Shaping The Future Of Hospitality

Rob Smith is a transformative force in the hospitality industry.

As Chief Executive Officer and President of Stonebridge, Rob is steering the company into a bold new era, bringing a sharp eye for innovation, a deep command of operations, and a future-forward mindset that challenges convention and drives growth. Before joining Stonebridge, Rob spent 12 years as President of Aimbridge Hospitality's Full Service, Luxury, and Resort Division, where he scaled one of the industry's most powerful portfolios. His earlier career was rooted in the Caribbean, where he led iconic resorts, spas, and casinos, and helped shape national tourism strategy as President and CEO of both the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association and the Aruba Convention Bureau. Rob continues to shape the broader industry through active roles on the American Hotel and Lodging Association Board, the Marriott Rooms Advisory Board, and the Westin Brand Advisory Board.

C.J. Chapman provides comprehensive legal and risk management leadership at Stonebridge, protecting owner assets and ensuring compliance across a complex, multi-state portfolio.

With 20 years of legal experience, C.J. manages contracts, vendor relationships, regulatory compliance, and litigation while maintaining the operational efficiency and brand integrity that owners expect. Before joining Stonebridge in 2022, he served as General Counsel to a publicly traded company and as a shareholder at a private firm. His proactive approach to legal research and regulatory compliance ensures that Stonebridge and its ownership partners are never caught off-guard by an evolving legal landscape.

Kevin Dingle leads Stonebridge's business development team and strategy across all property types and geographies.

With over two decades of hotel real estate experience, Kevin brings a deep understanding of acquisitions, asset management, and growth strategy to the Stonebridge leadership team. He was most recently a Senior Vice President of Development and Acquisitions at Aimbridge Hospitality. Before that role, he co-founded Compass Lodging Advisors, a hotel acquisitions and asset management firm. Kevin began his real estate career with Crow Holdings, where he served as Vice President of Acquisitions and was involved in more than 750 million dollars worth of acquisitions, dispositions, and refinancing.

Paul leads Stonebridge's operations strategy and performance across the company's portfolio, driving operational excellence, business intelligence, and long-term owner value.

Paul Eckert joined Stonebridge in 2026.  He is a transformational hospitality executive with more than 30 years of experience leading luxury hotels, resorts, and lifestyle properties. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Operations & Business Intelligence for Davidson Hospitality Group and oversaw a portfolio generating more than $400 million in annual revenue and directed over $120 million in transformational capital investments.

Throughout his career with Aimbridge Hospitality, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, White Lodging, and Omni Hotels & Resorts, Paul has built a reputation for operational excellence, strategic growth, and developing high-performing teams. Known for his balanced leadership style and passion for mentorship, he consistently delivers strong financial performance, elevated guest satisfaction, and innovative operational results.

Mark Hays brings 40 years of hospitality experience to his role overseeing all accounting functions at Stonebridge.

Since joining the company in 2020, Mark has led a team delivering the precise, timely, and institutionally rigorous financial reporting that Stonebridge ownership partners depend on. His team manages property accounting, payroll processing, ownership entity accounting, internal audits, and sales tax administration across the full portfolio, ensuring every owner has the financial clarity they need to make confident decisions at every stage of the asset lifecycle.

Adam Snow brings 25 years of strategy leadership to Stonebridge, where he drives focus, alignment, and continuous improvement across every function of the organization.

His role ensures that everything the above-property team does directly and positively impacts on-property teams and hotel performance. Adam came to Stonebridge with strategy leadership experience at some of the most recognized names in hospitality and beyond, including Aimbridge, Dine Brands, Disney, and Dell. He is committed to evolving a culture of ownership and urgency across all levels of the organization and working across departments to deliver consistent outperformance for every hotel in the portfolio.

Chris Cheney leads Stonebridge's fully integrated Commercial Services team, overseeing Sales, Revenue Management, Marketing, and Business Intelligence as a unified function focused on driving topline revenue across the portfolio.

Having joined Stonebridge in 2007 and bringing 24 years of hospitality experience including time as a General Manager, Chris understands the property-level impact of commercial strategy. His integrated approach breaks down departmental silos, fostering a synergistic environment where shared data and aligned goals translate directly into stronger performance and profitability for managed assets.

Kelli Joseph brings 20 years of human resources experience to Stonebridge, having supported hotels across the United States, Caribbean, and Canada before joining the company in 2024.

She leads an HR function that balances human experience with data-driven decision making, ensuring every team member feels safe, included, and empowered to embody Stonebridge values. Under her leadership, Stonebridge received above 80 percent favorable ratings across work-life balance, enablement, management, and alignment categories in the 2025 Associate Opinion Survey, a testament to the culture she and her team continue to build across the portfolio.

Nasim Mansurov has been a cornerstone of Stonebridge's technology infrastructure since joining the company in 2012.

With 20 years of IT experience spanning ERP systems, hotel IT, telecommunications, and data management, Nasim leads a team that delivers robust systems implementation, cybersecurity, PCI compliance, and project management to properties across the portfolio. His team implements cloud-first, zero-trust solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency and reduce long-term technology costs and risks for ownership, ensuring every Stonebridge hotel operates safely and effectively in an increasingly complex digital environment.

