Aimbridge Hospitality Executive Team
The Aimbridge Hospitality team is experienced in hospitality finance, marketing, and operations. Averaging over 25 years of hospitality experience, the senior executives have a unique blend of talent that joins to ensure financially successful hotels.
The ultimate goal of Aimbridge Hospitality’s impressive executive team is to enhance the value of each hotel for the owner.
Les Bentley – Chairman
Dave Johnson – President & CEO
Judy Hendrick – Chief Financial Officer
Robert Burg – Chief Operating Officer
Vince Cuce – Senior VP of Finance
Tom Kenney – Senior VP of Sales & Marketing
Lynne Roberts – Senior VP of Development
Rich Cortese – Senior VP of Caribbean Operations & Development
Michael Johnson – Michael Johnson - Senior VP Finance & Treasurer
Michael Grant – Chief Accounting Officer
Anne Binns – Vice President, Human Resources
Les Bentley – Chairman
Les Bentley, Chairman, is a 28 year hotel industry veteran. He has proven expertise in leading successful executive teams, negotiating and supervising management/consulting contracts and delivering expected profits to the bottom line.
Before founding Aimbridge Hospitality, Les Bentley was President of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. He led the brand and the operations of all Wyndham divisions including: Wyndham Hotels, Wyndham Resorts, Wyndham Grand Heritage Hotels and Wyndham Garden Hotels. Les Bentley has long been synonymous with Wyndham and helped guide the brand’s growth from just a handful of hotels into one of the nation’s leading upscale hotel and resort brands.
Prior to joining Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Bentley spent eight years with Marriott Hotels in Chicago, Austin, and Denver. In 1985 his career led him to Wyndham where he served as Vice President of Operations. In 1989, Bentley became Partner in the Wyndham Hotel Management Company, only to move up again in 1990 as President of the Wyndham Garden Hotel division. In 1997, Bentley was named the Chief Operating Officer for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, where he was responsible for all hotels operating under the Wyndham brand.
Dave Johnson – President & CEO
Dave Johnson is both President and CEO of Aimbridge Hospitality. Johnson oversees the management of Aimbridge’s entire portfolio consisting of over 60 hotels and 400 million dollars in annual revenue. Through his dedication and leadership, Aimbridge is already being recognized as one of the fastest growing hotel management companies in the United States. Aimbridge Hospitality’s portfolio includes assets under ownership and management from Marriott, Hilton, Starwood and Hyatt Hotels.
Prior to joining Aimbridge, he spent 17 years at Wyndham International helping them grow from 10 hotels to over 200 at the time of his departure. While at Wyndham, Johnson served in various capacities including Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer and President of Wyndham Hotels, overseeing approximately 15,000 employees and responsible for approximately 1.5 billion dollars in annual revenue.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University in Business Economics, graduating with highest honors.
Mr. Johnson currently serves on several Boards of Directors including: Gaylord Entertainment (GET-NYSE), The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, Meeting Professionals International, and Active International. Johnson serves on the Hilton Owners Council, is Chairman of the Doubletree Brand Advisory Board and was most recently named to Starwood’s Real Estate Development Advisory Board. In 2003, he was named as one of the 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales & Marketing by HSMAI.
He is currently married with three daughters and resides in Plano, Texas.
Judy Hendrick – Chief Financial Officer
Judy Hendrick, Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for the company's debt and equity capital sourcing and structuring for acquisitions, development and redevelopment of hotels, and management of the financial, cash management and real estate aspects of all properties and partnerships. Ms. Hendrick plays a key role in guiding Aimbridge's investment and business development strategies.
Prior to joining Aimbridge, Ms. Hendrick served in several senior management positions with Wyndham International during her successful 16-year tenure, including Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasurer.
Her 20 years of experience in finance and real estate also include positions with major financial institutions such as Chase Manhattan, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and First Republic Bank. She has provided financial advisory services to select corporate clients, including commercial portfolio management for major public real estate investment trusts.
Ms. Hendrick holds a B.S. degree from Kansas State University and a master's in business administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. She currently serves on several Boards including: Board of Trustees member and Treasurer, Business and Professional Women's Foundation (Washington D.C.); Advisory Board, The Leadership Exchange (New York); and Dallas Chamber of Commerce Executive Women's Roundtable
Robert Burg –Chief Operating Officer
Robert Burg, Chief Operating Officer, is in charge of overall hotel operations and project development/capital projects. Burg joined Aimbridge with a proven track record of increasing market penetration and increasing GOP above industry benchmarks.
Prior to joining Aimbridge, Burg served as Senior Vice President of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and provided over 15 years of experience. Beginning in September of 1990, Burg was the Vice President of Operations for 22 of the full-service hotels under the Wyndham banner. There, he oversaw the takeover of nine properties in a 12 month period.
Burg then lead the entire chain of the Summerfield Suites brand in operations, development, and revenue for the upscale, extended-stay product. Among many of his accomplishments during his tenure, he created and implemented specific sales strategies that enabled the portfolio to increase market share and revenues.
Vince Cuce – Senior Vice President of Finance
Vince Cuce is responsible for all financial and accounting functions for Aimbridge Hospitality and its managed properties. As Senior Vice President of Finance, Cuce develops, implements, and maintains financial controls and policies that streamline all financial communications. He also manages operating and capital budgets, debt financing, and structuring acquisitions.
Cuce has over 35 years of experience in the hotel industry, most recently with Wyndham Hotels and Resorts as Vice President – Controller. He also has multiple brand experiences that include Holiday Inn, Hilton, Sheraton, and Travelodge. During his career, he has worked in several non-accounting positions including General Manager, Food and Beverage Director, and Vice President / Director of Operations.
