Ben Martin

Associate Principal, Consulting, HKS

Ben Martin has a considerable catalogue of experience as a consultant focusing on real estate economics, with a particular emphasis on resorts, residential, leisure and mixed use development.  He has completed projects across a broad range of countries in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa and his clients have included government organisations, leisure and entertainment providers, property development companies, financial institutions, development corporations and local authorities. Mr Martin is involved at all stages of the study process, from preliminary site reviews to the design and development of tailor-made financial models that reflect the recommended development programme for the project. Having gained more than a two decades of experience as a consultant in this sector, he now plays a key role in the management of project research and economic appraisal within the Hospitality Consulting Group at HKS Inc.

Mossadeck Bally

Chief Executive Officer, Azalaï Hotels Group

Mr. Bally is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Azalaï Hotels Group.

In 1994, he acquired the mythical “Grand Hôtel de Bamako”. In 2000, he built the Salam Hotel, and managed Hotel Nord Sud. In 2005, he consolidated the activities of the various properties under a common brand “Azalaï Hotels”. The Azalaï Hotels Group expanded to Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Benin and more recently to Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Guinee Conakry and Niger.

Azalaï Hotels Group is today the first African private hotel chain group in the West African Region, providing direct employment to about 900 persons and over 2000 indirectly.

Stuart Clay

General Manager, IBIS STYLES Nairobi Westlands

Highly motivated, flexible, hands-on team player with over 28 years’ experience, in opening and operating hotels has a passion for developing new industry stars and ensuring their talents flourish in hospitality sector. Familiar with working in a pressurised environment, in addition to working well within a team environment, very enthusiastic with a high level of self-motivation and communication skills. Uses wide experience of problem solving to ensure the highest standards of customer care.

Christine Muiruri

Learning and Development Manager, Hilton Nairobi

My name is Christine Muiruri. I am the Learning and Development Manager at Hilton Nairobi. I hold a Bachelor’s degree from Kenyatta University and a Master’s degree from University of Nairobi. I have over 10 years’ experience in training. I am a Master Brand trainer for Africa and Indian Ocean Region for Hilton and I’m also a Cerfied Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP).

Samantha Muna

Director of Development East Africa, Hilton

Samantha joined Hilton in the inaugural Nairobi Development Office in January 2018 with a focus on expansion of the Hilton portfolio of brand across East Africa. Her hospitality career of 23 years spans three continents – USA, Europe and Africa – in various roles in operations, management, consultancy and advisory. Previously, she was the Managing Director and co-founder of Trianum Hospitality, a consulting and management firm focused on the extended stay and serviced apartment market in Kenya. Trianum has managed a diverse portfolio of 21 hotels and serviced apartments and consulted on over 50 assignments, some in partnership with HVS.  Prior to this, she worked in hospitality asset management with CHMWarnick in Boston, MA where they worked to improve the performance of hotel assets under institutional ownership managed by the main hotel brands such as Starwood, Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt.

She holds a Masters degree in Hospitality Management (MMH) specialised in hotel real estate finance from Cornell University, USA, a Bachelor of Science degree in International Hospitality Management from Hotel School Les Roches, Switzerland and a Diploma in Hotel Management and Administration from Kenya Utalii College.    

Belinda Nwosu

Research Consultant, W Hospitality Group

Belinda is an academic and consultant in the hospitality industry. For over 16 years she has been involved in building human capital for the hospitality industry in both Nigeria and the UK. 

Previously Head of Hospitality at the Wavecrest College of Hospitality in Lagos, Nigeria, Belinda has developed a keen understanding of the dynamics that exist between organisations and employees.  

As a research consultant at W Hospitality Group, she is involved in market research and financial feasibility studies for hospitality developments, human capital interventions, and several other people-based initiatives such as the Hotel HR Forum based in Lagos, and the Wonder Foundation in the UK.  

Belinda has degrees in both Statistics and Hospitality Management. She is also a doctoral researcher at the University of Southampton, UK. Her research area is focused on the relationship between organisational service climate and employee service behaviour.

Jennifer Pettinger-Haines

​ Managing Director Middle East, Bench Events

Jennifer has been a member of the Bench Events team since November 2008. Originally from Australia, she has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Sydney. Prior to joining Bench Events she spent two years as a project manager in London for a conference company. She is presently working from Dubai as project manager of the successful Arabian Hotel Investment Conference. Currently she is focusing on programme development and speaker acquisition in addition to overseeing AHIC’s operations.

