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| Sue Sanders |
The strategic promotions and new
leadership team additions include Sue Sanders to executive vice
president, chief strategy and administrative officer; Wilson Turner to
senior vice president, human resources; Angie Cook to senior vice
president of accounting and finance; Suzanne Saunders to senior vice
president of design and construction; and Bob Kisker to vice president
of operations.
"The addition of nine hotels in
just the first half of this year is a direct reflection of the stellar
financial performance delivered by our hotel operating teams, combined with the
hands-on efforts and oversight from our growth team and above property
corporate resource and support teams,” said Robert Cole, CEO, HVMG.
These recent
leadership promotions and additions are an integral step towards HVMG's quest
for continued unparalleled financial success, while executing its strategic
growth objectives.
Based on its
current pipeline, HVMG anticipates that its accelerated growth trajectory will
continue, reinforcing the company’s decision to augment its leadership team and
corporate resources.
As it stands today, HVMG has approximately 1.2 corporate associates for every HVMG hotel.
“The
dedication and focus of Sue, Wilson, Angie, Suzanne and Bob, along with our
other 60-plus above property corporate team members has been more than
excellent," Cole added.
"These
promotions reflect one of our philosophies that if organizations are not
constantly evolving and consistently looking at ways to improve, they can
stagnate and not develop.
"We are
very passionate about looking inward when openings and new positions are
created, and we recognize that maximizing the top- and bottom-line performance
of our existing portfolio is our top priority and most important pathway to
achieving our growth objectives."
From January to June 2023, HVMG's key performance metrics soared compared to most of its competitors and the rest of the industry, evidenced by a same-store RevPAR growth of 13% and an impressive 6% in consolidated market share/RevPAR index growth.
The company
has grown consolidated market share in seven of the
past eight years.
"In the
first half of 2023, HVMG again set an industry benchmark, demonstrating robust
same-store and portfolio-wide performance across financial, market share and
guest satisfaction measures.
"Our consistent upward trajectory is a
testament to our unwavering commitment to our purpose …To be excellent in
all that we do so our associates, guests and partners LOVE us!” Cole
stated.
Sue Sanders, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Administrative Officer
In her new role, Sanders works with company leaders to define strategies to
extend and defend the company in the short-term, build emerging capabilities in
the medium-term and create viable options for the long-term.
She provides oversight for accounting
& finance, human resources & talent and corporate public relations
& marketing communications.
Sanders joined HVMG in 2010 as vice
president of strategic planning and human resources.
During her tenure with the company, she has been responsible for
many strategic initiatives and teams, including the design and build of HVMG’s
company brand, strategic plan and management routines; design and oversight of
the property transition process and playbook; leader of the development of all
core human resources and talent programs; and leader of the investor, brand
partner and General Manager annual satisfaction assessment process.
More recently, she led the design and build of HVMG’s Talent Acquisition Center of Excellence (TACOE), the company’s centralized talent recruiting team, and XLR8, a fast-track program to develop new select-service general managers.
Also under her direction, HVMG has received the Atlanta Journal and Constitution’s “Top Workplaces” award five times in a row.
Prior to joining HVMG, Sanders worked as a management consultant for eight years supporting leading organizations to improve their enterprise performance management processes through strategic planning and related methods for clients including The Coca-Cola Company, Marriott International and the American Red Cross.
Before then, she worked in the hotel
industry in positions across organizational development, training, quality
management and hotel operations for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Lodgian,
Inc., and Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
Her hospitality industry experience
also includes a five-year adjunct faculty appointment at New York University's
Robert Preston Tisch Center for Hospitality Travel and Tourism.
Sanders serves on the Hospitality Board of Directors for Georgia State
University and the Georgia Women in Lodging Steering Committee. She holds MBAs
from Columbia Business School and London Business School and a BS in Marketing
from The Florida State University.
 |
| Angie Cook |
In her new position, Cook will oversee the total accounting function for the
organization, expanding her role to oversee the management company financials,
risk management and information systems.