Before his tenure with Wyndham, Cuce spent 12 years with ITT Sheraton at various levels in both property and the corporate accounting areas. In 1987, Cuce became a Wyndham employee with the opening of the Wyndham Palm Springs, one of the first Wyndham Resorts. There he was responsible for financial controls for all asset-managed (non Wyndham branded) properties. After 1995, Cuce was responsible for the financial performance for 25 Wyndham Hotels and Resorts – a portfolio of over 10,000 rooms in both domestic and international locations.
Tom Kenney – Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Tom Kenney, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, not only provides strategic direction for Aimbridge’s corporate image, but also directs the overall sales and marketing efforts for the company’s entire portfolio. Kenney’s inÂdepth industry knowledge, sales skills, and excellent people skills are instrumental in building loyal relationship with nationwide customers and company-wide business partners.
Kenney has over 25 years of experience in the hotel industry, most recently with The Procaccianti Group (TPG) as Regional Vice President of Sales. In this role, he directed overall sales efforts for TPG during a period of unprecedented growth from 25 to 57 hotels, while improving performance and revenues and reducing cost of sales by 31%, or $2.3M. Kenney was also instrumental in facilitating sales and marketing brand conversion initiatives of numerous properties.
Before his tenure with TPG, Kenney served in various sales managerial positions in both national and regional level divisions of Wyndham International. During his successful 18-year career with Wyndham, Kenney implemented a systemic framework of sales tools, processes, priorities, and measurements across all hotels in a 10Âstate Eastern region, Caribbean resorts, and Canadian hotels constituting up to 64% of room revenue. Kenney also conceptualized and created the Business Transient Sales National Sales Organization in 1996 while with Wyndham.
Lynne Roberts – Senior Vice President of Development
Lynne Roberts, Senior Vice President of Development, is responsible for identifying prime investment opportunities and conversion analysis. Roberts’ expertise will lead the company’s growth through new acquisitions, management and development activities.
Roberts worked with Wyndham Hotels and Resorts for over 10 years as Vice President of Development Planning. While at Wyndham, she led acquisition, new construction, management contracts, and conversion analysis. In 1997, she created and directed start-up company development for HomeGate Hospitality, an extended-stay group. There she contributed to achieving private to public company status and a successful company sale within two years of conception.
Prior to her tenure at Wyndham, Roberts lead real estate analysis for Sheraton Suites Development in the Central United States and Canada. She was also a Hospitality consultant with Pannell Kerr Forster (PKF) in Chicago.
Rich Cortese – Senior VP of Caribbean Operations & Development
Rich Cortese is responsible for identifying prime offshore investment opportunities. Most of his more than 30 years of experience in the hotel industry has been centered on the Caribbean Region.
Prior to Aimbridge he was most recently Executive Vice President of Caribbean Property Group (CPG), where he had both management and asset management responsibilities of their 750 million dollar hotel portfolio. This portfolio included the Ritz Carlton San Juan, Marriott Aruba, Radisson San Juan a Marriott Courtyard portfolio, and an independent Hotel in San Juan, The Normandie. Before his tenure with CPG, Cortese was responsible for overseeing the El San Juan, El Conquistador and Conrad Plaza, the most successful resorts in Puerto Rico as well as a number of other Wyndham properties throughout the Caribbean.
In 2004, as Regional Vice President of Wyndham, Cortese was chosen as Hotelier of the Year by the Puerto Rico Hotel Association where he serves as a board member and Chairman of its Gaming Committee. Cortese was also appointed by the Governor of Puerto Rico to serve as a board member of the Puerto Rico Convention and Business Bureau.
Prior to Wyndham Resorts, Mr. Cortese was Senior Vice President - Operations of Atlantis Paradise Island and Corporate Food and Beverage Director of Hyatt Hotel Corporation.
Michael Johnson - Senior VP Finance & Treasurer
Michael Johnson, Senior Vice President Finance & Treasurer, is responsible for treasury operations, cash management, short term and long term financial planning for corporate and managed properties, debt and equity capital sourcing, structuring and due diligence for acquisitions.
Prior to joining Aimbridge, Mr. Johnson served in several mid and senior level management positions with AT&T during his successful 13-year tenure, including Assistant Vice President External Reporting, Executive Director Financial Planning, and Executive Director Financial Reporting and Director Finance and Accounting.
His 21 years of experience in finance and accounting also include positions with United Airlines, Montgomery Wards, Servicemaster and Advocate Healthcare. Mr. Johnson holds a B.S. and M.B.A. degrees in Finance and Accounting from Northern Illinois University. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Michael Grant – Chief Accounting Officer
Michael Grant, CPA, Chief Accounting Officer, is responsible for the company's operational accounting including financial statement preparation, accounts payable, payroll, compliance and planning for all the hotels under management.
Prior to joining Aimbridge, Mr. Grant served for 9 years with Wyndham International, leading a number of major company-wide initiatives during his tenure, including implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley processes, training and testing; and implementation of SAP as the accounting platform for the company and 180 of its hotels and resorts. He also oversaw Wyndham’s central accounting department, responsible for the financial statements of over 100 of the company’s owned hotels.
Mr. Grant’s over 20 years experience includes positions with KPMG, ClubCorp and other smaller real estate/asset management companies. He holds a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. Mr. Grant currently serves as Board Member and Treasurer for the Lone Star Wind Orchestra.
Anne Binns – Vice President, Human Resources
With extensive Human Resources experience in Hospitality, Anne is responsible for the human resources strategy which includes leadership development, recruiting, legal compliance and building a culture committed to excellence.
Anne’s background includes human resources and operation leadership roles with various hotel management companies with experience from full service, four star hotels to select service hotels across multiple brands and locations. Anne has been involved for the last seven years in acquisition and divestment of hotels.
Anne holds degrees in Business Management and a Masters of Science in Counseling, and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources.