tables and chairs at watr rooftop bar

SH Hotels & Resorts Team

Meet our team of best-in-class experts and innovators in design, operations, sales & marketing, revenue strategy, food & beverage, and more.

Barry

Barry S. Sternlicht

Chairman

Barry S. Sternlicht is Chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group and Chairman of SH Hotels & Resorts. For the past twenty-four years, he has structured investment transactions with an asset value of more than $65 billion. From 1995 through early 2005, Sternlicht was Chairman and CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., a company he founded in 1995. Starwood Hotels employed over 120,000 people and was one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 895 properties in 100 countries. Starwood was a fully integrated owner, operator and franchiser of hotels with nine brands, including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, and Four Points.

Sternlicht has been credited as a dynamic and innovative hotel leader, creating new products and programs with immediate global appeal. He created W Hotels, perhaps the world’s most successful "boutique" brand, and grew the St. Regis brand from a single property to a global luxury hotel chain. Some of his innovations include the creation of Westin’s "Heavenly Bed," "Heavenly Bath," and "Westin Workout," and Starwood Preferred Guest, the world’s first frequent traveler program with "no blackouts."

Raul Leal

Chief Executive Officer

Raul Leal is the Chief Executive Officer of SH Hotels & Resorts, a brand management company and an affiliate of global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group. SH operates 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels, and Treehouse Hotels, with 14 properties under management and 16 in development. As SH expands its global presence, Leal continues to focus first on people
and planet.

Over his 40-year career, Leal has proven a natural entrepreneur and visionary, responsible for some of the world’s most iconic luxury and lifestyle brands. Known for his astute design sense, clear communication, operational excellence, and gift for cultivating an energetic and inclusive culture, Leal is a celebrated leader—and has held among the industry’s most prestigious roles. His vast experience as both owner and operator-led him to become President and Partner at Tecton Hospitality, Founder of Desires Hotels, and for the past decade, CEO of Virgin Hotels, recruited directly by Richard Branson to launch and grow the brand. 

Leal’s proven track record identifying nimble, sophisticated tactics that drive positive change is embedded into the SH organization. He is a true mentor, driven by his commitment to championing others and revitalizing communities in swift, smart ways that achieve all the good we can. 

Raul Leal
Abhay Bakaya

Abhay Bakaya

Chief Development Officer

Reena Chung

Reena Chung

Chief Commercial Officer

Clio Knowles

Clio Knowles

Chief People Officer

Toni Stoeckl

Toni Stoeckl

Chief Marketing Officer

Sara Sullivan

Sara Sullivan

Chief Financial Officer

Denise Walker

Denise Walker

Chief Information Officer

Marco Selva

Marco Selva

Executive Vice President, Operations

Christopher Alvarado

Christopher Alvarado

Senior Vice President, Design

Nicholas Demasi

Nicholas Demasi

Senior Vice President, Food & Beverage

Ron Sheldon

Ron Sheldon

Senior Vice President, Technical Services

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