Hotel executive moves: Aperture, Berkadia, Colliers, Peachtree

Here is a compilation of the most important executive moves of the past week in the hotel investment world alphabetically (by company):

AHLA names new SVP. Washington, D.C.-based American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has hired Steven Okuley as its new senior vice president for conferences and events. Okuley previously served at American Airlines as director of B2B customer engagement and communication. Before that, he was director of global meetings and events for Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

New COO at Aperture. Atlanta-based Aperture Hotels has named Patrick Short as chief operating operator. Before joining Aperture, Short was president of Peachtree Hospitality Management and his extensive background includes managing a wide range of properties, from small boutique hotels to large convention and resort destinations.

Berkadia adds managing director. New York City-based Berkadia has added Jennifer Dakin as a managing director to Berkadia Hotels & Hospitality. Dakin will be based in Berkadia’s D.C. Metro office and officially joined the company on September 16. She has over 28 years of multi-faceted commercial banking experience. Before joining Berkadia, Dakin worked in the commercial real estate group at Wells Fargo Bank.

Colliers new Tokyo exec Kei Sumiyoshi has been appointed senior director and head of Hotels & Hospitality at Colliers in Tokyo, which will commence operation in Japan on October 1. Sumiyoshi has been involved in the financial and real estate industries for more than 30 years, specializing in real estate brokerage and M&A advisory services and has more than 20 years of experience in the hotels and hospitality sector. Before joining Colliers, he worked at Jones Lang LaSalle K.K. and Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory LLC.

Cycas names new European exec. Amsterdam-based Cycas Hospitality has named Martin Coombes vice president of operations for the U.K., Ireland, and the Netherlands. Coombes has over 25 years of hospitality management experience, including, most recently, senior roles with Atlas Hotels.

LeBlanc's new role at Peachtree. Brent LeBlanc is now leading Peachtree Group’s business development efforts across its investment platforms. In his new role as executive vice president, business development, he will support Peachtree’s efforts to grow and expand its vertically integrated investment platforms. His responsibilities will include focusing on cross-marketing strategies, fostering business development and collaborating closely with the investment teams to drive innovation and capture new opportunities. LeBlanc joined Peachtree in 2012 to lead a growth strategy to expand Peachtree’s footprint into the western U.S. and strengthen relationships with premium-branded hotels such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and IHG. During that time, LeBlanc participated in more than $4 billion in real estate transactions across the enterprise.

New VP at Unique Vacations. Miami-based Unique Vacations, an affiliate of the worldwide representative of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, has named Sabrina Cendral as vice president of brand marketing. She has over 18 years of international hospitality marketing expertise and was previously a consultant and chief marketing, strategy and digital experience officer at YPO and also worked for Club Med.