Hospitality Industry Advisory Board

Founder, Practice Hospitality & This Assembly

Bashar has spent 30 years redefining hospitality, from front-desk beginnings to leading Provenance Hotels’ growth. Founder of This Assembly and Practice Hospitality and a TEDx speaker, he champions people over process and authenticity over trends. He’s also stayed in 250+ Manhattan hotels – never the same one twice.

Founder, The Social Hub

Founder of The Social Hub, Charlie turned his love of community into a new kind of hospitality. Two decades on, his hybrid concept spans 16 hubs across Europe and received over €2 billion in investment, making him a leading voice in reimagining how people live, work and stay. 

President, Staypineapple

Dina leads Staypineapple Hotels with a focus on joyful, sustainable hospitality. Named in the Top 50 Women Leaders in Hospitality and 2024 Industry Titan, she champions People, Planet and Prosperity, proving great hospitality can be both purposeful and profitable.

CEO, OREA Hotels

As CEO of OREA Hotels & Resorts, Gorjan has transformed the Czech Republic's largest hotel brand through a people-first culture and operational excellence – doubling profitability and growing revenue from €25M to €40M. His cross-industry insight drives scalable, sustainable growth.

Head of Hotels, Criterion Hospitality

Head of Hotels at Criterion Hospitality, Halima leads innovative, tech-forward brands like Zedwell. With degrees from LSE and NUS, she blends business acumen and design thinking to reimagine adaptive reuse and define the next generation of hotels.

Global Director of Comms & Partnerships, Dorchester Collection

With over 30 years in global communications, Julia is Global Director of Communications & Partnerships at Dorchester Collection, where she's led for 15 years. She has held senior roles at Kerzner International, Shangri-La, and The Savoy Group, and is recognized by PR Week and Walpole as one of the UK's most influential luxury communicators.

Independent Management, Comms & Sustainability Consultant, Good & Co

With 20 years leading large-scale hospitality and tourism projects, Jo helps brands communicate with purpose. An Executive MBA graduate focused on sustainability and ESG, she advises leaders driving positive change. Her recent projects include The Social Hub and Vestige Collection.

Chief Digital & Technology Officer, Strawberry

Kari Anna is Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Strawberry, one of the Nordics' largest hotel groups. With 25+ years of experience, she drives digital transformation and growth while championing diversity, inclusion and technology that empowers people.

CEO, Machefert Group

As CEO of Machefert Group, Kevin leads one of France's top boutique hotel brands. With expertise in finance and hospitality tech, he drives digital transformation and mixed-use innovation, bridging investment and guest experience to shape the future of hospitality.

Co-Founder & COO, Emerald Stay

Laurent is Co-founder and COO of Emerald Stay, managing 600+ design-led homes across Europe. A former chef and TheFork executive, he specializes in scaling tech-driven hospitality that blends private living with hotel-quality service and sustainability.

Co-founder & CEO, Bob W

Niko is Co-founder and CEO of Bob W, Europe's fastest-growing and first climate-neutral hospitality brand. He's raised €70M, expanded to 18+ cities, and operates 45+ tech-powered aparthotels – blending digital efficiency with authentic, sustainable experiences.

Director of Technology Management, BWH

Suzanne is Director of Technology Management at BWH Hotels, overseeing property systems and integration across the global portfolio. With nearly 30 years in hospitality, she advances PMS innovation, QA and connectivity to deliver operational excellence worldwide.

Senior Director of Business Relationship Management

As Senior Director of Business Relationship Management at Choice Hotels, Valerie drives tech initiatives that connect IT and operations. Former CTO at Value Place, she led digital transformation and brand innovation, while mentoring youth and serving on the board of Saving Amy.