Several hospitality companies have announced new leadership appointments or promotions this month.
Red Roof
Red Roof appointed Lina Patel to the newly created role of director of strategic franchise initiatives. Patel is responsible for directing the growth of the Red Roof brand among diverse and underrepresented communities as well as in the franchise community at large. She will report to Chief Development Officer Matthew Hostetler.
“Lina Patel is one of the strongest advocates for growth and diversity in our industry, and we are delighted to have her join Red Roof as director of strategic initiatives,” President George Limbert said in a statement. “She brings a unique and multifaceted background as a franchise owner, industry executive and AAHOA board member to her new role.”
Patel has been a hotel owner for 23 years. Before joining Red Roof, she was a member of one of the industry’s largest franchise advisory committees. In 2007 Patel joined the board of LPS of USA, a nonprofit religious, cultural and nonpolitical organization providing support to American immigrants from India's Leuva Patidar region. She joined the board of AAHOA in 2017, and in 2022 she helped launch the organization's HerOwnership program to help further foster, promote and empower women entrepreneurs in hospitality.
“With six years of experience on the board of AAHOA, Lina Patel has a deep understanding of the challenges everyday hotel owners face, as well as their paths to success, which she has demonstrated by example in her own career,” Hostetler said. “Today, 35 percent of Red Roof's franchise system is owned or partially owned by women. We want to grow that number even further and blaze a path to success for entrepreneurs across the country. As the economy segment leader, we recognize that growth through diversity is not only right, it is good business—and we are excited to welcome Lina to drive that charge.”
Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group appointed Jarred Bussert VP of information technology. In the newly created role, Bussert is responsible for all aspects of the company's IT infrastructure, including all business applications, information security and data integrity.
"Jarred's experience and achievements demonstrate his commitment to supporting business strategies with technology infrastructure," said Greg Friedman, Peachtree's managing principal and CEO. "As Peachtree continues to grow, I am pleased to attract talented leaders to our best-in-class team. His leadership will be instrumental in building a successful and high-performing organization."
Bussert has enterprise-wide technical and IT leadership experience. Before joining Peachtree, he was vice president, information technology for Majors Management, an Atlanta-based retail operator supporting more than 1,600 locations. Bussert started his career with RaceTrac Petroleum, holding numerous leadership positions, leaving as director, information systems, responsible for all technologies across its multiple brands and more than 700 stores, including point-of-sale, supply chain, digital asset and back-office systems.
Spire Hospitality
Spire Hospitality appointed Elizabeth Hernandez Sosa SVP of accounting. She will report to CEO Chris Russell. Hernandez Sosa most recently worked at Likewize, a tech protection and support company, as its chief accounting officer. Before that, she served as vice president, corporate controller for more than seven years at Omni Hotels & Resorts.
“Hiring the right talent is essential to generating results for our owners," Russell said. "Hiring Elizabeth is another positive step in adding key leadership as we continue to grow the portfolio. We understand that the people we bring on board significantly impact our culture and success, and are thrilled to welcome Elizabeth to our team. We look forward to her sharing her extensive knowledge and experience with our accounting team and being a key leader in our management company.”
Highgate
Highgate named Matt Greene executive vice president, luxury residences. In this newly created position, Greene will report to CEO Arash Azarbarzin and will oversee Highgate’s portfolio of managed condo-hotels and residences.
“At Highgate, we are always seeking new opportunities to apply our expertise to drive value for guests and owners," Azarbarzin said. “Matt is the powerhouse who can help lead our dedicated condo-hotel/branded residences team and ensure we have all of the tools to deliver great returns for our partners.”
Before joining Highgate, Greene served as EVP, lifestyle operations for Evolution Hospitality and Aimbridge Hospitality, where he oversaw the lifestyle hotel portfolio as well as new hotel developments across the U.S. and Mexico.