A number of hotel companies have announced new appointments since the start of 2022.
GF Hotels & Resorts
Hotel ownership and management company GF Hotels & Resorts has promoted Lisa Drake to VP, development & owner relations. Drake has more than 10 years of hospitality experience in sales, marketing and revenue management. Since joining the company in 2018, she has helped grow GF Hotels & Resorts through its rebranding from GF Management to GF Hotels & Resorts and adding over 130 managed properties to its portfolio. The company now has more than 140 upscale and midscale U.S. hotels and resorts in its portfolio.
In her new role, Drake will focus on growth and retention in both GF’s bank workout and third-party-management divisions alongside the entire development team.
Drake graduated from Montana State University with a bachelor of science in business administration and earned her certificate in hotel revenue management from Cornell University in 2015.
Outrigger Hospitality Group
Outrigger Hospitality Group has named Shari Fujita as its new VP of finance. Fujita spent nearly 23 years with Outrigger, most recently as VP of global accounting, before joining the Aqua-Aston Hospitality team in 2015 as CFO and SVP. She spent the better part of three years at Pulama Lanai overseeing the financial group and financial systems area.
Before joining Outrigger in the 1990s, Fujita worked in the KPMG Honolulu office audit group with clients in the hospitality, banking and transportation industries.
Fujita will oversee Outrigger financing opportunities, as well as maintain Outrigger’s banking relationships in Hawaii and with mainland U.S. and international lenders. Her responsibilities will include managing liquidity, being an active lead in development efforts and providing asset management oversight to Outrigger’s Hawai‘i and Asia-Pacific portfolio.
Fujita is a graduate of Indiana University.
Main Street Hospitality
Hotel owner and operating company Main Street Hospitality has appointed Scott Williams as the new VP of brand & creative. In his new role, Williams is responsible for enterprisewide brand architecture and positioning, development, marketing and communication initiatives and experience design for the independent hospitality group and its portfolio of eight properties throughout the Northeast. Collaborating with the executive team and the performance, sales and operations functions, Williams will work to amplify the brand and identity of Main Street Hospitality’s individual properties.
Williams previously worked with Morgans Hotel Group, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and The Nantucket Project.
Davidson Hospitality Group
Hospitality management company Davidson Hospitality Group has appointed Lance Tucker as its chief financial officer. In his new role, Tucker will oversee budgetary planning and cost management in alignment with the company’s long-term strategy, develop tools and analytical systems to create value and optimize organizational performance against annual budgets and assist in the establishment of yearly financial objectives.
Tucker will report directly to Davidson’s President and CEO Thom Geshay. He will also be responsible for engaging the board finance, audit and investment committees surrounding trends and changes in operating models and operational delivery.
Tucker most recently was chief financial officer of CKE Restaurants, where he led all finance and accounting functions. Before that, he was EVP and CFO of the 2,200-unit Jack in the Box restaurant chain. He spent 14 years at Papa John’s International where he rose from director of finance to CFO, implemented recurring dividends and negotiated joint venture agreements for global business.
Virgin Hotels
Virgin Hotels has added J. Gregor Doman as chief development officer. In his new role, Doman will be responsible for setting and implementing Virgin Hotels’ global growth strategy, identifying opportunities in key markets and structuring transactions that work for Virgin Hotels and its owner/developer partners. Doman will also spearhead Virgin Hotels entrance into the branded residential business, working in tandem with the CEO, executive committee and the development team.
Before joining Virgin Hotels, Doman served as SVP, development at Accor, where he led development for North and Central America as well as the development of luxury and upscale brands in South America. His tenure at Accor also included leading the global residential business. Before Accor, Doman led development for the Americas and the global residential business at Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. He earned his Master of Business Administration from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.