Sue Sanders
EVP & Chief Strategy and Administrative Officer
"I can't change the direction of the wind but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."
- Jimmy Dean
Susan (Sue) M. Sanders is a hospitality executive and strategic business leader with more than 30 years of experience in operational excellence, organizational growth, leadership development, and talent strategy. She is known for guiding organizations through expansion, transformation, and industry change.
Currently Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy & Administrative Officer at Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG), Sanders oversees enterprise strategy, human resources, talent initiatives, and corporate communications. Since joining HVMG in 2010, she has helped shape the company's strategic direction and culture. Sanders also led the launch of HVMG's Talent Acquisition Center of Excellence, an innovative recruiting model that strengthened staffing and workforce development during the post-pandemic recovery. Under her leadership, HVMG has earned repeated recognition as a Top Workplace by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Before HVMG, Sanders spent eight years as a management consultant focused on strategic planning, organizational development, and performance management, advising organizations including The Coca-Cola Company, Marriott International, and the American Red Cross.
Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, and Lodgian, Inc., and with responsibilities spanning organizational development, training, quality management, and hotel operations.
Sanders also served for five years as an adjunct faculty member at New York University's Tisch Center for Hospitality, Travel and Tourism. She serves on the Hospitality Board of Directors for Georgia State University, the Georgia Women in Lodging Steering Committee, and the Board of Directors for HealthMPowers.
She holds MBAs from Columbia Business School and London Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Florida State University.
Experience
- 2023 - Present : EVP & Chief Strategy & Administrative Officer, HVMG
- 2020 – 2023 : EVP & Chief Human Resource Officer, HVMG
- 2010 - 2020 : SVP, Strategic Planning & Chief Human Resource Officer, HVMG
- 2003 - 2010 : Management Consulting
- 2000 - 2003 : Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc
- 1996 - 2000 : Lodgian, Inc
- 1991 - 1996 : The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Robert S. Cole
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Pete Sams
President
Michael "Woody" Woodward
EVP & Chief Growth Officer
Richard Jones
EVP & Chief Operating Officer
Matthew Woodruff
EVP & Chief Brand Partner Officer
Ronald Mader
SVP, Operations
Bob Kisker
SVP, Operations
Andy Wardner
SVP, Acquisitions & Asset Management
Suzanne Saunders
SVP, Design & Construction
Jessica Myers
SVP, Finance & Accounting
Wilson Turner
SVP, Human Resources
Melissa Arana
SVP, Revenue Performance and Analytics
Maggie Rosa
VP, Operations
Jamison Conrey
VP, Engineering, Capital Projects & Risk Management
Bryan Gatzemeyer
VP, Business Intelligence and Analytics
Heidi Nielsen
VP, Business Development
Nikki Thomas
Corporate VP of Sales
Doll Wicker
Corporate VP of Commercial Strategy
Carla McDonald
Regional VP of Commercial Revenue Strategy
Carleigh Murphy
Corporate Director of Finance & Accounting
Bill Gentile
Corporate Director, Food & Beverage
Kim Brooks-Martin
Corporate Director of Sales Strategy and Performance
Denise Hanas
Corporate Director of Marketing Strategy
Ashley Steele
Corporate Director of Operations
Mandisa Brown de González
Corporate HR Director, Programs & Support
Margarita Quintero
Corporate HR Director, Transitions & Support
Ken Morgan
Director of Operations
Harvey Acevedo
Director of Project Management
Carolann Hardy
Director of Operations Performance and Support
Corey Dutra
Director of Acquisitions & Financial Analysis