Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced Julienne Smith will serve as Hyatt’s senior vice president of franchise and managed development for Hyatt Place and Hyatt House in North America, effective July 15. Smith, who will be based in Hyatt’s corporate office in Chicago, will report to B. Anthony Isaac, head of select strategy and development for Hyatt.
Most recently, Smith served as Hyatt’s vice president of real estate and development where she oversaw the development and growth of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands throughout the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic region of North America. Smith has been responsible for more than 40 executed franchise and management agreements, including Hyatt Place Portland-Old Port, Hyatt Place Washington D.C./U.S. Capitol and Hyatt House Raleigh North Hills. Prior to joining Hyatt in 2005, Smith held several positions within Marriott International’s Lodging Development group.
“Julienne has the leadership skills and requisite experience to continue the fantastic growth that our developers and owners have created with the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands,” said Isaac. “The Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands have their largest footprint in North America, and as they continue to grow around the world, it was clear we needed someone fully focused on the franchise and managed growth of these brands. With her extensive knowledge of the select service and extended stay products, as well as her broad range of owner and industry relationships, we’re excited to have Julienne lead this charge. She is a talented leader with outstanding instincts and a track record for driving brand development, and I am confident Julienne’s skills and expertise will raise the bar as Hyatt continues to rapidly grow the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands.”
“I have been working on Hyatt’s select service and extended stay brands since their inception, and I am looking forward to continuing to be an integral part of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House franchise and managed development efforts,” said Smith. “The Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands have a strong foothold in suburban markets in North America, and I look forward to leading our talented team as we continue to expand the brands’ presence in urban markets across the country.”
In her new role, Smith will be responsible for deepening and strengthening Hyatt’s select service and extended stay franchise relationships, as well as driving demand for the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands among potential third party developers. Additionally, Smith will lead the select service real estate and development team in North America, a team responsible for pursuing development opportunities to grow the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands:
Chris Dobbins, Vice President of Real Estate and Development
Chris Dobbins is vice president of real estate and development for Hyatt where he is responsible for development and growth of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands throughout the western region of North America. Dobbins has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry with executive roles in operations, sales and marketing and development. Prior to joining Hyatt, Dobbins spent eight years in development and operations functions at Starwood Hotels & Resorts where he developed projects for multiple full service and select service brands. Dobbins also served as regional director of sales and marketing for Starwood, and also spent eight years in management, sales and marketing for both Interstate Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International.
Brett Lasher, Vice President of Real Estate and Development
Brett Lasher is vice president of real estate and development for Hyatt, covering development activity for the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands in the southeastern region of North America. Previously, Lasher served in various roles in Hyatt’s feasibility, finance and real estate strategy functions. Prior to Hyatt, Lasher worked as a management consultant with Bain & Company in a number of their offices across the globe.
Jason Gregorek, Vice President of Real Estate and Development
Jason Gregorek is vice president of real estate and development for Hyatt, and is responsible for the development and growth of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands throughout nine states in the central and southwestern region of North America, including Texas, Colorado and Louisiana. Gregorek has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry with roles in accounting, feasibility, franchising, and development. Prior joining Hyatt, Jason spent 11 years with Marriott International, including six years in franchise development where he handled the growth of select service brands in the southeastern United States.
Mark Younadam, Director of Real Estate and Development
Mark Younadam is director of real estate and development for Hyatt, and is focused on development activity for the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands in the Midwest region of North America. Previously, Younadam spent four years as director of feasibility and development finance for Hyatt. In this role, he gained intimate knowledge of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands by assisting developers in evaluating, structuring and negotiating transactions. Prior to joining Hyatt, Younadam worked as a consultant for PKF Consulting.
“With more than 10 Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels expected to open in North America this year, and with many more executed franchise and management agreements for Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels expected to open in 2015, Hyatt has the opportunity to significantly grow its select and extended stay portfolio,” said Isaac. “With this in mind, we’ve put together a dynamic, balanced team to help us reach our goal of becoming the most preferred brand in every segment we serve. With their deep understanding of and experience with the select service and extended stay products, these individuals will prove a powerful advantage as Hyatt continues the development of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands.”
