Denihan Hospitality Group

VP of Sales & Marketing, March 2003 to June 2012

Hired to grow revenues for a privately-held family-run company who operated upscale boutique and lifestyle hotels. During tenure footprint expanded outside New York to include Washington, DC, Chicago and Miami and from 10 to 15 assets, including the purchase of The James brand. Managed a 40-member team and led through periods of fast corporate growth and change.  Recruited and developed a proactive national sales team. Guided group in delivering $350M+ in annual revenue, outperforming RevPAR targets 5–15% YOY. Created and executed a program that secured 1,000 New York small business accounts, growing revenue $1M in one year. Following success in NY, rolled out in Chicago, Miami, and Washington, D.C.  Developed innovative sales and marketing strategies for hotel launches and transitions, including James Hotels in Chicago and Miami, The Liaison Capitol Hill and NYC Affinia properties. Executed a roadshow featuring chefs Geoffrey Zakarian and David Burke in Australia. Played an integral role in repositioning The Surrey, an Upper East Side luxury hotel following a $60M renovation. Enhanced hotel’s visibility and reputation, transforming hotel into a multi-award-winning asset.