefly left the company for an opportunity with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. After spending almost three years with […]

Liv Gussing Burgess, founder of Luxury Hospitality Consulting, is a visionary force in luxury hospitality, transforming brand aspirations into vibrant realities across continents. With clients like Airelles in France, RH New York in the U.S., Six Senses Shaharut in Israel, and Beaverbrook in the U.K., Liv’s dynamic expertise and bold approach to innovation, strategy, and […]

For those in the know, there is only one cheesecake: Junior’s. Indeed, Junior’s has been called the “World’s Most Fabulous Cheesecake” by scores of media, including The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America, not to mention by countless celebrities, entertainers, politicians as well as other notables.  Recently, Thrillist […]

Sonja Dimond is a Principal at Copford Capital Management, the Family Office for the Dimond Family. She serves as Principal and a member of the firm’s Investment Committee, where she focuses on real estate development, creative initiatives, and strategic investments.  Prior to joining Copford, Sonja was a buyer at Bloomingdale’s, where she managed private label […]

Ashley Dimond is a Principal at Copford Capital Management, the Family Office for the Dimond Family. At Copford, Ashley focuses on real estate, venture and private equity investing, and strategic decision making. Ashley also manages the operational responsibilities for the Dimond Family Foundation. Prior to joining Copford, Ashley served as the Director of Strategy for […]

Lindsey grew up in the hospitality industry, working at her family business, Collegetown Bagels (CTB), from the age of eight. Lindsey attended Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration focusing on food and beverage operations. Upon graduation, Lindsey worked for Avero, LLC—a restaurant analytics and software company in New York City. At Avero, Lindsey oversaw the […]

Amber Sherman is a co-founder of Galleon Advisors, a results-driven management consulting firm that specializes in supporting hospitality organizations through continuous improvement initiatives. In her role as Vice President and Managing Partner, she supports hospitality real estate ownership entities, asset management groups, as well as branded and third-party management companies with the implementation of strategies to […]

Originally from Austin, Texas, Brian Kaufman is a Managing Director in the Real Estate Group at Blackstone. Prior to Blackstone, Brian was the Managing Partner of The Kaufman Companies, a privately held hospitality investment, development and asset management group in the U.S. and Europe. He previously worked at Highgate Capital Investment as Senior Vice President […]