Leslie Hale, president and CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust, will join Mit Shah, CEO of Noble Investment Group, for the 10th Annual Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series at the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, an education- and networking-focused event for hotel owners, developers and investors.
Hale is the president and CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust. Before joining RLJ in 2005, she held senior positions with GE in their Commercial Finance Group and Real Estate Strategic Capital Group. Previously, Hale was an investment banker with Goldman Sachs, advising on mergers, acquisitions and corporate finance. Ms. Hale earned a BBA from Howard University (summa cum laude) and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was a Goldman Sachs and Toigo Fellow.
A widely respected thought leader, Hale is the first African American woman to lead a publicly listed real estate investment trust. She serves on the board of directors for Delta Airlines, is a trustee of Howard University and is a board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. She is currently the board chair for the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
“I am honored to join Mit, Georgia State University and the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference for the 10th Annual Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series. Reflecting on my professional journey, I have immense gratitude for the depth and breadth of experiences that have shaped me and the invaluable friends and mentors who have guided me along the way. I am excited to share a few of the many lessons I have learned with those who will lead us into the future,” Hale said in a statement.
The Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series was established and endowed in honor of Dr. Bharat Shah at Georgia State’s Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration, J. Mack Robinson College of Business. An immigrant to the United States who was inspired by the transformative power of education, the vision for this series is to share the intimate and diverse personal journeys of icons whose stories of struggle, perseverance, commitment and faith have led to the realization of the American Dream.
“Leslie and I have been close friends for many years. She is a trailblazer who has continually shattered ceilings in the corporate world, epitomizing vision, resilience and excellence. Her contributions continue to shape the hospitality industry and inspire our next generation of leaders,” Mit Shah said.
The 35th Hunter Hotel Investment Conference runs from March 19-21 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.