Storyteller Hospitality

Storyteller intro: Ryan McCarthy Ryan is a 25-year hotel industry veteran with extensive experience in all aspects of lodging and hospitality including operations, asset management, strategic planning, and acquisitions. During his career, Ryan has been involved in over $1.5 billion of hotel real estate transactions and $1 billion of asset managed hotel properties from limited-service hotels to full-service luxury resorts. Most recently Ryan co-founded Soul Community Planet Hotels, serving in the roles of interim CFO and Head of Real Estate over a five-year period.?Ryan served as General Manager of Salishan Coastal Lodge, an affiliated property to SCP, where he began the repositioning of the prominent asset for the first year and half of ownership.?Prior to SCP, Ryan served as Director of Acquisitions at Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. ("Sunstone"). During his time at Sunstone, Ryan played a key role in over $750 million of transactions including the acquisitions of the Hyatt Regency San Francisco and the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa as well as numerous dispositions. A graduate of the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration, Ryan is passionate about serving people with disabilities. He was previously a board member for The Ability Experience, a non-profit that raises funding and awareness on behalf of people with disabilities. ?Ryan has bicycled 4,000 miles from San Francisco to Washington DC and also completed an Ironman triathlon to raise money and awareness for The Ability Experience. Ryan lives in Austin, TX with his two children and in his free time, he enjoys reading, biking, sailing, triathlons, and traveling.

Congratulations Scott Roby on this new chapter of your story.

Storyteller Intro: Hideki Myo Chef Hideki Myo is a distinguished culinary professional and Tokyo native with over two decades of experience, celebrated for seamlessly blending French-Western cuisine with East Asian influences. His journey began with rigorous training at the esteemed Westin Hotel in Japan, where he mastered the precision, artistry, and attention to detail that have become hallmarks of his signature style. Chef Hideki’s career flourished internationally, including a pivotal tenure with the Hyatt hotel group, where he honed his expertise in high-end dining and large-scale kitchen operations. Most recently, he served as the Executive Chef at a dual-property, lifestyle Marriott affiliated campus in Sunnyvale, comprising the TETRA Hotel and the AC Hotel by Marriott Moffett Park. As a key member of the opening team for both hotels, Chef Hideki played an instrumental role in establishing their culinary programs, overseeing multiple food outlets, include the South Bay's only Japanese Whiskey bar, leading talented individuals, and delivering innovative, high-quality dining experiences. Now at the helm of his own catering and event business, Chef Hideki brings his extensive experience to private and corporate clients. His bespoke services create unique culinary journeys for every occasion, from intimate gatherings to grand celebrations. An adventurer at heart, Chef Hideki enjoys fishing, camping, snowboarding, and indulging in manga. This dynamic and creative spirit continually fuels his passion for innovation, allowing him to inspire and elevate the culinary arts one dish at a time.

Happy birthday to our founder, Scott Roby! Wishing you a year full of creativity and connection.

Storyteller intro: Gus Laliotis Gus is Greek. He left his home as a very young man and arrived in the United States seeking the American dream. Things weren't easy at first, but through very hard work, honesty, dedication, and a passion for food, wine and celebration Gus has accomplished his dream. With Evolution hospitality for the last 20 years, Gus played a pivotal role in the launch of the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, an exhilarating and complex venture, particularly with its expansive F&B operation. His transition to Evolution as the VP of Food & Beverage was a turning point for the company. Gus’s visionary approach in every aspect of hotel openings and new transitions, from the intricacies of banquet operations to the creative flair in menu concepting and execution, has been nothing short of transformative. His exceptional talent and dedication helped establish Evolution’s reputation for the unique blend of soft branded, luxury, and independent hotels, each with a distinctive and robust F&B identity. Gus has always dedicated himself to nurturing relationships, enhancing operations, and providing unwavering support to Evolution properties. His influence and guidance have been a cornerstone at countless company events, always underpinned by his culinary expertise. Under his mentorship, numerous chefs and F&B Directors have flourished, ascending to greater heights in their careers, a testament to his selfless commitment to enriching the lives and careers of those around him. In Greek culture, there is a concept known as ‘filotimo’ – an ethos that embodies empathy, compassion, and generosity, all done selflessly and with a deep sense of honor and humility. Gus embodies ‘filotimo’ in its truest form, living and leading with a heart full of generosity and a spirit that inspires. Gus and his wife Karrie enjoy trying new restaurants, cooking beautiful meals at home and travel to Greece. Gus is equally passionate about his three children: Jordan, Chase, and Acacia. And in a brilliant move to combine both of his loves, each of his children is named after one of his favorite wines or wineries: Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Chase Cellars, and Acacia Vineyard. Growing up Gus was rated one of the top soccer players in his state. His soccer coach continuously stressed that success was a team effort, not an individual thing - and the message stuck. Gus knows his success in hospitality is directly related to the great teams he worked alongside at each of the properties he's had the honor to work with.