She joined HVMG in October of 2015 as the vice president of
accounting and finance.
Cook is a certified public accountant
with more than two decades of hospitality experience, working with REITs and
start-ups on such topics as organization re-structuring and SEC reporting.
Prior to joining HVMG, Cook was the controller of Intown Suites
Extended Stay Living, vice president at Cratos Capital and manager of
accounting and general manager at Lodgian.
Cook has a BS in Business Administration and Accounting from Troy
State University.
 |
| Suzanne Saunders |
Suzanne Saunders, Senior Vice President of Design and Construction
As senior
vice president of design & construction, Saunders is responsible for the
team leading the execution of HVMG's many renovations and development projects,
as well as project management and CapEx processes, working closely with owners,
the HVMG business Development team, external consultants and the company's
investor and brand partners.
Most recently, Saunders served as
senior vice president of construction for First Hospitality where she oversaw
over $90mm in new construction and renovations.
Prior to that, she was vice president
of design and construction for HVMG and vice president of design services for
Hyatt Hotels for the Americas with a focus on launching the Hyatt Place and
Hyatt House brands.
Saunders previously worked in a variety
of corporate real estate and development management roles for companies like
Panera Bread, Jack-in-the-Box, American Airlines and Taco Bell.
She was an industrial engineer with LTV
Aerospace/Northrup Grumman, where she held a secret military clearance
supporting the design and manufacturing of the B-2 Stealth Bomber Program.
Saunders holds a BS in Industrial
Technology and an AAS in Drafting Technology from Lamar University.
 |
| Wilson Turner |
Wilson Turner,
Senior Vice President of Human Resources
As senior
vice president of human resources, Turner is responsible for sourcing and
developing talent, executing the TACOE and XLR8 programs and supporting core
human resources programs and services.
Among other
things, Turner oversees associate relations, HR compliance, human resources
leader development, benefits programs and associate engagement.
With three
decades of leadership experience, Turner began his human resources career in
manufacturing and subsequently spent a large portion of his career in the media
and entertainment industry where he served in various senior leadership roles.
Turner began
working with HVMG through a professional employer organization (PEO)
partnership in 2017 and officially joined the HVMG team in 2020.
He has
significant experience in acquisitions, growth-oriented companies, compliance,
organizational and leadership development and employee relations.
Turner holds
an MBA from Saint Leo University and a BA in Business from North Carolina State
University.
 |
| Bob Kisker |
Bob Kisker, Vice
President of Operations
As vice
president of operations, Kisker supports HVMG's hotels in delivering premium
performance that creates value for owners.
He joined
HVMG in 2018 as general manager and was quickly promoted to area general
manager in 2019 and regional director of operations in 2022, successfully
working to increase profitability, guest service and RevPar index in the hotels
he oversaw. He is a member of the Circle of Excellence, HVMG's highest
honor.
Before his
time at HVMG, Kisker worked for 16 years for the Dow Hotel Company as a general
manager and then regional director of operations over the company's hotels in
Texas and Pa., as a general manager at Starwood Hotels and Resorts and a
general manager for Boykin Management Company.
Kisker has a
degree in Hotel Administration from the University of Tennessee.
About Hospitality Ventures Management Group
Robert S. Cole
Hospitality Ventures Management Group is a privately owned, fully integrated hotel investment and management group that specializes in turning around and repositioning underperforming hotels, as well as maximizing the performance of stabilized hotels.
HVMG currently
operates 54 hotels and one convention center in 18 states totaling 8,800 guest
rooms.
HVMG operates independent and boutique hotels
and resorts, as well as full-service, select-service and extended-stay hotels
under the Marriott, Hilton, Hard Rock, Sonesta and IHG brands.
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Contact:
Chris Daly
President
DG Public Relations
(703) 864-5553
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