Christopher Alvarado is a visionary leader in hospitality and design, with a distinguished career that spans some of the industry’s most iconic brands. His journey began at SBE Entertainment Group, where he played a pivotal role in launching the renowned SLS brand, along with a range of innovative restaurant and nightlife concepts that have become benchmarks in luxury lifestyle experiences.

Building on his success, Alvarado joined Thompson Hotel Group, which later became part of Two Roads Hospitality. During his tenure, he was instrumental in expanding the Thompson Hotels portfolio and fostering the growth of esteemed brands such as Alila Hotels & Resorts, JOIE de Vivre Hotels, and Tommie Hotels. His ability to blend strategic vision with creative design contributed significantly to the evolution of these distinctive hospitality experiences.

Today, Alvarado serves as the senior vice president of design for SH Hotels & Resorts, where he oversees the creative direction and design for the company’s celebrated 1 Hotels, Baccarat, and Treehouse brands. Under his leadership, SH Hotels & Resorts has continued to set new standards for sustainable luxury and innovative design, ensuring each property reflects a harmonious balance of sophistication, environmental consciousness, and guest-centric functionality.

Sam Bakhshandehpour is chief executive officer and board member of José Andrés Group (JAG), a restaurant and media company. Driven by the mission of “Changing the world through the power of food,” JAG’s platform spans 40-plus world-class restaurants across nine markets globally, including the 2-Michelin starred minibar by José Andrés and numerous Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants.

Bakhshandehpour also runs José Andrés Media (JAM), which produces food-related cultural content across scripted and unscripted media channels—film and television, books, podcasts, and digital content, including the Emmy-award winning series José Andrés and Family In Spain and The New York Times bestselling Zaytinya cookbook. JAG also houses numerous global partnerships as well as a consumer products platform offering best-in-class products from around Spain.

Through his hospitality investment platform, the Silverstone Companies, Bakhshandehpour has made numerous investments including The Electric Jane (private membership club and live music lounge/restaurant); Cultivate Hospitality (F&B programming); Bazaar by José Andrés; and select other hotel, restaurant, and lifestyle properties.

Named one of the “Most Important People in Hospitality” on the Observer’s 2023 Dining and Nightlife Power List, Bakhshandehpour previously served as president, CEO, and board member of sbe Entertainment, a private-equity backed hotel, restaurant, and nightlife company with over 80 properties globally.

Bakhshandehpour started his career on Wall Street with J.P. Morgan Securities running the Global Casino and West Coast Real Estate & Lodging Investment Banking practice focused on mergers and acquisitions and capital raising.

Bakhshandehpour holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. He serves on the board of Shift4 as an Independent Director and member of the Audit and Compensation Committees. Sam also serves on the Restaurant Advisory Boards for both Fiserv Inc and Bilt Technologies, Inc. He is currently a member of Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA)’s 2025 Advisory Board and Food & Beverage Committee.

As chief operating officer, Julia Choi oversees all of Jeffrey Beers International (JBI)’s business operations and strategy implementation.

Choi has over 20 years of experience in the A&D industry, working with world renowned architects such as Peter Eisenman and Diller, Scofidio & Renfro before moving into the hospitality field with industry giants such as Rockwell Group, having previously served as managing director of Roman & Williams, and director of operations at Wilson Associates overseeing multiple offices.

Choi studied architecture at the prestigious the Cooper Union and holds a Bachelors of Architecture degree.

On her rare days off, Julia flies single engine planes to see the world from a different perspective.

Sara Felch is the vice president of design (Americas) at Kerzner International, where she leads the design and development of projects across the region. Felch plays an instrumental role in shaping the guest experience at every Kerzner property she touches, from developing initial concepts to overseeing construction and hotel openings. Her expertise spans project programming, design narratives, furniture, fixtures and equipment detailing, and millwork, ensuring each project aligns with Kerzner’s innovative vision.

