The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has appointed new leadership for its board of directors, naming Thom Geshay, CEO/president, Davidson Hospitality Group, as chair. Jon Stanner, president/CEO, Summit Hotel Properties, and Jolyon Bulley, CEO, Americas, IHG Hotels & Resorts, will serve as vice chair and secretary/treasurer, respectively, effective July 1.
Together, they will help guide the association’s work to advance policies that support the industry and its workforce.
Geshay brings nearly four decades of experience in leadership roles at Davidson. Over the course of his career, he has held virtually every corporate and property-level executive position, including business development and acquisitions, operations, food and beverage, sales and marketing and organizational strategy. Prior to his appointment to CEO, Geshay held positions of president and COO.
“Thom, Jon and Jolyon are influential industry leaders with proven track records of delivering results for our industry,” said Rosanna Maietta, president.CEO, AHLA. “Their guidance will be instrumental as we push for meaningful solutions to address workforce challenges, drive increased travel demand and support all segments of AHLA’s membership.”
Geshay succeeds Liam Brown, group president, U.S. & Canada, Marriott International, who is set to retire from the company this month after nearly four decades of service. Throughout Brown’s service to AHLA, he played a pivotal role in advancing the franchising business model, supporting workforce development, and passionately advocating for the industry’s No Room for Trafficking initiative.
“I am honored to step into this role during such an important moment in time for our industry,” said Geshay. “In addition to Liam Brown being an exceptional chair and cohort, he’s also a longtime friend, and I’m grateful for his leadership and partnership. I began my hospitality career at a young age as a bellman and went on to gain hands-on experience across all facets of hotel operations, management and real estate. My journey in this industry has given me a unique perspective on what makes it so special and the meaningful opportunities it creates. I’m looking forward to working closely with Rosanna and the AHLA team to support our industry and the people who make it extraordinary.”
Stanner joined Summit Hotel Properties in 2017. Prior to being named president/CEO, he served as Summit’s CFO and chief investment officer. In addition to serving on the AHLA board, he also sits on the AHLA Foundation board of trustees, the AC Hotels by Marriott Brand Council and the Hyatt Owners’ Advisory Council.
In his current role at IHG, Bulley oversees the performance, growth and profitability across IHG’s 21 brands in the company’s largest region. A career and global hotelier, he also previously served as IHG’s COO for the Americas, leading operations across franchised and managed hotels while strengthening hotel performance and owner relationships.
AHLA announced several other board appointments. Michelle Woodley, president, Preferred Travel Group, and Adam Rohman, head of the Americas, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, were named as members of the board.