Amos Wekesa

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Great Lakes Safaris

Matthew Weihs

Managing Director, Bench Events

Matthew Weihs is Managing Director of Bench Events. Within this role he focuses on the development of new business opportunities and sales for Bench Events and partners, whilst also supporting the direction of the business and providing commercial support for new product launches.
With over 15 years experience in B2B conferencing with Guardian News and Media, IQPC and now Bench Events his main responsibilities have been to manage the sales across the portfolio, deliver the projects to the high standards our customers expect and to find new development opportunities for the business. In 2012 he successfully founded and launched the African Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) and in 2013 he launched the Morocco Tourism Investment Forum (MTIF) - an invitation only event for the industry. 2014 will see the launch of the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF), the latest addition to the Bench Events hotel investment conference portfolio.

Xander Nijnens

Executive Vice President, Hotels & Hospitality Group, Sub-Saharan Africa, JLL

In 2015, Xander was appointed to lead the Sub-Saharan Africa Hotels and Hospitality team, with a bold mandate to  establish JLL’s hotel advisory practice in the region. 

A regional industry expert, Xander has over 13 years of experience in hotel advisory, investment and operations. He delivers results-driven strategies to local and global clients in over 20 countries in Africa and the Indian Ocean region.

His broad range of hotel experience includes corporate finance, capital markets, hotel operations, asset management, strategy and development for all market segments from budget to luxury hotels.

Xander believes in a holistic approach with a focus on strategic advisory, investment sales, financing and asset management services to support clients throughout the hotel ownership journey.

Prior to joining JLL, Xander was managing director of a third-party hotel operator with various global brands under management in South Africa.  

Previous appointments include asset manager and chief analyst at Africa’s first real estate investment trust specialising in hotels.

Claire Fillatre

Senior Investment Officer, Proparco

Claire has 11 years experience in corporate and investment banking.

She graduated from the ESCP Europe Business School and holds a in Master’s degree in Business Law.

She started in 2007 as an Analyst, then Associate, in the Real Estate Financing & Advisory team of HSBC France. As from 2011, she was a Relationship Manager within HSBC’s Coverage, in charge of a portfolio of CIB multinational industrial groups.

She joined Proparco in August 2017 as Investment Officer in the MAS (Manufacturing, Agribusiness, Services) team, based in Paris, where she specializes in real estate / hospitality projects.

Peter Kathanga

Director, Corporate Banking, KCB Bank Kenya Limited

Peter holds an MBA degree from USIU and a Bachelor of education (B. ED), Economics and Business Education degree from Kenyatta University. Peter has also attended several courses in banking, Insurance, IT and General Management, including the Best and Brightest Credit Course for African Bankers in Chase Manhattan Bank, USA.  

His experience spans over 20 years’ in Banking and Insurance Industries having held senior leadership positions in Corporate Banking including his current role as Director, Corporate Banking, served as General Manager in a leading Insurance company and was the Managing Director of KCB Insurance Agency Limited.

Oteng Sebonego

Investment Principal, Norsad Finance

Oteng is an Investment Principal at Norsad Finance. Norsad Finance is a provider of flexible and customized long-term financing to financial services providers and mid-market companies in Southern Africa. Norsad has a capital base of over USD 100 million and prioritizes investments to financially sustainable companies that can deliver substantive positive social and environmental impact.  

Oteng has broad experience in Private Equity, Financial Service and Technology across Africa. He was previously a Managing Director of O&E Consulting, where he was responsible for the business development and execution of mostly acquisition related mandates across Africa.  

Oteng holds a BA in Actuarial Science from the University of Hartford, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.

Sarah Siliya

Manager Client Relations – Eastern Africa, Afreximbank

For the past 3 years, Sarah has been working as a Client Relations Manager covering East Africa at the African Export Import Bank, which is a Pan – African multilateral financial institution devoted to financing and promoting intra- and extra-African trade.  

Prior to that, Sarah worked for the Trade and Development Bank as a Trade Finance Officer in the Trade & Structured Finance Department based in Harare and later in Nairobi. She also worked as a Relationship Manager with the Zambia National Commercial Bank responsible for public-sector business.  

