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![]() THOMAS W. LaTOUR Tom
LaTour, Chairman & CEO of Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, LLC, is responsible
for creating the strategy, structure and systems to operate and maintain
the growing family of hotels and restaurants managed by the Kimpton Group.
As Chairman & CEO, he manages and administers all aspects of the hotel
and restaurant development process and the operation of these assets.
MICHAEL DEPATIE Michael Depatie was recently named Chief Executive Officer of Real Estate for Kimpton Group Holding LLC, parent company of Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group. In this role, he will be responsible for securing funds for the acquisition and development of new hotels and restaurants. Depatie will also work closely with Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tom LaTour on the overall strategic direction of the company. During Depatie's career he has led financing initiatives that have raised over $1.8 billion in debt and over $600 million in equity in six public offerings and numerous private financings. Depatie started his hospitality career as the Senior Vice President of finance and development with the Residence Inn Company, which he helped sell to Marriott in 1987 for $260 million. He then went on to co-found Summerfield Suites with his partners from Residence Inn. Summerfield Suites presently has 37 hotels in 16 states and was sold to Wyndham in 1998 for $263 million. Depatie also served as Chief Financial Officer of La Quinta, a NYSE listed hospitality company. During Depatie's tenure as CFO the company developed over 50 new hotels and spent over $200 million re-imaging and repositioning the chain's 200 hotels. The re-imaging campaign substantially contributed to the company increasing its equity market capitalization by eightfold to $1.6 billion while Depatie was CFO. Depatie also served as the CFO of NYSE listed Sunterra, at the time the world's largest resort hotel vacation ownership company with 89 resorts in nine countries and over 6000 employees. Depatie holds a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and a master's degree from Harvard Business School. Depatie resides with his wife Holly and their three children in Woodside, California. KIRKE WRENCH Kirke Wrench is a Director and the Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") for
the Kimpton Group. As CFO, he is responsible for supervising and performing
a full range of financial and accounting services for the development
and operating phases of the group's hotel and restaurant operations. In
addition to establishing the hotels' long term financing needs, he is
responsible for maintaining the hotel and restaurants' risk management,
banking relationships and supervising the overall budgeting process and
cash management program. With over 14 years of public accounting and hospitality
industry consulting, Mr. Wrench joined the Kimpton Group in 1986. He is
a Certified Public Accountant in the State of California and was responsible
for the financial statement audit and tax return preparation of many hotel
and restaurant companies when employed by Kenneth Leventhal & Company
CPAs and Pannell Kerr Forster CPAs, prior to joining the Kimpton Group. JAMES J. WHELAN
NIKI LEONDAKIS Leondakis joined Kimpton Group in 1993 as director of restaurant operations. In 1996 she was promoted to vice president of restaurant operations for all Kimpton restaurants and in 1999 she became senior vice president of restaurant operations. In 2001, Niki was promoted to executive vice president of the company's entire collection of hotels and restaurants. Prior to joining the Kimpton Group, Leondakis worked as a food and beverage director for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in Marina Del Rey, Calif., Atlanta and San Francisco, from 1985 to 1993. Prior to her employment with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Leondakis was a food and beverage manager for Mariott Hotels. Leondakis has received numerous industry awards, including Nation's Restaurant News in April 2002, recognizing her as one of 30 Women Power Players. In June 2002, San Francisco Business Times named her one of 75 Most Influential Women. In August 2002, Travel Agent Magazine named her one of the Most Powerful Women in Travel. An avid contributor to the community, Leondakis is an active board member for the Women's Food Service Forum and the National Restaurant Association and serves on the advisory boards of A Miner Miracle, Professional Business Women's Council and the University of San Francisco Hospitality Management Program. Niki holds a B.S. degree in hotel, restaurant management and travel administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts.
STEPHEN R. PINETTI Steve Pinetti, as the senior vice president of sales and marketing for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, oversees all sales, marketing, advertising, public relations and eCommerce activities for the hotel and restaurant management company. The Kimpton Group, based in San Francisco, currently manages 38 boutique hotels and 34 chef-driven restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. Prior to joining the Kimpton Group in 1983, Mr. Pinetti, 52, began his hospitality career with Hilton and Hyatt where he held a number of positions in hotel operations, sales and management. Previously, he helped develop corporate incentive travel programs as well as breakthrough industry software that provided the foundation for such systems today. Throughout his career, Mr. Pinetti has been responsible for the strategic planning and openings of more than 50 hotels and 50 restaurants throughout the country and has worked as an independent consultant in hotel management and marketing. Mr. Pinetti has taught various classes in sales, operations and management
in the hospitality programs at University of San Francisco, San Francisco
State University, San Francisco City College and Golden Gate University.
