Alexa Poortier is the Founder of NOW Transforming Hospitality GmbH, a legacy project with a mission to boldly advance sustainability, social responsibility and principled business practice in the hospitality industry.
Alexa Poortier
Founder, NOW Transforming Hospitality
Alexa Poortier is the Founder of NOW Transforming Hospitality GmbH, a legacy project with a mission to boldly advance sustainability, social responsibility and principled business practice in the hospitality industry.
David Bailey
Senior Director - Head of Client Solutions, CBRE Hotels
David heads up Client Solutions within CBRE across EMEA. He joined CBRE in May 2013 following the acquisition of TRI Hospitality Consulting, a leading boutique hotel consultancy firm, in which he was Deputy Managing Director and co-owner.
David Taylor
Vice President, Sales & Marketing EMEA, BCD Meetings & Events
David Taylor is VP, Sales & Marketing EMEA at BCD Meetings & Events. An industry figurehead with over 25 years’ experience, starting at Hotel Brokers International (HBI), he became sales director as they joined the Grass Roots Group.
Elizabeth Ellis
Founder, Blue Marble Private
Elizabeth founded the London-based bespoke travel company, Blue Marble Private, in 2014 with a clear vision for curating meaningful and memorable experiences in all corners of the globe.
Henry Wu
President, Liverton Hotels International Inc.
Henry Wu is president of Liverton Hotels International Inc., a Toronto-based boutique hospitality company that develops, operates, manages and markets luxury hotels, extended-stay residences and restaurants. At Liverton, Henry also heads the development of novel hospitality software based on emerging cloud technology.
Jan Jacobsen
AIG Travel
With 25 years of senior-level and entrepreneurial career experience in the hospitality and travel industries, London-based Jan Jacobsen offers a wealth of expertise in sourcing, procurement, sales & marketing and revenue opportunities. In addition, he is a sought-after Business Mentor, working with individuals to build their businesses and alongside, their personal wealth.
Jim McPartlin
Vice President of Leadership Development, Forbes Travel Guide
Training has always been a passion for Jim. For 20+ years, he has been certified as a teacher in the Enneagram, which is a powerful gateway to self-awareness and understanding of others.
Dr. Joe Dispenza
Researcher, Author
Dr. Joe Dispenza is an international lecturer, researcher, corporate consultant, author, and educator who has been invited to speak in more than 33 countries on five continents. As a lecturer and educator, he is driven by the conviction that each of us has the potential for greatness and unlimited abilities.
John Ueberroth
Executive Chairman, Preferred Hotels & Resorts
John A. Ueberroth is Executive Chairman of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. John has more than 30 years of executive level experience in the travel industry, ranging from global travel agencies, to airline and travel service companies, as well as major industry associations.
Kate Ancketill
CEO and Founder, GDR Creative Intelligence
GDR Creative Intelligence is a London and New York based retail and hospitality trend and strategy consultancy, delivering the insight that unlocks and empowers innovation.
Kate founded GDR in 2000. She works with researchers, insight professionals and consultants to generate highly curated storylines on innovation within global retail and hospitality, with a short to medium term focus (2 - 7 years).
Kristie Goshow
Chief Marketing Officer, Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Kristie Goshow brings 20 years of sales, marketing, and distribution across multiple travel disciplines to her position as Chief Marketing Officer of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. In this role, she leads the company’s global marketing strategy, responsible for driving revenue, brand awareness, and engagement through the I Prefer Hotel Rewards program, all brand and cooperative marketing efforts, and e-commerce and digital marketing initiatives.
Lindsey Ueberroth
CEO, Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Lindsey Ueberroth is CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts and a member of its Board of Directors. Since joining the company in 2004, Lindsey has helped solidify the position of Preferred Hotels & Resorts as an iconic global hospitality brand, a preferred partner for independent hotels and resorts, and a trusted resource for travelers seeking an authentic, independent luxury hotel experience.
Lorraine Sileo
Senior Vice President, Research and Business Operations, Phocuswright Inc.
Lorranie Sileo launched the research division of Phocuswright Inc. in 1998. She pioneered online travel metrics adopted as the industry standard for segmentation, sizing, forecasting, analysis, and consumer planning behavior.
Michael Clarke
Product Manager, Porsche
Michael Clarke is an expert on electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Before leading the worldwide Porsche Destination Charging network, he worked for Tesla and helped build the Tesla Supercharger and Tesla Destination Charging network in Europe.
Michelle Woodley
President, Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Michelle Woodley is President of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. In this role, she oversees multiple departments across the company including sales, marketing, IT, revenue management, and customer relations.
Nader Mousavizadeh
Macro Advisor and Global Thinker
A highly regarded global thinker, Nader Mousavizadeh advises some of the world’s leading corporations, investors, and decision-makers in government, delivering actionable macro strategies and solutions.
Niki Leondakis
Former Chief Executive Officer, Equinox Fitness Clubs
With more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, building lifestyle brands and creating award winning work-place cultures to drive innovation and customer loyalty, Leondakis has consistently built and lead some of the most diverse and customer centric teams in the industry.
Paul Samadani
Senior Vice President of Information Technology, Pentair
Paul Samadani is responsible for thought leadership, strategy, and global IT teams. His cyber security work experience includes attack and penetration testing, computer network defense, incident response, forensic investigations, and analysis. He serves as an advisor to law enforcement agencies and industries such as Salesforce.com.
Penny Wing
Owner, Brojure
Travel has always been a passion for Penny Wing. By the age of 24, Penny had moved 36 times – living on four different continents. Penny has started and sold three incentive travel companies and has created special events for Fortune 500 companies in over 100 countries.
Peter Hancock
Chief Executive, Pride of Britain Hotels
Peter Hancock is in his 19th year as Chief Executive of Pride of Britain Hotels, a collection of never more than 50 independent luxury hotels all within the UK.
Rohit Talwar
Global Futurist, Chief Executive Officer, Fast Future
Rohit Talwar is a global futurist, award-winning keynote speaker, author, and the CEO of Fast Future. He works with clients around the globe such as Preferred Hotels, IHG, American Express, airlines, tourism authorities, and industry associations. His prime expertise lies in helping clients understand and shape the emerging future.
Siew Hoon Yeoh
Founder & Managing Director, WiT (Web in Travel)
Yeoh Siew Hoon is the founder of WIT, launching it in Singapore in 2005 and going on to launch WIT editions across Asia Pacific. In 2016, WIT Europe made its debut in London, days after the Brexit vote.
Suzanne Shogren
Regional Director, Ownership Group Services, Cvent
Suzanne Shogren, who brings 24 years of experience in hotel sales, training and development of sales teams, is Regional Director of Ownership Group services for Cvent, a global provider of online software for the events industry based in McLean, Virginia.
Tobias Mattstedt
Owner, BeyondHospitality
Tobias Mattstedt is a seasoned hospitality professional that combines experience ranging from senior executive roles of both luxury hotel operations - from boutique to some of the largest properties in the world - to corporate roles in both hospitality development and operations.