Based in Nairobi, Kenya, Sarah covers 11 countries including among others, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. She has over 10 years’ experience in international trade covering sub-Saharan Africa. Sarah has an MBA and BA (Hons) in international Business.

Godfrey Tapela

Senior Investment Officer, IFC

Godfrey Tapela is a Senior Investment Officer at IFC based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is responsible for investments in the commercial property including affordable housing, retail and tourism sectors across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Godfrey joined IFC in 2001 and previously worked for ABSA Bank, Eskom as a Projects Engineer and for DLV Consulting Engineers and Stewart Scott Consulting Engineers as a Consulting Engineer. He holds a Master in Business Leadership from UNISA, a BSc Electrical Engineering(Hons) from the University of Zimbabwe, a Graduate Diploma in Marketing from the Institute of Marketing Management and is a registered Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa.

Xander Nijnens

Executive Vice President, Hotels & Hospitality Group, Sub-Saharan Africa, JLL

In 2015, Xander was appointed to lead the Sub-Saharan Africa Hotels and Hospitality team, with a bold mandate to  establish JLL’s hotel advisory practice in the region. 

A regional industry expert, Xander has over 13 years of experience in hotel advisory, investment and operations. He delivers results-driven strategies to local and global clients in over 20 countries in Africa and the Indian Ocean region.

His broad range of hotel experience includes corporate finance, capital markets, hotel operations, asset management, strategy and development for all market segments from budget to luxury hotels.

Xander believes in a holistic approach with a focus on strategic advisory, investment sales, financing and asset management services to support clients throughout the hotel ownership journey.

Prior to joining JLL, Xander was managing director of a third-party hotel operator with various global brands under management in South Africa.  

Previous appointments include asset manager and chief analyst at Africa’s first real estate investment trust specialising in hotels.

Ewan Cameron

Director – Africa, Westmont Hospitality

Ewan Cameron leads Westmont Hospitality’s Operations and Development in Africa.

Ewan has previously held senior roles with IHG, African Sun and Lonrho Hotels;

- VP Franchise Operations, EMEA, InterContinental Hotels Group
- Head of Development Africa, InterContinental Hotels Group
- Managing Director (Non Zimbabwe) African Sun Hotels
- CEO Lonrho Hotels  

David Damiba

Chief Investment Officer, Kasada Capital Management

Amaechi Ndili

President & Chief Executive Officer Lionstone Group & Golden Tulip West Africa Hospitality Group

Mr Amaechi Ndili represents the quintessence of established entrepreneurs in Africa; his unfailing and effective working strategy has led to the establishment of a strong empire with a strong base in the West African region. He is the CEO of Lionstone Group a premier investment and holding company operating in the West African Region with a number of subsidiaries focused on Oil & Gas, Hotels & Hospitality, Healthcare and Real Estate. Golden Tulip West Africa is a premier owner, operator of hotels in the West African region. Co-owned by Louvre Hotel Group, Starwood Capital and Lionstone Group -- Golden Tulip West Africa operates luxury, and super luxury hotels in the West African region. With over 1,200 rooms across 6 leading hotels in Accra, Kumasi, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Warri.

Through its investments in Lionstone Energy & Marine Services (a joint venture with Hercules Offshore Nigeria Limited) and Golden Tulip West Africa (a joint venture with Louvre Hotel Group and Starwood Capital), Lionstone Group has become one of the largest operators of liftboats and hospitality assets in West Africa.

He also serves as the Head of Nigerian Operations for Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) which is an international private equity firm focused on investing across the African continent including Francophone Africa, with offices spread across the world (Morocco, South Africa, Cameroon, Cote d'ivoire, Tunisia and Nigeria) where he directs the Company's investments within the West African Region. He was until the formation of Lionstone in 2004, a Managing Director at GE Capital Real Estate Group. Prior to joining GE Capital, Amaechi was a strategy consultant with Mckinsey and Company providing strategic advice to companies primarily in the Real Estate, Oil & Gas and Power sectors. Prior to Mckinsey, he was an Investment Banker with the Leveraged Finance Group at Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) in New York. From 1991 to 1995, he was the Director of Developments for the Honsey trust, a UK based Social Housing Developer and a Development Manager at Westbury Homes. Amaechi worked as an architect with James Cubitt and Partners in Lagos & London.

