Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series

Ruben is Co-Founder and Principal of Spark Hudson where he primarily provides strategic hotel advisory services for family offices, investors, developers, and operators. The firm’s core capabilities flex across hotel asset management, acquisitions, development, and operations management. Ruben has over 10 years of professional experience that spans finance, real estate, and hospitality management. His journey […]

Andreas is the Lead Partner – Hospitality & Leisure based in our London office. He has extensive advisory and M&A experience across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the USA. As a member of the Travel, Hospitality & Services Executive for Deloitte NSE and Middle East he is responsible for shaping the Hospitality […]

Malaika Myers has had a 25+ year career in Human Resources, working in the chemical, consumer products, and hospitality industries for public and private companies.  She currently has the honor of leading the human resources function as Chief Human Resources Officer for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Prior to joining Hyatt, Malaika led the human resources functions […]

Since April 2021, Michael Gross has been the CEO of Knotel, a leading amenitized, flexible office provider in North America and Europe. Prior to that, Michael joined WeWork in March 2013 as CFO, was responsible for capital raising and strategic partnerships, and launched the company’s enterprise sales offering.  In 2015, Michael became Vice Chairman of […]

Ama Romaine is the Executive Vice President & General Counsel of Progress Residential, the single-family rental company owned by private equity firm Pretium Partners. Before joining Progress, Ms. Romaine served in various positions with increasing responsibility across the Blackstone portfolio, serving first as the General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer at G6 Hospitality, the parent […]

Keith served as Chief Executive Officer of IHG® before stepping down in June of 2023. He was responsible for implementing IHG’s strategy for high-quality growth and generating industry leading value creation for hotel owners, operators and shareholders. This strategy focuses on strengthening a diverse portfolio of differentiated brands, building scale in key markets, creating lifetime […]

Will Guidara is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality. He is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which under his leadership was named the Best Restaurant in the World. He is the host of The Welcome Conference, a Co-Producer on the Emmy Award-winning series The Bear, and is a recipient […]

Christina Tosi is the rule-breaking, award-winning chef and founder of Milk Bar, named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in the World in 2022, whose inventive and nostalgic treats have fueled a national dessert empire with locations across the USA, a robust e-commerce platform, and products in grocery stores nationwide. Guided by classic American […]

Mr. Del Rio is President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NYSE: NCLH), a leading global cruise operator which operates Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. During his tenure, Mr. Del Rio has successfully led NCLH in delivering industry-leading financial results, providing an unparalleled guest experience and expanding […]

Chef Ming Tsai is a James Beard & Emmy Award-Winning chef, philanthropist, TV personality, and entrepreneur. He is the creator of award-winning restaurants, author of five cookbooks, and current host/executive producer of PBS-TV’s Simply Ming. In 2022, Chef Ming became Iron Chef Ming Tsai as he joined the cast of 5 world-class chefs in the […]