Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series

Robert Alter, one of the premier hotel investment and management executives in the industry. Mr. Alter is Chairman Emeritus and Founder of Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. (NYSE: SHO). After founding Sunstone in 1985, he took the company public in 1995 with 10 hotels and a total enterprise value of $75 million with revenues of $30 […]

Geoff Hill joined Roark Capital Group in June of 2009. As a Managing Director at Roark, Geoff serves on the Investment Committee and is involved in the acquisition and portfolio management of the Firm’s restaurant and multi-unit investments. Roark Capital is a Private Equity Firm based in Atlanta, GA with $11 billion of capital under […]

Cheryl Boyer is the Chief Operating Officer of Fulcrum Hospitality, a boutique operating partner, asset manager, and transaction advisor in the lodging and gaming space. The firm has principal investments in hospitality assets, maintains acquisitions relationships with major investment banks and institutional private equity firms, and asset manages or advises on over 10,000 hotel rooms […]

Allison Satter Hill currently serves as the President & CEO of The Local Pizzaiolo is a start-up fast-casual restaurant concept & company designed for fast & agile incubation, with 2 open locations in Atlanta, GA & 2 under construction (1 in Atlanta and 1 in Washington, DC) & plans for national expansion. The concept is […]

Michelle Ho is Chief Executive Officer and Developmental Licensee of McDonald’s for Macau, Zhuhai and Zhongshan, China. She speaks English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Michelle is the second of four sisters and was born in Hong Kong on 25 March. She grew up in Macau and at the age of 16, she moved to the US […]

Jackmont Hospitality is an award-winning, minority-owned foodservice management company and one of the fastest growing TGI Friday’s franchisees. In addition, the firm oversees on-site foodservice management contracts for airport concessions, healthcare foodservice, college and university foodservice, and school district dining programs. CEO and Co-founder Daniel Halpern is not just the guy who signs the checks […]

Preferred Hotels & Resorts is the world’s largest independent hotel company, providing sales, marketing, distribution, quality assurance, and guest loyalty solutions to a portfolio of more than 650 hotels, resorts, residences, and small hotel groups across 85 countries. A world traveler having visited more than 100 countries, Ms. Lindsey Ueberroth has channeled her background into […]

As the President & Chief Executive Officer of Wyndham Hotel Group, Vice Chair of the AHLA board of directors, National Chair of the U.S. Travel Association, and board of director’s member for Christel House International, Mr. Geoff Ballotti is a prime example of leadership in the hospitality industry. His position at Wyndham includes responsibility for […]

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 pivotal role in setting and executing the strategic vision at RLJ. Ms. Hale has held progressively senior roles at RLJ – she was appointed to […]

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 ingredients and cult-like following around the world. Shake Shack was born in 2001 as a hot dog cart in New York City’s Madison Square Park. […]