He serves as the Head of Nigerian Operations for Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) a major international private equity firm focused on investing across the African continent, where he directs the Company's investments within the West African Region.

Amaechi has an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and an M.Sc. from the University of Bath, UK. He also has a B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc. in Architecture from the University of Nigeria. Amaechi is an Adjunct Professor in Corporate Finance and Real Estate at the Lagos Business School.

Nimit Shah

Partner, Helios Investment Partners

Mr Shah is partner at Helios Investment Partners where he focuses on credit investments. He joined Helios in 2008, and over the last 10 years has invested in credit, growth equity and buyout opportunities across Africa including Vivo Energy, GB Foods Africa, OVH Energy, Mall for Africa and Continental Outdoor. Prior to joining Helios, Mr Shah was a Director within the Financial Sponsors Group at Lehman Brothers in London. His experience there spanned M&A advisory, leveraged finance and equity capital markets. Mr Shah started his career as a strategy consultant at Arthur D Little. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, he completed his high school education at Eton College in the UK; he has an MA in Economics and Management from Oxford University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr Shah, a Kenyan and British national, speaks Swahili, Gujarati and Hindi.

Kojo Busia

CEO, The Baobab River Company

The Baobab River Company is the project promoter and was established in 2016 by Kojo Busia, the CEO and primary shareholder. Kojo, a Ghanaian citizen, is an international civil servant with over two decades of international development experience working in both bilateral and multilateral institutions. Throughout his career, his work and leisure travels have taken him to all five continents of the globe, having enjoyed the rich hospitality and magical beauty of this wonderful world. The inspiration to establish a hotel and resort in a pristine region and community in Ghana comes, therefore, from his well-travelled and cosmopolitan background and experiences. His choice of a company’s name, Baobab River, symbolizes the essence of “sustainable tourism”.

Kojo’s vision and mission for this project is informed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) which seeks to create sustainable and inclusive businesses integrating social, economic and environmental objectives in a single project. His overriding goal is to establish an eco-Lodge and resort with linkages to nearby communities that support local sourcing and employment and encourage participation in the hotel’s value chain to boost local development. He envisioned the Baobab River Project with sustainable principles in mind with a view towards attracting global impact investors whose investment’s bottom lines go beyond returns on investments (ROI), to include environmental sustainability and livelihoods of the communities near the resort.

Kojo currently works in the international mineral development sector based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He was previously employed as an international governance and development expert having worked and lived in U.S.A., Kenya, Romania, Mali and Ethiopia. Kojo obtained his PhD. from the Cornell University, USA, where he focused on international development policy. He also has a Master’s Degree in Political Science and African Studies, and Bachelors in International Relations.

Njeri Wangari - Wanjohi

Writer, Digital Marketer & Marketing Manager, GeoPoll

Njeri Wangarĩ-Wanjohi is a poet, writer and digital marketer whose work and interests lie at the intersection of market research, technology, media, the arts in Africa. Her writing and speaking engagements on these topics have been showcased on various local and global events & publications.

Njeri is currently the Marketing Manager at GeoPoll - a leading mobile surveying platform where she handles communication, media relations and content marketing. Some of her biggest accomplishments whilst at GeoPoll have been as a project lead on the research, publication and content marketing of survey reports on: The 2018 World Cup consumer insight reports , African Millennials, e-commerce in Africa among others.

John Waithaka

Chair of the Board of Trustees, Kenya Wildlife Service

Dr. John Waithaka, the current Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Kenya Wildlife Service  is a Conservation Biologist with many years of experience working in diverse fields that relate to conservation of nature and natural resources. He has worked as a lecturer at Kenyatta University, Elephant Programme Coordinator at the Kenya Wildlife Service, Manager of the European Union’s Biodiversity Conservation Programme,  Director of the African Conservation Center and as the Conservation Biologist for the Parks Canada Agency in Ottawa, Canada. He is the current Vice Chair for the IUCN-World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) for East and Southern Africa, Co-Chair of the IUCN Wilderness Specialist Group, Member of the WCPA Steering Committee, Member of the IUCN - UNESCO World Heritage Panel and co-editor of the International Journal of Protected Areas and Conservation. 

