Ashford Inc. has appointed Hector Sanchez as president. He previously served as CEO of Ashford subsidiary Premier and head of real estate development for Ashford Inc.
The company also named Eric Batis, its former EVP, operations, as COO.
Monty J. Bennett will continue as chairman/CEO.
In his new role, Sanchez will report directly to Bennett and will focus on driving coordination, alignment, performance and efficiency across the organization. He will be responsible for overall business performance and financial outcomes, ensuring operating units work cohesively, priorities remain aligned with company objectives, resources are deployed effectively and cross-functional initiatives receive appropriate oversight, according to the company.
Batis will report to Bennett and Sanchez and will oversee day-to-day operational execution across the organization. He will manage operational performance, lead process and systems integration, enhance efficiency and ensure that each operating unit meets its operational and financial targets.
“I’m very pleased to announce Hector’s appointment as president and Eric’s promotion to chief operating officer,” Bennett said. “Their combined experience and leadership will sharpen our focus, accelerate execution and position Ashford for stronger performance and continued expansion in the years ahead.”
Sanchez said, “I am honored to step into the role of president of Ashford Inc. I look forward to partnering with our talented teams to continue strengthening our asset management platform and driving growth across our real estate businesses for our advised REITs and our third-party clients. We have tremendous opportunities ahead of us, and I’m excited to get to work.”
Batis said, “I look forward to helping drive the next chapter of value creation at Ashford. By sharpening our acquisition strategy and strengthening operational oversight, we will position the company for sustained performance in the hospitality space.”
Since assuming leadership at Premier during the pandemic, he and his team rebuilt and repositioned the organization, expanded third-party services with more than 150 new contracts and established a growth platform in the multi-family and student-housing sectors. They also incubated an in-house architecture studio, launched a general contracting division and advanced a development pipeline exceeding $1 billion in estimated value. Before joining Premier, he held senior leadership roles in the energy sector with NOV and Rubicon Oilfield International.
Batis brings more than 15 years of real estate, valuation and investment experience. He joined Ashford in 2013. As EVP, operations, he provided oversight and strategic guidance for the company’s acquisitions process while leading the team responsible for the performance of its investments. Before joining Ashford, he was VP in the real estate valuation and advisory services group at Houlihan Lokey. He previously held analyst roles at Integra Realty Resources and McNeel, Weissler & Associates.