Since joining Kerzner as director of design in 2019, Felch’s role has expanded to encompass not only interiors but also brand experience development for SIRO and Rare Finds, as well as master planning and architecture. In her current role, Felch now helps oversee the Technical Services department, and through her integral role in the development of new properties, plays an important part in driving the expansion of Kerzner, across the company’s industry-leading brands; Atlantis, One&Only, SIRO, and Rare Finds.

Felch attended Drexel University in Philadelphia, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design with a Minor in Architecture. Her professional design journey began in Singapore with HBA. Her career then took her to Dubai, where she transitioned to a boutique firm, seeking a more hands-on experience. Her ambition to gain a deeper understanding of the financial and operational aspects of hotel development led her to work with prominent developers in the UAE, Damac and Emaar.

Founded in 2016 by principal designer Paolo Ferrari, Studio Paolo Ferrari is a globally recognized practice at the cutting edge of international design. Today, the studio works with prestige and emerging luxury brands or through private commissions on hospitality, retail, and residential projects, delivering highly considered guest experiences, through attention to detail and full immersion, into worlds both luxurious and distinct.

A distinctive, vision-forward approach has defined Ferrari’s output as he continues to collaborate with industry-leading clients all over the world. With the ever-expanding presence of the digital, Studio Paolo Ferrari believes in pursuing work where experiential worlds evoke a quality of awe. Through a user-centric design approach, which emphasizes ritual and artistry, Studio Paolo Ferrari occupies the rare space where timelessness and courageous invention coexist.

The studio is currently involved in projects throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Throughout his career, Ferrari has worked with luxury heavyweights, including Accor, Raffles, St. Regis, 1 Hotels, Four Seasons, and LVMH.

Alvaro Montoya Mora is vice president, design for Andaz, Thompson Hotels, and Dream Hotels for Hyatt Lifestyle Group. In this role, he oversees brand-led design and physical activations for new hotels, renovations of existing hotels, along with design evaluation of new development opportunities.

Prior to this role, Alvaro was the RVP Design Services for the U.S. and Canada and the studio head for Hyatt Lifestyle design studio working in partnership with Hyatt’s global branding, lifestyle, and timeless operations and development teams, strategically growing brand portfolios while focusing on creating innovating projects and one-of-a-kind experiences.

With an extensive background leading design and interior architectural teams in several countries and continuously searching for new ways of redefining hospitality experiences, Alvaro has been leading the growth of Hyatt Design Services during the last decade, including the creation of Hyatt Lifestyle Studio.

Prior joining Hyatt in 2016, he was design director at SEE, one of the most renowned interior design firms in South America, directing and overseeing hotel and restaurant design across Latin America, including one of the first Hyatt Centric. Previously, Alvaro was a project designer at TonyChi and Associates in New York, where he worked in several high-end hospitality projects all over the world and learned about hospitality design and hotel operations from one of the most well-known hospitality designers.

Lisa Pasternack is the senior director of interior design for the Americas at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, where she provides strategic leadership across the region’s diverse portfolio of projects. With a focus on elevating design and maintaining the brand’s unwavering commitment to quality, Pasternack directs the interior design team based in Toronto, ensuring the successful execution of projects from concept to completion.

With over 27 years of experience, Pasternack has played a key role in the design and construction of numerous Four Seasons properties, developing extensive expertise in both new builds and renovations. Over her career, she has contributed to shaping and refining the company’s design standards, keeping them at the forefront of the luxury hospitality industry for more than a decade.

Pasternack’s considerable experience in luxury hospitality, combined with her attention to detail and thoughtful approach to design, allows her to play a meaningful role in Four Seasons’ ongoing pursuit of excellence in every aspect of the guest experience.

Leigh Salem is a founding partner of Post Company, an award-winning, multidisciplinary design firm that works across hospitality, retail, and residential typologies. Post Company crafts environments that are simultaneously comprehensive in their approach and exacting in their detail.

