(Cornell University Alumni)

Michelle Woodley is President of Preferred Travel Group. In this role, she oversees multiple departments across the company including sales, marketing, IT, revenue management, and customer relations. She also works closely with CEO Lindsey Ueberroth on financial planning and talent management, supports the development of other strategic areas of focus within the organization, and serves as a company spokesperson.

Since joining the company in 2002, Michelle has held various leadership positions with cross-functional responsibilities including Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Strategy, Senior Vice President of Distribution & Revenue Management, and Executive Vice President. She has used her expertise to help the company successfully execute on major global initiatives designed to foster longevity of the Preferred brand such as two comprehensive rebranding initiatives, the launch of multiple brand websites, the introduction and institutionalization of a Revenue Management Certification Program, the technology conversion of the company’s global central reservation system and call center services, and the creation of the I Prefer Hotel Rewards program. In 2018, several months after she was named President, she received recognition by Hotel Management as one of the most influential women in hospitality.

Previously, Michelle spent five years as Vice President of Distribution for Swissôtel and Raffles Hotels & Resorts, charged with overseeing the strategic direction and operations of the company’s electronic distribution and database solutions. She held various senior positions in operations, marketing, and distribution with Swissôtel from 1990 to 1997.

Michelle is currently on the Sabre Hospitality Executive Advisory Board and Americas Board of Directors of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), and also serves as Chair of the HSMAI Foundation. She served two terms as president and two terms as vice president of the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA), and she was a founding member of the Open Travel Alliance (OTA) serving two terms on their board of directors as treasurer. Michelle is a graduate of Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and is based in Chicago.

(Tufts University Alumni)

Jonathan M. Tisch is Co-Chairman of the Board of Loews Corporation and Executive Chairman of its subsidiary Loews Hotels & Co. Prior to assuming the role of Executive Chairman, Tisch was Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels & Co. and has been an officer of the Company since 1986.

Tisch has led Loews’ expansion and emergence as a prominent and respected hotel company with a widely praised culture that embraces the power of partnerships—with team members, guests, communities, and owners. He was voted “Hotelier of the World” by HOTELS magazine.

Recognized nationally as a statesman for the multibillion-dollar travel and tourism industry, Tisch is Chairman Emeritus of the U.S. Travel Association and previously served as chairman of the Travel Business Roundtable and the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Committed to a vibrant tourism industry locally, Tisch served for nearly six years as chairman of NYC & Company, New York City’s official tourism agency, and was chairman of New York Rising, which was established to bring back visitors and revive the economy after 9/11. Crain’s New York Business named him one of the “Top 10 Most Influential Business Leaders” and inducted him into its Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals who have transformed the City in both their professional work and in their civic and philanthropic activities.

Tisch is the author of three bestselling books: The Power of We: Succeeding Through Partnerships, Chocolates on the Pillow Aren’t Enough: Reinventing the Customer Experience, and Citizen You: Doing Your Part to Change the World. He hosted the Emmy-nominated television series Beyond the Boardroom.

Tisch is a champion of corporate responsibility and active citizenship. More than 25 years ago, he initiated the Loews Hotels Good Neighbor Policy, a recipient of the US President’s Service Award. He is currently Vice Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Tufts University, and is the naming benefactor of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts. In 2017, he was honored by the New York University School of Professional Studies with the naming of the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, of which he has been a driving force for years. He is a founding board member and Chairman of The Shed, New York City’s cultural center for arts and ideas, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Hospital for Special Surgery.

A co-owner of the New York Giants, Tisch was instrumental in bringing the 2014 Super Bowl to the NYC metropolitan area and served as co-chair of the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee.

(University of Toronto Scarborough Alumni)

Hamza Khan is a best-selling author and global keynote speaker whose TEDx talk “Stop Managing, Start Leading” has been viewed nearly two million times. He is a top-ranked university educator and respected thought leader whose insights have been featured by notable media outlets such as VICE, Business Insider, and The Globe and Mail. Hamza is trusted by the world’s preeminent organizations to enhance human potential and optimize performance. His clients include the likes of Microsoft, PepsiCo, LinkedIn, Deloitte, Salesforce, TikTok, and over 100 colleges and universities. As the Co-Founder of SkillsCamp, a leading soft skills training company, Hamza is on a mission to empower organizations to thrive in the future of work. From Fortune 500 boardrooms to international conferences, Hamza regularly shares actionable insights on the topics of leadership, resilience, and productivity. Learn more at hamzakhan.ca

Stop Managing, Start Leading | Hamza Khan | TEDxRyersonU

The Burnout Gamble | Hamza Khan | TEDxUTSC

(Penn State University Alumni)

Alex has been a Hilton Team Member for five years, where he supports strategy and program development to further strengthen Hilton as a leader in hospitality. Throughout his time at Hilton, he helped create and announce the company’s first-ever corporate foundation, launched Hilton's Travel with Purpose 2030 Goals, and improved owner relations to fortify Hilton as hotel owners’ first brand of choice. In his current role, Alex leads responsible sourcing and sustainability for Hilton Supply Management and across the company's supply chain.