Orkun Aydin brings 25 years of hospitality experience to his role as Senior Vice President of Operations at Stonebridge.

Based in Orlando, Orkun specializes in hotel openings, transitions, and operational turnarounds, with a proven track record of increasing asset value across complex portfolios. His oversight spans large box full-service hotels, independent properties, and resorts across the United States and Caribbean, making him one of the most versatile operations leaders in the Stonebridge portfolio. Orkun's hands-on approach and deep market knowledge ensure every property under his oversight is positioned to perform at its highest potential.

Marco Selva brings 25 years of hospitality experience spanning luxury, lifestyle, and resort hotels to his role as Senior Vice President of Business Development at Stonebridge.

Based in Miami, Marco is a specialist in operating, opening, transitioning, and stabilizing hotels across a variety of segments and ownership structures. His expertise in the full property lifecycle, from pre-opening through long-term performance management, makes him an invaluable resource for ownership partners navigating change or seeking to elevate an existing asset. Marco's passion for hospitality and precision in execution reflect the Stonebridge standard of performance without compromise.

Lou Llach is a seasoned hospitality operator with more than 30 years of industry experience, including over 17 years in above-property leadership roles.

Based in Stonebridge's New York City Wall Street office, Lou brings a sophisticated understanding of complex urban markets and large-scale hotel operations to the properties he oversees. His expertise in transitions and acquisitions makes him a critical asset when Stonebridge brings a new property into the portfolio, ensuring a seamless handoff and a fast path to stabilized performance. Lou's depth of experience and calm, strategic approach give ownership partners confidence from day one.

Chad Goodnough brings 25 years of executive-level sales and marketing experience in hospitality to his role as Senior Vice President of Sales Strategy and Innovation at Stonebridge.

Since joining the company in 2025, Chad has brought a sharp, forward-thinking approach to how Stonebridge drives topline revenue across its managed portfolio. His deep background in hospitality sales leadership gives him a clear understanding of what it takes to build high-performing sales teams, capture group and corporate business, and create the kind of commercial momentum that translates directly into owner returns. Chad's combination of strategic vision and hands-on execution makes him a powerful addition to the Stonebridge commercial services leadership team.

Jamie drives Stonebridge's business development initiatives, expanding the company's third-party management portfolio while cultivating strategic partnerships and owner relationships.

Jamie joined Stonebridge Companies in May 2023. As Vice President of Business Development, he is responsible for growing the company's third-party management presence through the signing of HMAs and strategic M&A. He is also responsible for delivering on Stonebridge's owner relations efforts.  Over his first 2 years, Jamie has been integral in advancing the firm's strategic growth initiatives, helping drive the company through some of its most successful years.  In 2025, Jamie was promoted to Senior Vice President.

Jamie has been in the hospitality industry for eight years, in a variety of investment & feasibility, development, retention, and real estate roles while at Radisson Hotel Group (formerly Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group) and Choice Hotels. Prior to Radisson, Jamie was in wealth management for ten years. Jamie received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. 

Skip Adams leads Stonebridge's Food & Beverage strategy across the portfolio, driving operational excellence, innovative concepts, exceptional guest experiences, and increased value for owners.

Skip Adams has joined Stonebridge as Vice President of Food & Beverage. In this role, he will lead the strategic direction and operational performance of food and beverage programs across Stonebridge's portfolio, focusing on concept development, profitability, and guest experience while driving value for ownership groups.

Skip has held multiple general manager roles across complex, high-volume assets with responsibility for properties generating more than $20 million in annual revenue and significant meeting and event operations. His experience leading full-service hotels provides a strong operational foundation, with a deep understanding of how food and beverage integrates into overall hotel performance and asset value.

Earlier in his career, Adams held senior leadership roles, including an area director of operations, where he oversaw a diverse portfolio spanning luxury, lifestyle, and branded full-service segments. In these roles, he was responsible for driving operational strategy, supporting property-level leadership teams, and delivering results aligned with ownership objectives.  He also served as director of food and beverage at the Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans, a four-star, four-diamond property, where his leadership helped elevate the hotel's culinary and beverage programs to national recognition.

Matt Friend brings 30 years of hospitality experience to his role leading risk management at Stonebridge.

Since joining the company in 2016, Matt has built a disciplined risk management function that provides real value to owners through insurance negotiation and placement, claims management, crisis response, loss prevention, and facilities and capex project support. He is a Board Member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Risk and Insurance Management Society, a reflection of the depth of expertise he brings to protecting the assets and interests of Stonebridge ownership partners.

Kate provides leadership for Stonebridge's hotel accounting operations, partnering with finance teams across the portfolio to deliver accurate financial reporting, disciplined stewardship, and exceptional owner service.