He also participated in branding classes through the executive management
programs at Stanford University and U.C. Berkeley. A native of San Francisco,
Mr. Pinetti lives in Marin County, California, with his wife, Marcy, and
their three sons. DAVID SUSSMAN David Sussman is responsible for coordinating and supervising all aspects
of pre-opening including interior design, budget, supply purchasing and
the installation of all hotel operations and systems. Mr. Sussman joined
the Kimpton Group in 1984 opening the Galleria Park Hotel as General Manager
where he stayed for five years. His background also includes several positions
related to Rooms Operations for Hyatt Hotels, and as the son of a hotel
manager, he has virtually a lifetime of experience in the hospitality
industry. A native of Miami Beach, Mr. Sussman is a graduate of the Hospitality
Management program of Florida International University. CARYL S. HELSEL In her role at Kimpton as Vice President of Guests, Caryl Helsel is responsible for strategically planning, marketing and managing the Kimpton Group's central reservations offices and systems, electronic distribution and commerce channels, and guest loyalty initiatives. Helsel brings 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry to her role with Kimpton Group. Previous positions include Director of Distribution Planning and Operations for REZsolutions Inc. (now Pegasus Solutions) and Director of Reservations for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Helsel also served two terms as President of the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA) and six years on the HEDNA Board of Directors. Helsel graduated Summa Cum Laude from Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a bachelor of arts in communications and minors in music and Bible. TRACEY HOLLOWAY
TROY FURBAY Troy Furbay is the Vice President of Acquisitions & Development for the Kimpton Group. He is based in Washington, D.C. and focused primarily on Kimpton's growth opportunities in the eastern region of the country. Prior to joining Kimpton, Mr. Furbay was Vice President of Acquisitions & Development for four years with MeriStar Hospitality and MeriStar Hotels & Resorts. While at MeriStar, he was responsible for these companies' growth through real estate acquisitions and the development of management assignments with third party owners. Prior to that, he was a management consultant with KPMG's Real Estate and Hospitality Consulting group. With KPMG, he was involved in a broad range of hospitality assignments including hotel feasibility studies, acquisition due diligence, market analyses, and litigation support. Mr. Furbay began his career with Sheraton Corp. (now Starwood) and held various operations and sales positions over a five-year period. Mr. Furbay received an M.B.A. from the Fordham University Graduate School of Business, and a B.S. from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. KEN REYNOLDS Ken Reynolds is Vice President of Construction for Kimpton hotels and restaurants. Mr. Reynolds is responsible for the assembly and management of the project teams from pre-construction to completion. His primary focus includes predevelopment evaluation of construction costs, constructability and scheduling. For 13 years prior to joining Kimpton in 1998, he gained extensive experience in construction management and estimating with Webcor Builders. His experience comprises hospitality, restaurants, retail and commercial offices, involving renovations, new construction and historic projects. Mr. Reynolds' combined experience from the contractor's and owner's roles provides him valuable insight into estimating, scheduling, cost controlling and forecasting. ANDREW FREEMAN Andrew Freeman is responsible for all sales, marketing, positioning, and creative materials for the group's restaurants, located in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Aspen, Denver, Vancouver, New Orleans, Washington D.C., and new projects under development in Cambridge, and New York City. Freeman comes to the Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants from the Rainbow Room and Windows on the World, both located in New York, where he was the Vice President of Public Relations. Prior, Freeman was the Director of Marketing for the Russian Tea Room, New York. He was also the Marketing Director of the French Culinary Institute, New York, and was an account executive with the advertising agency Drossman Lehmann Marino, Inc., New York. A native of New Jersey, Freeman received a marketing communications degree,
Summa Cum Laude from Montclair State University. He is a member of the
International Association of Culinary Professionals; the International
Foodservice Editorial Council; the American Institute of Wine & Food;
the Marketing Executives Group of the National Restaurant Association;
and is on the board of the Richmond Ermet AIDS Foundation and the San
Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. CHRISTINE LAWSON Christine Lawson, as the vice president of hotel sales for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, oversees all national sales activities for the hotel and restaurant management company. Additionally, Lawson oversees the strategic focus and training of the individual hotel sales teams and is involved in establishing the sales team when the company opens a new hotel. Lawson started the national sales effort for the company in 1999. Today, the four-member team, based in San Francisco and New York City, manages over 140 accounts for the quickly growing company. Lawson joined Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in 1991, helping to open the Tuscan Inn as the sales manager. Since then, she has directed the sales teams for six of the company’s San Francisco hotels, including the Hotel Monaco San Francisco, the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, the Galleria Park Hotel and the Villa Florence Hotel.
Lawson, a native of Northern California, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the
University of Washington and currently resides in San Francisco.