Prior to Alex's experience at Hilton, he worked on-the-ground in the hospitality industry for six years to master the skills of consumer-facing roles. He has experienced what it is like to clean 12 rooms in eight hours, powered through the rush of 3pm check-in, and has managed serving eight tables at once when the restaurant was down a server.

(St. John's University Alumni) 

April Merenda has held key positions within the hospitality and tourism industry over the past 4 decades, most notably being the  President  and Co-Founder of Gutsy Women Travel, LLC, the largest niche marketing company promoting travel designed for women and their unique interest. Gutsy Women Travel is operated by Club Adventures which is a division of AAA Extraordinary Vacations.

Ms. Merenda is highly regarded for her high energy and hands-on approach to business development and has solidified major industry relationships within the Hospitality industry. Merenda, daughter of an Italian immigrant family from Salerno, Italy, was born and raised in Brooklyn N.Y. and earned her Bachelor’s of Science Degree and her Masters in Leadership Management at St. John’s University; where she taught as an adjunct Professor within the Hospitality Management program for 12 years while simultaneously being employed as an Assistant Dean/External Affairs for the College of Professional Studies.

April is currently an Assistant Professor/Industry Professional tenure-track within the Hospitality Management program at St.John's University and brings a wealth of industry experience and networking opportunities to the classroom. She recently accepted the position of Director of International Hospitality Management M. S. at St.John's University.

(Cornell University Alumni)

With a background in hospitality and facility operations, Claire joined the hotel industry to further its environmental responsibilities. Working at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in Housekeeping and as the property's Sustainability Champion, her passion for sustainability led her to Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Global Citizenship team, where she embedded corporate responsibility programs throughout the organization. Post the acquisition of Starwood by Marriott International, Claire joined Marriott's sustainability team to provide strategic direction, planning and execution of the company's sustainability platforms globally, in addition to now also managing the company’s ESG reporting. Dedicated to the goal of improving sustainability within hotel operations, Claire received her degree in hotel management from Cornell University and is a certified LEED Green Associate. In her free time, Claire raises awareness and funding for Alzheimer's research and enjoys far-flung travel destinations to embrace new cultures and better understand our global challenges.

(Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston Alumni)

David Tortora brings more than 15 years of industry experience to the position, including five-star luxury experience.

David Tortora has been named director of operations at Conrad New York Midtown. The 562-room luxury hotel located in the heart of Manhattan, features select king- and queen-bed rooms, spacious suites and a selection of premium accommodations. Tortora oversees all operational departments at the hotel, including guest relations, food and beverage, housekeeping, front office, security and engineering.

Prior to joining Conrad New York Midtown, Tortora was with Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, for over five years, most recently serving as director of rooms for the 701-room luxury resort, playing an integral role in the reopening of the resort following a property-wide transformation. Tortora graduated from Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston with a degree focused on Hotel and Restaurant Management. He is a native New Yorker from Queens and very familiar with the city market.

(Seton Hall University and Washington University in St. Louis Alumni)

Beth Hendler-Grunt is the founder and president of Next Great Step. The firm’s sole focus is to guide college students and recent grads to help them to land the job they deserve. She leverages techniques and insights of advising CEOs and brings those secrets to students to help them stand out and get the job. She has enabled hundreds of clients to achieve success where 90% of clients land the job of their choice. Ms. Hendler-Grunt is the author of the Amazon #1 Best Seller, “The Next Great Step: The Parents’ Guide to Launching Your New Grad into A Career”. This is a must-have resource for parents. Ms. Hendler-Grunt has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, SiriusXM radio, Kiplinger, CNN, Fortune, and many other media outlets. Her clients have landed jobs at Amazon, Yelp, JP Morgan, EY, and Major League Baseball to name a few. She is also the mom of a recent college grad and college sophomore… so she gets it.