​Oliver Poole

Executive Director, The Giants Club

Oliver Poole is the Executive Director of the Giants Club, a conservation initiative of the charity Space for Giants that unites the Presidents of Botswana, Gabon, Kenya and Uganda. For the last two years, he and his team have worked closely with the Ugandan government to promote conservation-compatible tourism into the county, holding the Giants Club Conservation and Tourism Investment Forum in Kampala last year. He is now working with the President of Gabon on a similar initiative, with a conservation investment forum scheduled to be staged in Libreville in September 2019.

Giles Davies

Founder, Conservation Capital

Giles founded Conservation Capital in 2004 and now leads its Innovative Finance discipline and its partnership with Okavango Capital Partners. He was raised in Kenya and following a first-class degree in Modern History from Kings College London qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse in London before joining the firm’s management consultancy in New York. He has been involved with several private equity ventures and has extensive experience as a non-executive Director of both private and public companies both within and outside the conservation sector. He has led more than 100 conservation enterprise related transactions in more than 20 countries.

Patrick Fitzgibbon

Senior Vice President Development, EMEA, Hilton

Based in London, Patrick has led the rapid expansion of Hilton Worldwide’s portfolio of brands throughout Europe and Africa, achieving the company’s largest development pipeline for the region to date.  In 2016, his remit expanded to include the Middle East, where Hilton’s presence consists of more than 131 hotels either trading or under development.

With the EMEA wide portfolio now exceeding 674 hotels (trading/pipeline), Patrick leads a team of 25 hotel and property development experts, based across 11 international offices - strategic development markets include U.K., Germany, Turkey, Sub-Saharan Africa, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E.

During his eleven years in his position he has led key achievements including:

Expanding the Hilton Hotels & Resorts portfolio which now features more than 205 hotels trading and 62+ hotels under development across EMEA.  
Bringing the iconic luxury hotel brand, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, to locations such as Edinburgh, Berlin, Amsterdam and Jerusalem.
Establishing DoubleTree by Hilton as one of the most successful regional growth stories, bringing the upscale conversion brand to 132 locations (trading/pipeline).
Extending the mid-scale Hilton Garden Inn and economy Hampton by Hilton brands to nearly 230 properties now operating or under development.
Introducing Curio – A Collection by Hilton which features properties in Hamburg and Ibiza (Aug 2016); and new accessible lifestyle brand, Canopy by Hilton, which made its debut in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik in July 2016.

His first position with Hilton was in 1997 as development manager for Hilton International’s stand-alone health club business, LivingWell.  Following this he moved to Miami for three years to head up the company’s hotel development activities in Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada.  In 2004, he returned to London as Managing Director of LivingWell before taking on his current position.

Dickson Kaelo

Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association

Dickson Simiren Ole Kaelo, is the founding Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA). He has served KWCA as CEO and Board secretary for 5 years now. KWCA is a national umbrella body for wildlife conservancies in Kenya which currently has a membership of over 160 members. 

Dickson holds a Master of Philosophy degree in wildlife management and a Bachelor Degree in Animal production, He has over 20 years of experience in working at local, national and international levels in linking tourism, conservation and community development through wildlife conservancies. During his 15 years in the Mara supporting community conservation around the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Dickson facilitated the formation of 6 community conservancies securing 870km² land for conservation in the Maasai Mara and linking conservancies with tourism investments. At his current role, Dickson is leading the effort to grow community and private conservation efforts in Kenya with a mission that wildlife conservancies are recognized as tourism destinations of choice.

Tom Lalampaa

Chief Executive Officer, Northern Rangelands Trust

Tom Lalampaa is a Samburu from the West Gate Community Conservancy in Kenya, East Africa. Tom holds a BA in social work, MA in Project Planning & Management and an MBA in strategic management all from the University of Nairobi. Tom is currently pursuing his PhD degree.