JIMMY SUH
Prior to joining the Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, Mr. Suh’s experience includes operations and reservations positions with ANA Hotels, USA, and Hilton Hotels. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.S. degree in Finance. Upon graduation, obtained a Series 7 license for securities and started a career as an investment broker for a private investment firm in Washington DC, before heading into a career in the lodging industry. Jimmy Suh has spoken in various industry conferences regarding Revenue Management, including conferences sponsored by Hedna, Frontiers Distribution, and IQPC. He currently serves as the Treasurer for HEDNA (Hotel Electronics Distribution Association). VANESSA BORTNICK Vanessa Bortnick is Director of Restaurant Public Relations for the Kimpton Group's 39 restaurants nationwide. In this capacity, Bortnick is responsible for local and national media outreach, assisting with new restaurant openings and ongoing public relations strategies. Bortnick comes to Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants from Blanc & Otus, a Hill & Knowlton public relations agency based in San Francisco, where she was Senior Account Executive, beginning in 1996. In that capacity, Bortnick was responsible for the management and execution of public relations campaigns for four client accounts with billings over $800,000 annually. During her three years at Blanc & Otus, Bortnick helped establish her clients as market leaders through aggressive media outreach, promotions planning, and company and product launches. Bortnick graduated from California State University, Chico in 1996 with
a Bachelor of Arts Degree
in Journalism. She comes from a long line of family in the hospitality
industry. DAVID MARTIN David Martin, Vice President Hotel Operations, West Coast, has been with Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants for the last 7 years beginning with his role as General Manager at the Bedford Hotel. Martin subsequently moved on to General Manager at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in 1997, City Manager in 1998, Director of Hotel Operations in 1999 and most recently Senior Director of Hotel Operations in 2001. Prior to joining Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Martin was the general
manager of the Sea Port Marina, Long Beach, Calif., beginning in 1994.
Prior, he was the general manager of the Monterey Beach Hotel, Monterey,
Calif., from 1993-94. Martin was the general manager of the Best Western
Seven Seas, San Diego, Calif., from 1989-93; and was also general manager
of the Red Lion Hotel, Bellevue, Wash., from 1988-89. MIKE DeFRINO Mike DeFrino, Vice President Hotel Operations, East Coast,
has been with Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants for the last 5 years beginning
at the Alexis Hotel. DeFrino relocated a year and half later to Chicago to open the Hotel Monaco
as General Manager. DeFrino was subsequently promoted to Director of Operations and General Manager
of the Allegro Hotel in Chicago. In 2001, DeFrino moved to Washington DC and recently opened the Hotel Monaco DC as General Manager and Director of Operations, East Coast.
ANDREW F. FURRER Andrew F. Furrer , Corporate Director of Information Technology is directly responsible for the day to day operation of the information technology systems for the Kimpton Boutique Hotels & Restaurants. Furrer was born in Munich, Germany and traveled from the east coast to finally settle in The Great Pacific Northwest. Andrew has been in the computer business for 12 years before coming on board with Kimpton Boutique Hotels & Restaurants. In his business he lead a group of 12 employees into the development and service and support of single user systems to complex systems incorporating numerous systems and sites. Furrer has a degree in Fire Science and additional studies towards his B.S. degree Public Administration. Furrer has also completed studies in computer related courses. Furrer lives in Vancouver, Washington with his wife. Furrer also enjoys his two grown son and four grandchildren all living in Vancouver, Washington. KATHLEEN BERTOLANI As senior director of public relations for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Kathleen Bertolani oversees the company's public relations department. Her responsibilities include the creation of positioning statements and press materials for new hotels, development of public relations campaigns to promote new and existing hotels as well media relations and crisis management. Her primary focus is creating media placements for Kimpton hotels and restaurants. Bertolani brings 14 year of public relations experience to Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. She has held management positions in public relations in the sports marketing, financial and entertainment fields. Former employers include MacDaniels, Henry & Sproul Advertising and Public Relations; Easton Sports, Inc; Citigate, Inc. and Browne Zukow Case & Associates. Bertolani holds her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley where she majored in history. JOSEPH LONG Joseph Long was named executive vice president of acquisition and development for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. In this role, he will be responsible for directing and coordinating property acquisitions, real estate development, interior design, construction and project management related to identifying new and existing hotels and restaurants. Most recently, Long served as senior vice president, acquisition & development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide where he was responsible for overseeing acquisitions, management contracts and joint venture negotiations in North America. Prior to joining Starwood, Long was vice president of acquisitions and asset management for LaSalle Hotel Properties, where he helped spearhead the development of LaSalle’s hotel investment and asset management business. Long also held a variety of positions in acquisitions and asset management with Metric Realty in Foster City, Calif. TAMSEN McCRACKEN Tamsen McCracken has been with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants since 1996 and provides legal oversight for all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the company. Prior to her joining Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, McCracken worked as general counsel for a real estate developer in Santa Rosa, Calif. for 5 years following her work as an associate in the transactional real estate department of Graham & James' San Francisco office (now known as Squire, Sanders & Dempsey). McCracken graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1985 with honors and attended the University of California at Santa Cruz graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics in 1980.
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