With a team comprised of architects, interior designers, carpenters, and art directors, the firm is an amalgam of disciplines, which combine to make spaces that reflect an expansive and holistic expression. With a balanced background in fine arts and business, Leigh employs his broad knowledge of architectural and aesthetic styles to the benefit of Post Company projects.

He received his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College and his Masters of Architecture with honors from Columbia University. Following, he received his MBA from NYU Stern School of Business in real estate and entrepreneurship.

Tracy Smith-Woodby is a member of Marriott International’s global design america, lifestyle/luxury team, where she primarily focuses on lifestyle brands like Renaissance, Westin, Le Meridien, Tribute, and Autograph. In her role as director of interior design, she ensures brand integrity and quality of design from kick-off to hotel opening.

As a key contributor to the guest experience, Smith-Woodby builds strong relationships with all stakeholders and exceeds expectations to deliver personal luxury and style. Her strong passion for design brings her unique point of view on project execution and implementation.

Smith-Woodby has garnered respect from her colleagues in the industry as a valued team member who collaborates to bring the brand interior design philosophy into the built environment.

Bashar Wali is a founder, a father, and a hotel fanatic. He’s a pragmatist—hungry to experience life not as it is packaged and sold, but as it is. His vested interest in hospitality, culture, and design, is cut with curiosity of what’s possible, beyond the status quo.

Wali is always looking for that spark—that perfect symmetry of an idea and its physical manifestation—to make human experiences as we know them, better. He’s the consummate Host of the Soirée—ever in pursuit of a shared humanity among friends, colleagues, and total strangers. This is perhaps his greatest gift: bringing together a group that’s more inspiring than the sum of its parts.

As founder and CEO of This Assembly and Practice Hospitality, Wali draws upon expertise honed over a 30-year career in hospitality. An expert in the lifestyle space, Wali is known for pushing limits in his philosopher-meets-hotelier kind of way. Whether helming the TEDx stage, hosting a Global YPO event, or collaborating on Clubhouse, Bashar’s message is unwavering: service is what you deliver, hospitality is how you make people feel.

Wali has done every job in a hotel—from frying an egg to negotiating a deal—working for Starwood Hotels before leading acquisitions and development globally at Grand Heritage Hotels. Prior to launching This Assembly and Practice Hospitality, Wali served as president/CEO of Provenance Hotels, where he remains a partner, for 15 years, growing the company from five to 15 hotels, 1,500 team members, and expanding the collection from the Pacific Northwest to an award-winning national brand, with annual revenue in excess of $150 million.

When Bashar isn’t traveling to 60-plus countries and 49 states, he’s home in Portland, Oregon with his wife and kids, dreaming up the hotels of tomorrow.

Chantell Walsh is the vice president of design and construction at Strategic Hotels & Resorts, where she oversees the creative direction and construction development for the company’s leading luxury portfolio. With a degree in architecture, Chantell is experienced in all phases of design management, from concept design through final execution, and has a proven track record of repositioning luxury assets to maximize value and guest experience.

She is adept at managing complex projects, guiding them through each phase with precision and efficiency. In addition to her expertise in design, she plays an integral role in capital deployment strategies, ensuring projects align with investment goals. Walsh also leads the selection and coordination of design teams, fostering collaboration to ensure elite design standards are met.

Her ability to balance creative vision with strategic financial oversight has made her a key leader in the transformation of high-end properties across the portfolio.

Matt Berman believes passionately in the transformative power of good design. A founding principal at New York design and architecture firm Workshop/APD, Berman considers the built environment a player and protagonist in its inhabitants’ lives, with the ability to create a mood and catalyze more meaningful interactions and experiences.

Since the firm’s inception in 1999, he has encouraged clients to demand more of their spaces, creating modern hotels, restaurants, high-end homes, luxury residential developments, institutional projects, and design products that engage the senses and invite inquiry at every scale. Today, he leads Workshop/APD’s hospitality vertical, setting the scene for an ever-changing cast of characters with spaces that are interactive, engaging, and intrinsically tied to their unique locations, as well as a thriving product practice that includes the firm’s Workshop Collection brand.