(University of Missouri-Columbia Alumni) 

Cara Hays is a Senior Account Manager at SimplyBe. Agency., a boutique, personal branding agency with offices in Chicago and Nashville. SimplyBe. helps corporate teams and individuals harness the power of their personal brands, increasing recognition and ROI.

As one of the leading Account Managers in the agency, Cara has worked with some of the largest and most notable clients—spanning from CEOs to entrepreneurs to non-profit leaders, and large organizations—helping them bring their unique messaging to life.

Outside of SimplyBe., Cara has her own successful personal brand as a certified life coach and influencer, garnering over 1M+ views across social media. Inspired by SimplyBe.'s trademarked methodology, Cara's brand is a living testament to the effectiveness of SimplyBe.’s approach to personal branding.

At large, Cara's drive is to help individuals, leaders, and executives discover their own personal, authentic message to share with the world. From there, she helps them create rock-solid marketing strategies, develop impactful and memorable content to move the needle, and thereby reach and exceed their business goals.

(Virginia Tech - Pamplin College of Business Alumni)

Alice Walsh, is a 20 year hospitality sales veteran. As Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Aimbridge, she oversees the Global Sales team and supports a portfolio of select and full service hotels including Marriott, Wyndham, Hyatt, IHG and Hilton in varying markets, and is responsible for more than $700 million in top line revenue.Previous experience includes three years with HEI Hotels & Resorts and 12 years with Interstate Hotels & Resorts where she held various sales and marketing leadership positions, primarily in major US markets and Toronto. Alice earned her Finance and Sociology degree at Virginia Tech, and is passionate about leadership and developing her team.

(University of Massachusetts Amherst Alumni)

Leon is an experienced Sales and Marketing professional with recognized track record of leading and motivating sales teams to achieve targeted results for company. Proven change leader who thrives on entrepreneurial thinking and creative solutions to shift market share. Passionate about talent recruitment and retention with deep and broad client and industry relationships.

He was named Managing Director - East for United Airlines in November 2021 and is responsible for developing and leading the market and overall field strategy for corporate accounts specific to the east field division.

Prior to joining United, he was VP of Sales, Full-service & Luxury Brands for the Mid-America rejoin of Marriott Hotels and had been with the company for nearly 20 years in various capacities.

(Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management)

Michael Laumanns is a passionate hotelier with an extensive B2B, business travel sales background. Primarily focusing on strategic account management, Michael has held various positions in both a leadership and account management capacity for the segment for 15+ years.

Michael started his hospitality career in hotel operations in France and Germany and relocated to the United States after finalizing his studies in business administration and hotel management.

After various roles in global hotel sales, Michael joined Accor in early 2014 and currently holds the position of Executive Director, Global Sales, Business Travel.

(Cornell University Alumni)

Emma Scher is the Lead of Customer Success with ZS Associates helping to drive personalization for restaurants, airlines and hotels. She spends her time leveraging data to create operational excellence for clients. She has passion for not only the data side of the business but also hospitality operations themselves stemming from over 10 years of restaurant and hotel experience.

(Cornell University Alumni)

Kim is an OTA industry professional with over 12 years of experience in account management, sales, revenue management, and partnerships.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in hospitality from The Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, with a concentration in revenue management.

Kim started her career in hospitality, working at events at Marriott & international revenue with Hyatt. She joined Expedia Group in 2013, working on various teams in Chicago & San Francisco before relocating to fantastic NYC in 2016.

Kim played a large role in driving NYC’s recovery efforts in the pandemic, helping facilitate Expedia Groups’ Revive & Relief and Healthcare Heroes efforts. In Fall of 2021, she was promoted to Director of NYC and is thrilled at the opportunity to lead the team in the goal to reignite NYC & help set the team, travelers, and partners up for success in the many years to come.

In her spare time, Kim loves to attend concerts and travel. She recently attended LCD Soundsystem’s 20 show residency at Brooklyn Steel and is headed to Turks & Caicos over MLK weekend for her next vacation.

(Le Cordon Bleu North America Alumni)

Heather Raich has over 30 years of experience in the hospitality sector. She is a former Chef and restaurant owner in San Francisco and held positions at OpenTable, Toast POS, Restaurant Solutions Inc. and most recently Pudu Robotics. Her passion for helping industry professionals is attributed to her relentless commitment to be of service. Heather feels strongly that utilizing robotic automation in hospitality brings meaningful outcomes to employees and the guest experience.

(Simmons University - MBA Alumni)

A transformational executive, Carol has an impressive history of working for international hotel companies to drive sales and revenue growth. In 2020 she transitioned from a long-term corporate hotel career into owning and running her own firm as an executive recruiter for the hospitality industry.

