Sanchez steps in after serving as CEO of subsidiary Premier and head of real estate development
for Ashford; new COO named, as well.
DALLAS – Ashford Inc. has filled a role that has been vacant since 2022 by appointing Hector Sanchez as president. At the same time, Eric Batis has been named chief operating officer with both roles taking immediate effect. Ashford said these moves are intended to strengthen the company’s executive team and support long-term growth.
Monty Bennett will continue as chairman and chief executive officer.
In this new role, Sanchez will report directly to Bennett and 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.
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.
Sanchez most recently served as CEO of Ashford Inc. subsidiary Premier and head of real estate development for Ashford Inc. 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, Sanchez held senior leadership roles in the energy sector.
Batis brings more than 15 years of real estate, valuation, and investment experience. He joined Ashford in 2013 and most recently served as executive vice president of operations, where he has 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 vice president in the real estate valuation and advisory services group at Houlihan Lokey.
“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 added, “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.”
"I look forward to helping drive the next chapter of value creation at Ashford," Batis said. "By sharpening our acquisition strategy and strengthening operational oversight, we will position the company for sustained performance in the hospitality space."