Berman’s passion for perfectly imperfect materials and finishes worked by hand, machine, or mother nature imbues his work with a timeless, tactile quality and informs the firm’s product development practice. He is known for pursuing technological advances in construction, fabrication, and materials to solve complex design challenges in groundbreaking projects, such as Building 92 in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard and 1 Hotel Nashville.

A formative stint at ANY Magazine made Berman acutely aware of the implications of design at every scale, propelling him from architectural journalism to a career in architecture and design. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lehigh University and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University, and has served as a visiting professor at Pratt Institute. He is a member of the Design Leadership Network leadership board, and the Hospitality Design editorial advisory board.

Along with Bernard Tschumi, he co-edited Index Architecture (MIT Press, 2003), and hosted the original television series What the Window Washer Saw, about the world’s most iconic skyscrapers. Berman co-authored Workshop/APD Homes: Architecture, Interiors and the Spaces Between (Rizzoli, Fall ’22) along with Workshop/APD cofounder Andrew Kotchen and writer Marc Kristal. He resides in New York City and Asbury Park, NJ with his husband, Jim; their son, Owen; and their bulldog, Watson.

Jasmine Brevik is the hospitality director at Absolute Procurement. Her expertise is in developing and maintaining client and team relationships, while overseeing the success of each hospitality project that comes to the table. Through regular consultations and product research, Brevik plays a key role in establishing ongoing relationships with vendors that result in time and cost savings for her projects, and provide a wealth of industry knowledge to share.

Brevik is a talented speaker, well-loved by her team and community, and brings a much-needed voice to the industry as a Black woman working in FF&E leadership.

With over 10 years of experience in purchasing management, beginning in the retail industry before shifting toward hospitality, Brevik has a deep understanding of both supply chain management and client relationships. Within the hospitality industry she has proven herself to be an expert in purchasing items that match her market research, fit the budget, meet critical timelines, allow for value engineering and successful damage mitigation processes. Brevik’s experience is also inclusive of procurement within the senior living, multi-family, and contract industries, which Absolute Procurement specializes in as well.

Brevik has collaborated with a plethora of hotel brands and groups in the industry. Not only has she worked with many flags, she has also had the opportunity to work with niche groups that have their own unique and independent brands. Her experience with these independent brands and developers—such as Woodside Hotels, Sage Hospitality, and Provenance—has allowed her to source for many design professionals and bring the boutique experience to life.

Candra Mathis is a managing director and principal in Gensler’s Las Vegas office, who is focused on design and business development. She brings over 17 years of experience to her role as a hospitality interiors studio director and co-hospitality leader for Gensler’s Southwest region.

NCIDQ certified and LEED accredited, her technical interiors skills match the breadth and depth of her creative expertise. She believes that integrated teams of diverse mindsets push the limits of design. Mathis guides the growth of hospitality brands through comprehensive conceptual and design leadership, overseeing all aspects of project development.

Applying the latest trends in design and technology, Mathis brings clients a fresh perspective to create new experiences for their guests through story-led design. Her primary passion is client relationships followed by design excellence, talent development, and advancing the design process with innovative efficiencies during the design process. Many of the relationships Mathis has built during her time at Gensler include San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, MGM, Circa Resorts, Corner Bar Management, Marriott, and Fisher Brothers to name a few.

Mathis is a graduate from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design and a minor in Architecture.

Jessica Pfeifer is the director of design and procurement for Host Hotels & Resorts, an S&P 500 company, and the largest lodging real estate investment trust. In her role, she is responsible for design management, as well as strategic procurement and purchasing decisions across Host’s portfolio of luxury and upper-upscale hotels.

Pfeifer started her career in hospitality 18 years ago as a designer for Wilson Associates in New York. During her time at Wilson, she gained invaluable experience working on premier hotel projects, including the development of international prototype designs for multiple Marriott brands.

Pfeifer is an NCIDQ certified interior designer and licensed in the state of Maryland.