With an ability to relate to the people hiring for today’s workforce, Carol now focuses upon helping companies to build the best teams for their organization. Carol works with hotel brands, hotel management companies, asset management teams and directly with hiring authorities on property and within corporate offices in many different types of companies to help them to clarify their talent acquisition strategies and to help them to find bullseye candidates. Carol works closely with leaders to understand goals, challenges and opportunities and then works with our team of over 300 people within Patrice and Associates to source and secure A++ talent.

Frequently invited as a keynote speaker at major industry events, a luminary member of Castell College Carol is supporting and working closely with the next generation of hotel and hospitality executives as they develop and make their mark upon the hotel industry. Her reputation and experience allow her to blend a long history of working for hotels and hotel companies with a successful recruiting practice that works across the USA.

Prior to recruiting, Carol was a senior sales executive for multiple hotel companies where she was consistently challenged to develop and drive new strategies for growth and success. She started in the industry with Omni Hotels and Resorts and held positions that gave her on the ground sales and marketing experience. She went on to work for Starwood Hotels and Resorts as member of the Global Strategic Account Management Team and from there held multiple Vice President of Sales roles with Dolce Hotels and Resorts, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and Sonesta Hotels and Resorts. She has both domestic and international hotel experience and brings the right blend of experience and understanding to the table to benefit all of her recruiting clients.

(Ryerson University Alumni)

Kareem Rahaman is an award-winning entrepreneur and strategy specialist and is the current VP Growth at Juno College of Technology, Canada's original coding school. A trailblazer in the Canadian higher education scene, he’s occupied and created positions and brands that have been adopted nationwide. A lifelong journey in entrepreneurship has led him to co-found Splash Effect, a digital marketing agency with a strong focus on helping brands and nonprofits engage their target markets as well as SkillsCamp, a school for soft skills. Kareem holds a BComm from Ryerson University, a certificate in Advanced Social Media Strategy from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and is a Section4 Certified Brand Strategist.

(Cornell University Alumni)

Michael J. Tews is an Associate Professor in the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State University, where he teaches courses in human resource management. Michael earned his PhD from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, specializing in human resource management and organizational behavior. Michael also earned his BS from Cornell University and his MS from the Department of Industrial Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Michael’s research focuses on the application of industrial and organizational psychology to the hospitality industry. His work examines issues relating to employee recruiting and selection, training and development, and employee retention. His work has appeared in journals such as Personnel Psychology, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Organizational Research Methods, International Journal of Selection and Assessment, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, and the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.

On an applied front, Michael has conducted management opinion surveys, developed employee selection systems, and designed management development programs for a variety of organizations. Michael has also worked as a recruiter and trainer in the hospitality, biotechnology, and information technology industries.

(Harvard University Alumni)

Ed Salvato is an Instructor in tourism, hospitality, marketing and DEI at New York University’s Tisch Center of Hospitality and a Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Texas Semester in New York (UTNY). Widely viewed as the world’s leading LGBTQ travel expert, he offers Inclusive hospitality training to major travel, tourism & hospitality brands around the globe. Ed also manages LGBTQ content at PROUD Experiences and runs the LGBTQ Travel Pavilion at the New York Travel & Adventure Show. Ed co-authored the Handbook of LGBT Tourism & Hospitality Marketing: A Guide for Business Practice (Columbia University Press). Ed has his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and an MBA from Northeastern University. He’s an avid cyclist, Getty Images contributor, and passionate traveler.

(University of Phoenix / Universitas Pelita Harapan Alumni)

Dr. Hassan Abdulhaqq is the Director of Human resources overseeing Talent Acquisition, Health & Wellness, Retention & Engagement, Total Rewards, and Learning & Development for one of the largest Non – Profit Agencies in Long Island with over 3000 employees. Dr. Abdulhaqq is an accomplished HR Executive with over 25 years extensive experience in Branding Global HR teams. Hassan has managed start-ups, Fortune 100 companies and mid-size Recruitment Functions leading HR teams as many as 200 HR professionals at one time.

Dr. Abdulhaqq is a practitioner who also is an adjunct professor for numerous institutions such as NYU, Stony Brook University, Columbia University, University of Phoenix, and a few other academic institutions. His teaching experience primarily focuses on Branding, Total Rewards, HR & Business-related courses to Doctoral candidates, MBA students and Undergrads throughout the US and Abroad. He is a captivating motivational speaker and consultant who travels nationally and internationally to corporations, higher education institutions, and other nonprofit organizations.

