PHILADELPHIA Hersha Hospitality Management has named Gregory Ade its new executive vice president of operations, reporting to Chief Operating Officer Michael Murray.
Ade was previously chief operating officer of Millennium Hotels, where he had oversight of 40 major assets with more than US$650 million in annual revenues in the United States and Europe. Prior to that, Ade was president of Wyndham Hotels Management Co.
“These important additions, along with our existing team’s experience with high quality assets and innovative service delivery, provide us with a comprehensive organization that will compete at the elite level and help us carry out our plan to double in size over the next several years,” says President and CEO Naveen Kakarla. “Both Ade and McDonald have in-depth experience in managing for institutional investors in urban and key suburban markets on a national basis, as well as strong franchise relationships with the premier brands. We have a robust management pipeline with existing and potential capital partners and are nearing the completion of a number of transactions.”
Ade will be responsible for Hersha’s growing portfolio in New York City, along with further building out the company’s full-service platform and focus on best-in-class guest satisfaction. He also will review the company’s full-service capabilities and help enhance its infrastructure through training, recruiting and his in-depth relationships with major institutional investors.
“Ade has in-depth relationships with major institutional investors and significant full-service experience, a segment that increasingly will become a larger part of our overall managed portfolio,” Murray says. “His background in urban markets is one of the broadest in the industry and will give us a competitive advantage.”
Hersha also announces the hiring of Erik McDonald as executive vice president of sales and marketing. He will oversee national and regional sales teams, as well as the company’s revenue management and e-commerce operations. “Our current portfolio holds a RevPAR premium over its comparative competitive set,” Murray says. “We believe McDonald’s additional expertise will allow us to build on that leadership, especially as we continue to experience a strong rebound in both business transient and leisure travel.”
McDonald was previously vice president of sales and marketing for The Procaccianti Group, a manager for institutional owners and one of the nation’s largest full-service franchisees. He led the sales and marketing effort for 58 full-service, premium-branded and independent hotels with revenues in excess of US$850 million. He oversaw all brand relations for the company and participated in 29 ownership transitions and 11 brand changes.