Sharing gratitude with all our fellow #hoteliers working over the holiday to take care of all the people traveling around the country. Thanks for showing up today.

Storyteller intro: Michael Lerman. Mike's path in the hotel business began in the Pleistocene era when General Managers rose through the ranks of Food & Beverage. His early days were spent in restaurants, working all hourly roles in front and back of house in corporate and independent restaurants in California and Chicago. After 5 years at the 805 room Fairmont Hotel San Jose, in progressive leadership roles culminating in leading the division, Mike's family relocated to Maui, as Director of F&B, plus all beach and pool operations. During this time, his team was honored with the award for "Best Restaurant" on Maui. Returning to California to raise his budding family, Mike joined his first franchise hotel company at the Westin SFO, then Hyatt Place San Jose Downtown, the latter ending in a successful disposition to BRE Hotels & Resorts, a Blackstone Portfolio Company. Continuing his Bay Area hotel journey, Mike joined Evolution Hospitality to open in succession 6 new Marriott International affiliated hotels developed by T2 Hospitality. Within a year of opening his last dual-hotel concept, TETRA Hotel, Autograph Collection Hotels, Mike was invited to join a new venture from the T2 family, Outdoor Citizen. This group was formed to as a platform to develop, brand and manage luxury, remote resorts in the US. Mike now looks to bring his passion for lifestyle hotels, inspiring venues and new concepts to owners and operators who seek support in crafting their own stories. He has been acknowledged for creative marketing initiatives, employee recognition programs and being able to turn ideas and brands into tangible programming. While it's difficult to separate work/life, if Mike is not engaged in work he is playing or riding bikes with his 2 young sons, talking philosophy with his wife, reading or seeking out great coffee. He is constantly seeking new experiences and lately has enjoyed wheel thrown ceramics, wild fermentation and camping (all things that connect back to work in the end).

Storyteller intro: Scott Roby. Scott is the founding principal of Storyteller Hospitality. "Over the last few years, I have been thinking a lot about storytelling and the power of stories in building and solidifying culture." In launching this new consultancy to help hospitality companies craft and execute compelling story-based business strategies that maximize value for all stakeholders, Scott is leveraging his nearly 20 years of experience as a founder and principal of Evolution Hospitality, California's most sought after hotel management company in the #lifestyle space. Hear the latest interview with Scott with Josiah Mackenzie on the Hospitality Daily podcast: https://lnkd.in/gPZpk3ta Scott was critical in the spin-off of the Evolution management company from the family office, Tarsadia Hotels, as well as the launch of their most significant hotel to date, the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, a condo hotel. His leadership in both the commercial and operations aspect of the company, rooted in his ownership mentality via over 20 equity investments in hotel, multi-family and industrial buildings, allowed Evolution to successfully sell to Aimbridge Hospitality in 2015. Prior to Tarsadia/Evolution, Scott worked for KSL Resorts at La Costa Resort and Spa and Hilton Hotels Corporation at two branded resorts in San Diego, all in revenue management, pricing and commercial strategy. It was there that he honed his skills in multi-revenue stream operations. He is a collaborative leader that balances results and culture, knowing that none of this is worth it, if we can't find passion in what we do every day. Scott volunteers his time with the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, raising funds for cancer research and patient outreach. He has lectured on hospitality topics at major universities in Southern California, served on and led advisory boards in hotel commercial strategy and currently serves on the board of private equity owned Design Environments. In his free time, Scott enjoys spending time with his five kids, watching live music, enjoying a sunset picnic at Salt Creek, hiking, skiing, travelling, and cheering on his favorite sports teams.

We are proud and honored to share the official page for Storyteller Hospitality. Thank you to our network who has shown so much love and support of this launch! Stay tuned for announcements and updates, including new partners and projects. Reach out if we can help you write your company's story.