Dr. Abdulhaqq’s successes have been acknowledged globally as he won a ICMS Innovator award, ,bronze Stevie Award, the American Business Award& Human Resources Executive of The Year. Long Island Business News named him one of Long Island’s 50 Most Influential Men in 2012. Dr. Abdulhaqq is a chairperson of the Veteran Excellence Program.

(San Francisco State University Alumni)

Jackie is a 16 year veteran with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Starting our as Human Resources Coordinator, Jackie worked in the San Francisco Bay Area at both Fairmont San Francisco and Fairmont San Jose holding a variety of Manager and Director roles. More recently, she was promoted to Director of Culture & Belonging, where she focuses on the Bay Area properties, including Fairmont San Francisco, Claremont Resort & Spa and Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. Her title reflects the culture of the hotel group, accepting and valuing the many differences of each individual, and acknowledging that we are enriched by our collection interaction. Jackie is a key member of Accor’s North America DEI committee, committed to focusing on culture, inclusivity and belonging.

Jackie is a graduate of San Francisco State University, Hospitality Management – Hotel Management and is an honoree of the 2019 Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40.

(Mercer University Alumni) 

Jennifer’s specialty is revenue management, using a profit-based model of successful collaboration with all commercial disciplines to achieve optimal performance. In her role as Vice President of Commercial Strategy at Kalibri Labs, she relies on this experience to help clients identify and solve strategic business priorities. Jennifer partners with clients to tailor plans for adoption and the effective utilization of Kalibri Labs products to optimize revenue and profit generation capabilities. Internally, she provides critical support to a growing SaaS sales team through sales engineering and enablement.

Prior to joining Kalibri Labs, Jennifer worked with several third party management companies, and has nearly two decades of experience in operations and revenue strategy at branded and independent hotels in major markets. She is a member of HSMAI’s Revenue Optimization Advisory Board, and served as the co-chair for HSMAI’s Revenue Optimization Conference (ROC) from 2020-2022. Jennifer has served on the HSMAI Washington DC Chapter Advisory Board since 2015. In 2017, HSMAI recognized Jennifer as one of the Top 25 Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization, and awarded her the Revenue Management Professional of the Year award in 2014.

Jennifer holds a BA in American History from Mercer University, and enjoys exploring new places. When traveling, her favorite thing to do is find local street art.

(UNLV College of Hotel Administration Alumni)

A graduate of UNLV’s College of Hotel Administration, Wes started his career in Operations before moving into Sales and Regional Sales Leadership.  On suggestion from trusted leaders, his career path pivoted to Revenue Management, with roles growing in scope and scale to include hotels in Mexico and Canada, to now today leading Revenue Management at IHG’s Company Managed, Luxury, and EVEN Hotels in the United States.  With a passion for developing his team and helping them on their own defined career paths, Wes and his colleagues support revenue generation for 60 hotels through leadership, creativity, and process. He resides in San Clemente, California with his wife and 2 children, who all share his love of travel and adventure, including Scuba, Ice Hockey, and sharing meaningful moments at one of his hotels.

Dan has more than 20 years working with the New York City Police Department and for the past six years, has held Director of Safety and Security positions at two luxury NYC hotels in and near Times Square. Dan is no stranger to Crisis Management. He’s been a detective, Investigator and was Branch Manager for US Security Associates before shifting into Hospitality.

Dan will share a unique perspective of how preparation and anticipating the ‘what if’ are so vital as it relates to guest experience and the possible financial implications when a crisis occurs.

(EUDE Business School Alumni)

Maca Capocci is Selina's Global Brand Public Relations Director. Since joining the company, Capocci has brought to life Selina's communications and public relations strategies for the last five years. Leading different communication initiatives for the brand's hotels and products, Capocci has developed communication strategies, guidelines, and processes to bring strong brand awareness at a global, regional, and unit level leading multicultural teams across 25 countries. Most recently, Capocci led the PR and communication strategy for Selina's initial public offering, which concluded with the brand going public in October 2022.

Before joining Selina, Capocci worked in digital marketing consultancy, advertising sales, and event production. Capocci holds a B.A in Mass Communication, Journalism, and Marketing at UCAB in Venezuela and holds a Master's Degree in Digital Marketing from EUDE Business School in Spain.

