Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham President and CEO, Headlines the Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series at the 34th Hunter Hotel Investment Conference
ATLANTA – The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, Noble Investment Group, and Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration, Georgia State University are pleased to announce Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, will join Mit Shah, CEO of Noble, for the 9th Annual Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series.
Starting his professional journey as a dishwasher, Geoff Ballotti is now CEO of the world’s largest hotel franchisor with 24 brands, over 6,000 owners, and more than 9,100 hotels across 95 countries. His story is a testament to the power of hard work and a strong resolve. A widely respected industry steward and philanthropist, Ballotti is the 2023 recipient of the Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award for his extraordinary efforts to advance positive societal change.
Geoff leads a life that matters to so many. From his modest upbringing to his formative career as an operator, representing our industry as AH&LA Chairman, and his deep roots as a humanitarian, he embodies the very definition of the American Dream,
said Mit Shah.
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 in the J. Mack Robinson College of Business. An immigrant to the United States who was inspired by the transformative power of education, Dr. Shah’s 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.
At HUNTER, we strive to share important voices and impactful insights that provide great value to our colleagues and our industry,
said Lee Hunter, Conference Chair. While many are used to hearing Geoff speak on industry-related topics, few have had the privilege of learning about his personal story of hardship and failure on his road to success. Geoff will join the incredible history of Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series guests who have inspired our hospitality leaders of tomorrow.
Over the years, Mit has brought us into the living room for candid conversations with his father, Bharat Shah; the late Mark Elliott, President of Hodges Ward Elliott; Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation; Tom Baltimore, President, Chairman, and CEO of Park Hotels & Resorts; the late Arne Sorenson, President and CEO of Marriott International; Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton; Vince Carter and Grant Hill, world-renowned NBA and NCAA basketball legends, business leaders, and philanthropists; and Sara Blakely, Founder and Executive Chairwoman of SPANX, and Jesse Itzler, NY Times best-selling author, and entrepreneur.
Geoff Ballotti and Mit Shah will take the main stage of the HUNTER Conference on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 12:30 pm at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. The session is open to registered attendees, special guests, and Georgia State University students.
About The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference
The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference is an education- and networking-focused event for hotel owners, developers, and investors. The 34th Hunter Hotel Investment Conference runs from March 21-23, 2023, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Long recognized as one of the top national hotel conferences, HUNTER aims to provide accurate industry performance and trend information alongside networking and educational opportunities. The conference is presented by Hunter Hotel Advisors, the nation’s leading investment advisory firm focused exclusively on the hotel industry.
About Noble Investment Group
Noble is a real estate investment manager specializing in the travel and hospitality sector. With a track record spanning three decades, Noble has invested nearly $6.0 billion in communities throughout the country, adding value across cycles and creating thousands of jobs. As a signatory to the PRI, the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, and a fiduciary to foremost pensions plans, endowments, and foundations, Noble’s endeavors help to preserve and grow its limited partners’ capital, which assists in providing retirement benefits for our country’s teachers, law enforcement, firefighters, other pensioners, and financial resources for students to attend college. For more information, please visit www.nobleinvestment.com.
About Georgia State University
The Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration within the J. Mack Robinson College of Business are co-founders of the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference. Georgia State University provides its world-class faculty and more than 52,000 students from over 130 nations and territories with unsurpassed connections to opportunities in one of the 21st century’s great global cities. A national leader in graduating students from diverse backgrounds, including more than 3,000 international students, more African American students graduate each year from Georgia State than any other public or nonprofit higher education institution in the United States. Georgia State is the #1 public or nonprofit university in Georgia to confer undergraduate and graduate degrees to African Americans, Asians, and Latinos. It is ranked the #2 most innovative and #1 public university for its strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.
