HVMG Expands Portfolio & Bolsters
Leadership Team while Continuing to Achieve Industry-Leading Financial Results
ATLANTA,
September 5, 2023— Hospitality Ventures Management
Group (HVMG), an Atlanta-based, private hotel third-party operator and investor,
is expanding and fortifying its leadership team as the company surges ahead,
powered by its industry-leading market share growth and impressive financial performance.
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 Florida State University.
Angie Cook, Senior Vice
President of Accounting and Finance
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 restructuring 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, 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, 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, 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.