(University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire)

Mary started her career in journalism for two hospitality industry publications before her segue into public relations, brand communications and integrated marketing. Through her journey, Mary amassed deep experience in destination, lodging, spa, food and beverage, and wellness. She has launched, positioned and repositioned countless travel and tourism entities. In 2014, she combined her legacy firm with Mower where she leads the New York City market team as well as the agency’s Travel & Tourism practice. Mary is recipient of the Winthrop W. Grice Lifetime Achievement Award in Public Relations from Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. She was a founding board member of International Spa Association and Washington Spa Alliance. Mary was appointed to the Mayoral Crisis Communications Committee, formed after 9/11 to reinvigorate New York City tourism. A contributor to travel industry publications, she has been a guest lecturer at universities including Cornell, New York University, Johnson & Wales and Boston University.

(Boston University Alumni)

Roy Madhok, SVP of Revenue & Distribution at Highgate, has overseen a variety of hotels in markets throughout North America and has worked with both brands & independents ranging in size from small independent boutique properties to branded ‘big-box’ hotels. Roy currently oversees revenue & distribution for over 300 hotels spread throughout the country. Most recently, Roy worked as Vice President of Revenue Management at Real Hospitality Group.

Roy’s passion for revenue management extends beyond the workplace as an adjunct professor at Boston University’s School of Hospitality, an author of five revenue management publications, a speaker at industry events, and as a restaurant revenue management app creator. Roy graduated from Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration.

(Fairleigh Dickinson University Alumni)

Louis Magliaro has over 30 years of travel media experience and serves as the Executive Vice President/Group Publisher of the BTN Group, which includes Business Travel News, Business Travel News Europe, Travel Procurement and The Beat.

Louis joined Northstar Travel Group in September 2010 as part of the acquisition of ProMedia.travel, of which he was a co-founder in 2006. He is responsible for overall strategic and operational leadership at the BTN Group including digital, events, editorial, research, sales, marketing, design, and custom marketing. He also plays a key role in product development having created and launched 40+ events/conferences.

He held senior leadership media/publishing positions at Nielsen, VNU, and Conde Nast and started his professional career in sales with Marriott Hotels and Crowne Plaza Hotels. Louis holds an M.B.A. in Marketing and B.S. in Hospitality & Tourism Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University and lives in New Jersey with his family.

(University of Colorado Alumni)

Michelle Heston is the Executive Regional Director of Public Relations for Accor’s luxury brands in the United States. She oversees public relations efforts for Fairmont, Sofitel and Raffles holdings in the US, Hawaii and Caribbean.

In addition to media outreach, advertising and brand communication activities, she is responsible for exploring, cultivating and leveraging cross marketing relationships for the brands. She also proudly spearheads Accor’s Planet 21 (“environmental stewardship program) and serves as a national crisis management team lead.

Immediately prior to her post with Fairmont, she served as Director of Public Relations for the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco. In that role, she was awarded “Best of the Best” from InterContinental Hotels. Michelle has held numerous sales and managerial food and beverage positions within the hospitality industry including stints with Sheraton Hotels and the Los Angeles’ Biltmore Hotel.

“Raised and educated in the ultimate luxury destination (Aspen, CO) I learned at a very early age the impact, prestige and career opportunities the travel industry held. My parents were hippies turned entrepreneurs in Aspen’s stellar growth decades. They developed and grew a number of small businesses of which my brother, sister and I were very involved. From a very young age I as drawn to marketing and advertising- I believe I wrote and designed my first ad copy at the age of 10 for my father’s (local) real estate business.”

She earned a B.S. in Business from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She also holds an M.B.A. in Marketing.

A former adjunct professor at Golden Gate University, she continues to regularly lecture in the areas of marketing, public relations, advertising and corporate sustainability at University of California, Berkeley, Sacramento State and University of San Francisco. She also serves as an Executive Committee Member and Vice-Chair for Sonoma County Tourism. Michelle was awarded the “Spirit of Sonoma” award in recognition of her personal contributions and leadership qualities that inspire others from the Sonoma Chamber of Commerce..

Married and a mother of two adult daughters she resides in Marin County. Michelle holds an advanced Sommelier accreditation from WSET (Wine and Spirits Educational Trust). When she’s not at work she enjoys skiing/riding, cycling, hiking and baking.

Her baking recipes and “cake art” have been published nationally and have received several “blue ribbons” at various regional competitions. She appears regularly on Bay Area lifestyle television programs, where she shares her culinary passion. She also leads “in-store” cake decorating workshops for Williams-Sonoma.

(Cornell University & University of Hawai‘i - Shidler College of Business Alumni)