HEI Hotels & Resorts and Mission Hill Hospitality have added seasoned executives to their leadership teams.
HEI Hotels & Resorts
HEI Hotels & Resorts, a hospitality investment and management company, has promoted four veteran employees to principals.
Karl Murphy has been named chief commercial officer. He joined the company in 2005. With more than 20 years of experience, he is responsible for devising sales, revenue and marketing strategies aimed at harnessing the commercial power of the organization to drive results. Prior to HEI, he held various corporate roles with brands such as Virgin, Bass PLC and The Body Shop International.
Dan Walworth has been promoted to chief compliance & strategy officer. He has been with HEI since 2007 and was promoted from EVP/chief compliance officer. He oversees HEI’s enterprise platforms and is responsible for ensuring the company’s programs, technologies and resources align with its operating strategies. He has spent more than 25 years developing and implementing innovative processes, systems and strategies across multiple industries.
Rachel Moniz has been named COO. She joined HEI in 2008 and was promoted from EVP, operations. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of HEI and works alongside the wider management team to set and achieve comprehensive goals for performance and growth. She has worked in several executive leadership positions for more than 20 years in independent, luxury and lifestyle hotels prior to joining HEI.
Marcus Harris has been named CFO. He oversees company and property-level finances and manages accounting, investor relations, strategic planning and corporate strategy. He has brought to HEI more than 20 years of hospitality experience in both brand-owned/operated assets, as well as independently owned/operated assets. Prior to joining the company in 2002, he held various roles with Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International.
“Karl, Dan, Rachel and Marcus have all demonstrated leadership and passion so deserving of being named principals to the firm,” said Anthony Rutledge, CEO/managing partner, HEI Hotels & Resorts. “All four share a tremendous passion to win and work ethic, and each possesses a unique skill set that continues to drive significant value for our associates, owners, guests and brand partners. Their promotions today will undoubtedly position HEI for strong continued results and attendant growth, both in our talented associates and assets under management.”
Mission Hill Hospitality
Mission Hill Hospitality, a KSL Capital Partners portfolio company recently launched to transform select-service and extended-stay hotel investing, has added Tom Barber, Mark Fraioli and Mike Wilbert as managing directors. Each leads a team with a targeted strategy to build the Mission Hill portfolio. Carmen Almos has also joined as SVP, asset management, focused on maximizing hotel performance.
“We’re delighted to have the highly talented team of Tom, Mark, Mike and Carmen on board to help us continue our growth trajectory,” said Greg Kennealey, CEO, Mission Hill. “It was critical that we build an experienced, dedicated select-service team that will help us actively expand and create the highest quality portfolio of hand-picked assets. Our team is off to a strong start, having recently acquired 12 hotels throughout the U.S.”
Barber brings decades of deep hospitality experience to Mission Hill. Previously, he served as global chief development officer of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, where he had direct global responsibility for sales, design and construction. As head of corporate development for Wyndham, he led the spinoff of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from Wyndham Worldwide, the $2-billion acquisition of La Quinta Hotels & Resorts, and the $1.3 billion divestiture of European Rentals, among other transactions. Earlier in his career, he was director of mergers and acquisitions at Credit Suisse.
Fraioli has extensive experience in select-service hotels, including roles in the Investment sales division of JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group, with a special emphasis on select-service hotels in urban and suburban areas. In his 12-year career as a hotel broker, he has advised the sales of hotels affiliated with all the major brand families, from mid-market transactions priced below $10 million to portfolio transactions more than $100 million. During the most recent real estate cycle, he advised the sale of more than 65 hotels and portfolios, collectively valued at more than $1.8 billion. Prior to JLL, he worked for Marriott International from 2001-2006 in roles that included franchise sales, financial analysis and management contract negotiation.
Wilbert has spent his career focused solely on the select-service segment of the hotel industry. He joins Mission Hill Hospitality from Tishman Hotels, where he was an SVP. Previously, he served as VP, acquisitions & dispositions for Apple Hospitality REIT. He started his career in corporate finance at HEI Hotels & Resorts.
Almos brings extensive hotel operations and financial management knowledge to her new role as SVP, acquisitions. Prior to joining Mission Hill Hospitality, she played a pivotal role in growing the select-service hotel portfolio for Investra Capital, a Dubai-based private equity firm, acquiring more than $400 million in assets for the firm and serving as the portfolio asset manager. Earlier in her career, she served in an asset management capacity for IFA Hotels & Resorts, as well as a bankruptcy analyst, developing numerous plans of reorganization for hotel debtors in Chapter 11.