Senior Director, Transactions & Asset Management

Support the Transactions & Asset Management (“TAM”) team, a part of the Americas’ Development group, which focuses on strategic and critical projects to ensure IHG retains and grows its estate of management contracts and license agreements (together, the “Contracts”). These Contracts are the assets of the company that TAM is charged with managing by maintaining and enhancing the assets’ value to IHG. TAM activities include coordinating efforts to maintain existing Contracts, resolving existing and new Contract issues, driving IHG’s investment in strategic initiatives, working on IHG’s distressed asset portfolio while balancing the needs of internal IHG stakeholders as well as those of owners, third-party managers, lenders and master/special servicers. This role includes directing and/or supporting due diligence efforts, negotiating Contracts, following up on deal particulars, and coordinating deal terms with Brand Management, Regional Operations and Finance.

Your day to day 

Manage and/or support a large volume of projects simultaneously with various project leaders within a complex matrix organization. These projects may include the following:

• Lead relicensing and change of ownership efforts for high profile assets in the luxury, lifestyle and premium portfolios.
• Undertaking initiatives to protect, and enforce IHG’s rights under various Contracts, including efforts to track and retain strategic hotels within the IHG estate.
• Ensuring third-party ownership changes do not cause a change in brand representation for strategic IHG hotels. These efforts include tracking for-sale assets, developing and maintaining excellent broker relationships, sourcing buyers, and facilitating the transaction.
• Working with Development, Brand Management, Quality Evaluation team, Regional Operations, Legal and Finance on appropriate capital investment and business development strategies.
• Identifying value-accretive opportunities within the existing asset base, including rights of first offer and rights of first refusals (“ROFO/ROFR”), and implementing strategies to unlock such value such as leveraging ROFO/ROFR to gain control of transactions.
• Coordinating with various internal groups to provide research and support for presentations. Reviewing the project as appropriate with Legal, Regional Operations, Brand Management, and Development to ensure the presentation appropriately represents IHG’s strategy and objectives.
• Participating in strategic IHG initiatives including investments behind new brand rollouts and investments in target markets to support IHG brand growth.
• For distressed hotels, acting as the primary point of contact with lenders, special servicers, court-appointed receivers, management companies, hotel owners, potential owners and/or their attorneys to provide information or resolve issues as needed.
• Responsible for serving as the primary Asset Management resource for hotels that IHG has under long-term leases/contracts.

What we need from you

• Bachelor degree in Hotel Administration, Business, Finance or related disciplines or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience. Master degree in one of the above disciplines and/or MBA preferred.
• 8-12 years’ progressive, hotel-focused work experience in real estate, development, acquisitions, feasibility, investment analysis, and/or lending. 5-7 years’ experience managing significant and complex hotel real estate projects including deal structuring, with demonstrated proficiency in multiple skills related to the position. Extensive knowledge of hotel pro formas and investment analyses as well as hotel Contracts essential.
• This candidate must be a good communicator, able to work independently, manage a large volume of projects, and think outside of the box to resolve critical and complex problems. Specific skills include:
• Demonstrated ability to multitask and function within a global organization
• Experience both managing and supporting multiple projects and project teams including timely completion of projects and effective communication of results/findings.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills. Demonstrated ability to analyze and draw conclusions from complex financial, statistical and market/sales data. Proficiency in paying attention to details.
• In depth understanding of modeling hotel proformas and investment analyses.
• Experience reviewing and negotiating business terms within hotel Contracts.
• General knowledge and understanding of the