Cindy Estis Green, CEO & co-founder
Kalibri Labs

Session #1 - Operating in the Age of Digital Disruption

Cindy Estis Green is the CEO and co-founder of Kalibri Labs, a next generation benchmarking and analytics company that has built the most robust database of hotel performance in the U.S. and uses data science techniques to evaluate and predict hotel revenue performance. Estis Green is a thought leader and frequent speaker on hospitality distribution and commercial strategy having written many books and studies on the topic that explain and anticipate how digital disruption will impact the economics of hotels. Estis Green’s background include roles as a corporate brand marketing executive, hotel general manager and founder and leader of two successful data analytics companies.

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Matt Goche, CEO
Uniguest

Session #2 - Everyone is Always for Sale! 

Matt Goche brings extensive technology and cybersecurity background to Uniguest with a track record of growing revenue and achieving business results. Since joining Uniguest in 2016 as Chief Operating Officer, then as President, and now as Chief Executive Officer, Uniguest has dramatically grown revenue, expanded the employee base, acquired marquee companies, and moved into new markets with new product offerings. Uniguest now has 15 offices across the globe and supports a customer base of more than 20,000 customers.  Prior to joining Uniguest, Matt was Vice President of Global Security Services at Sungard Availability Services, where he built a cybersecurity business supporting more than 600 enterprise clients. Prior to Sungard, Matt was an officer in the United States Air Force.

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Erin Snodgrass, Attorney,
Foster Garvey

Session #3 - Legal Counsel

Erin Snodgrass, an attorney with Foster Garvey, represents a wide variety of businesses at all stages of development, including industry leaders and start-up companies in the hospitality, travel and technology industries.
 
Representing several of the travel industry’s most prominent players, Erin advises clients on enterprise sales and licensing, sourcing, IP licensing, and sales and distribution. She also works closely with clients to develop privacy and data security compliance programs and social media and blogging programs, including creating internal and external policies for social media partners and contractors.
 
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Tony Espinoza, CEO
CallTek

Session #4 - Mitigating Risk in Emergency Situations 

Educational Mini - Session 
A natural problem-solver, Tony Espinoza has dedicated his professional life to creating technology solutions that help businesses turn obstacles into opportunities.  As a young man his love for technology took him from Southern California to the Philippines where he created his own opportunity and founded CallTek in 2004.
 
Over the past 18 years, his passion and commitment has turned CallTek into a global enterprise that touches billions of consumers each day though the myriad of technology operators and service providers who depend on the company for support.
 
Tony’s background in engineering enables him to be able to identify and create solutions from the ground-up. He holds numerous patents for technology protocols that provide solutions for CallTek clients every day.
 
Based in Cebu City, the Philippines; Tony enjoys introducing clients to the rich culture of is adopted home and makes darn good tacos on the side.

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David Chestler, President
PROVision Partners 

Session #5 - Are you there, Nessie? It’s me, AI…


David has a consistent record over the last 30+ years of achievement in diverse organizational environments for global market penetration and growth within the hospitality and travel sector. Known as ”The Revenue Catalyst”, David is a deeply engaged leader of sales strategy, sales operations, and people management process and is highly skilled at establishing strategic focus, clear goals, transformation, and high-performance teams.

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Andrew Sanders, Vice President - North America
DataArt

Session #6 - Attendee-led Mini Session - A Global Perspective


Andrew Sanders is VP for the hospitality sector at DataArt, a software development outsourcing consultancy. He has held executive and sales leadership roles for various travel, transportation and hospitality application companies for over 30 years, starting his career with McDonnell Douglas Information Systems in the UK. He moved to the US in 2000 when his company acquired a New Jersey-based PMS company – M-Corp, which was subsequently purchased by MICROS.
 
Andrew’s background has focused on hospitality innovations in the areas of PMS, CRS, mobile applications and customer engagement.
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Dan Kornick
CIO
Loews Hotels & Co.

Session - CIO Panel


Dan Kornick is the Chief Information Officer at Loews Hotels & Co in New York City, where he is responsible for all aspects of Information Technology including strategy, systems development, infrastructure, IT operations, internal customer support and working across the organization on the evolution of IT. He is a Global digital and global technology leader with vast experience in multiple industries including Hospitality & Travel, Telecom and Financial services.

Prior to Loews, he has held CIO roles with TracFone Wireless, Wyndham Hotel Group and Cendant’s Vacation Rental Group in Europe. He has successfully led multiple business, technology and digital transformations focusing on the customer and team experience, while leveraging the investment in technology to achieve the overall objectives for the organizations.

A graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Mathematics, Dan previously served on the Board of Governors for Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG), and currently sits on Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Youth Chorus.

Brian Kirkland
CIO
Choice Hotels International

Session - CIO Panel


Brian Kirkland is Chief Information Officer for Choice Hotels International, one of the world’s largest hotel companies. He oversees the company’s Information Technology organization, and is responsible for leading overall IT strategy, infrastructure, development, all aligning with Choice’s business objectives.
 
Brian guided Choice’s efforts to successfully design and launch the industry’s first new global reservation system in 30 years, choiceEDGE.  Subsequently, he kicked off a multi-year cloud transformation and migration strategy for which Choice Hotels is the first major hotel company to commit to going all-in on the cloud with Amazon Web Services (AWS).  Leveraging cloud capabilities, he is leading Choice’s innovation and modernization in technology.
 
After earning his bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University, Brian has focused on giving back. He is a founding board member with SustainableIT.org, and is a member of multiple executive boards in local, hospitality industry or technology focused groups.

Keryn McNamara, Senior Vice President, Hotel Technology
Aimbridge Hospitality

Session - CIO Panel


Keryn McNamara is Senior Vice President of Hotel Technology at Aimbridge Hospitality, a global leader in hospitality. She joined the company three years ago after working for more than 20 years at Omni Hotels & Resorts, where she served in a number of leadership positions, including Vice President of Hotel Technology. Keryn serves on the 2023 HITEC North America Advisory Council and is a member of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality, an association that connects executive women across all sectors of the industry. 
 

Wendy Mertz, CIO
Virgin Hotels

Session - CIO Panel


Wendy Mertz is the CIO for Virgin Hotels. Prior to 2023, she was the vice president of information technology for non-gaming systems at Seminole Hard Rock Support Services, the IT business partner for the multibillion-dollar global entertainment company that includes hotels, casinos, live music venues, cafes and corporate business units. She moved into the job after having served for 17 years in various technology positions at Hard Rock International and holding IT leadership positions at Walt Disney Company and Disney Cruise Line. She has serves on the Executive Leadership Group of Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG) and was part of the executive leadership team that facilitated the merger of HTNG with the American Hotel & Lodging Association. She is actively involved in the women’s mentorship programs and was recently recognized by the Rochester Institute of Technology for her contributions to the hospitality industry.
 
During her tenure at Hard Rock, which has properties in 65 countries, Mertz has been responsible for several multimillion-dollar system implementation and conversion projects. One of her biggest achievements was developing application technology standards for the global hotel brand.
 

Richard Tudgay, CTO
Highgate Hotels

Session - CIO Panel


Richard Tudgay is the chief technology officer at Highgate, a premier hospitality investment and management company. He joined the organization in 2015 as vice president of IT services after almost 15 years at Omni Hotels & Resorts, where he served as vice president of technology. His career also includes IT management roles at Pegasus and at specialty retail chain The Container Store.


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