Kate Hembree joined Stonebridge in 2019 and was selected for her role as VP, Controller of Stonebridge Corporation in 2021.  As VP, Hotel Accounting, Kate oversees the Accounting functions for the Stonebridge hotel portfolio.  Prior to Stonebridge, Kate spent much of her career working for Hyatt Hotels Corporation in Finance at multiple locations.  Kate holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a minor in Restaurant Resort Management from Colorado State University. 

Jeff Hinkle brings 20 years of hospitality experience to his role as Vice President of Revenue Management for the Western region at Stonebridge, including 12 dedicated years in revenue management.

Since joining Stonebridge in 2013, Jeff has been a cornerstone of the company's commercial services team, developing and executing personalized revenue strategies that consistently drive market share growth and profitability across his portfolio. His deep expertise in dynamic pricing, distribution channel management, demand forecasting, and business intelligence reporting gives ownership partners a significant competitive advantage in the markets where their assets operate. Jeff's long tenure at Stonebridge reflects both the quality of his work and the culture of loyalty and growth that defines the company.

Alina Keller brings 20 years of hospitality experience to her role as Vice President of Revenue Management for the Eastern region at Stonebridge, with a background that includes time as a General Manager.

That on-property perspective gives Alina a distinct advantage in understanding how revenue strategy translates to real operational outcomes for hotel teams and ownership partners alike. Since joining Stonebridge in 2016, she has built a reputation for sharp market analysis, collaborative leadership, and the ability to identify and act on revenue opportunities quickly and decisively. Alina's combination of operational insight and revenue expertise makes her one of the most well-rounded commercial leaders in the Stonebridge organization.

Andrea leads Stonebridge's treasury strategy, managing debt and liquidity to protect financial strength, support operational success, and create lasting value for owners.

Andrea began her career in accounting before pivoting to treasury and finding her true passion. In her nearly 20 years of treasury experience, Andrea has held positions at several publicly traded REITS, private equity firms, and S&P Global. She is responsible for debt and liquidity management across the portfolio. 

Andrea holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Denver, and an MBA with an emphasis in Finance and Accounting.

JoAnne provides leadership for Stonebridge's hotel accounting operations, supporting financial reporting, operational excellence, and disciplined financial stewardship across the portfolio.

JoAnne Wagner is Vice President, Hotel Accounting with Stonebridge Companies, previously with Real Hospitality Group for 14 years as Director of Accounting & Finance.

She has been in the Hospitality Industry for 45 years, starting in the Food & Beverage division before moving into the Hotel division.  While learning the different positions at the hotel, Joanne attended college at night to earn her accounting degree, to apply her accounting knowledge to the lodging industry.  Joanne's experience in all aspects of hospitality has enabled her to cultivate strong relationships personally and professionally with associates and owners. 

Outside of work, Joanne is involved with our local Fire Department and currently holds the position of President of the Ladies Auxiliary.  She is active in supporting the Cadet program for future firefighters.  She also belongs to the Maryland State Fireman's Auxiliary and holds the position of Tax Coordinator for Worcester County.

Kathy Merrow brings 20 years of marketing experience to her role as Director of Digital Strategy at Stonebridge, where she leads the digital direction for hotels across the managed portfolio.

Since joining Stonebridge in 2021, Kathy has combined her deep marketing expertise with a sharp understanding of the hospitality landscape to develop digital strategies that drive bookings, build brand awareness, and deliver measurable results for ownership partners. A Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer and active member of the HSMAI Marketing Advisory Board, Kathy stays at the forefront of industry best practices and emerging digital trends, ensuring every property she supports is positioned competitively in an increasingly complex online environment.

Dena St. Clair brings 15 years of marketing experience to her role as Director of Digital Marketing and eCommerce at Stonebridge, where she focuses on driving direct channel performance and online revenue growth across the portfolio.

Since joining Stonebridge in 2024, Dena has brought both strategic vision and hands-on execution to the digital marketing function, ensuring hotel websites, paid media programs, and eCommerce strategies are working together to maximize direct contribution and reduce reliance on costly third-party channels. A Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer and current HSMAI Chapter President, Dena is deeply connected to the hospitality marketing community and brings industry-leading expertise to every property she supports.

Ben Seidel leads Stonebridge's East Coast performance and development strategy, driving operational excellence, portfolio growth, and long-term value for owners.

Ben founded the Real Hospitality Group before joining the Stonebridge Companies' team as Principal and a member of the firm's Board of Directors. He will contribute his deep experience to help grow and scale the combined company's presence throughout the country.  In addition to his company responsibilities, he further serves the hospitality industry as an Executive Committee member for both the American Hotel and Lodging Association and the Maryland Lodging Association, and serves as a steering committee member of NYC & Co, one of the nation's top destination marketing organizations for the city of New York. 

He received his PhD in Business and Economics, Hospitality from the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore Campus. Additionally, Ben is a member of the Society of Fellows for the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Pointe, NY. He is a founding member of the Hospitality Management degree program at Central Connecticut University, as well as the chair of the University of West Virginia's School of Hospitality Management, and teaches regularly there. Additionally, he serves as a guest speaker supporting the Master's degree program in Hospitality Asset Management at Florida International University in Miami.