Tom has been a leader in the design, development, and expansion of the Northern Rangelands Trust, which now covers 35 community owned and run conservancies and brings together over 10 million acres communal land into active conservation management.  His work includes everything from helping rural communities strengthen governance structures, to economic development and peace building. As someone with an in-depth knowledge of the challenges attached to pastoral life in north Kenya’s harsh landscape, Tom has earned a great deal of respect among the 15 different ethnic groups he serves. He has also served on a number of nationwide entities, including being the founder Chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA) and a trustee of the Kenya Wildlife Service Board, where he has lead efforts for sustainability, particularly on communal lands. Tom also served as the Vice Chair of the Wildlife Security Task Force formed by the government of Kenya to assess and make recommendations on improving wildlife security in Kenya. Tom made a presentation to President Obama when he visited Kenya in 2015.

In September 2013, Tom was awarded the Tusk Conservation Award by the Duke of Cambridge at a ceremony in London, which recognized his outstanding contribution to northern Kenya’s communities and wildlife. 

In August 2016, Tom won the Stanford University, Law School Bright Award for Environmental Sustainability. The Bright Award is given annually to an “individual who has made significant contributions in the environmental preservation and sustainability area” and is awarded to an individual from one of ten rotating regions and 2016 was Africa. 

Effective 1^st February 2018, Tom took over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT).

Kaddu Sebunya

President, African Wildlife Foundation

Mr. Kaddu Kiwe Sebunya is the President of African Wildlife Foundation (AWF).

As President, Kaddu serves as the primary spokesperson for, and the personal embodiment of, AWF’s vision of wildlife thriving in modern Africa. He is one of the principal leaders of the organization, and thus helps drive the long-term strategy and culture of AWF. Kaddu is the most visible, present and vocal voices for wildlife, wild lands, conservation and sustainability on the continent—widely known and respected throughout the Africa.

Kaddu has over 15 years of professional experience at different levels of work, ranging from grassroots to national and regional technical support in USA, Africa, and Europe. He has worked with Oxfam UK, the World Conservation Union - IUCN, USA Peace Corps, Conservation International, and Solimar International.

His technical area of expertise include international development strategic planning and analysis, program feasibility assessments and design, and community-based strategy program development in different sectors, private sector – government relations and partnership, legislative matters and legislative lobbying, large budget management, diplomacy - peace mediation and negotiations.

Kaddu’s experience is complimented by a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences and two Master’s degrees: a Master of Arts degree in Law, Policy and Diplomacy with a special focus on International Resource Policy and Law; Economics and Development Strategies; Corporate Social Responsibility, Mediation and Negotiations – at The Fletcher School, Tufts University, USA. And a Master of Science in Sustainable Resource Management and Policy with special focus on human development and government, social and economic policies, and sustainable development outcomes – at Imperial - Wye College, London University.

Jonathan Worsley

Chairman, Bench Events, Board Director, STR

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events, is one of the founders and co-organisers of leading conferences for the hotel investment industry in Berlin (IHIF), Dubai (AHIC), Moscow & Sochi (RHIC), Istanbul (CATHIC), Addis Ababa & Nairobi (AHIF), Casablanca (MTIF), London (BHTS), Madrid (MR&H) and the recently launched Global Restaurant Investment Forum in Dubai. 

Jonathan sits as a shareholder and board director of STR Global,  a global benchmarking company with some 50,000 participating hotels following the merger of The Bench, Smith Travel Research and Deloitte’s Hotel Benchmark.  Prior to The Bench, Jonathan worked for real estate consultants CBRE & Hotel Partners, hotel advisors PKF and hotel operators Forte & Holiday Inns.  He also sits on the board of Hotel Swaps which allows participating members to swap empty hotel rooms with other members around the globe.

Jonathan and his colleagues have been involved in raising money for various causes including the Kenyan Red Cross and the anti-poaching efforts of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.  More recently, considerable funds have been raised for TUSK, Cancer Research and the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation by participating in the Kili Madness challenge and breaking the World Record for the highest game of cricket ever played on top of Kilimanjaro as shown on www.mtkilimadness.com.  Jonathan also sits as a trustee of Future Talent, a charity to provide financial support to gifted young musicians who need financial assistance to pursue their dreams and talent.

Elie Younes

Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer, Radisson Hotel Group

Elie leads Radisson Hotel Group’s expansions across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. He builds and supports teams at 8 development offices in EMEA.  Under his leadership, the group launched and delivered an active asset light then asset right strategy – transacted around 200 hotels and opened around 130; while Radisson Blu continues to be the largest upper upscale brand in Europe.  

Elie was previously a Director at HVS in London. In 2007 Elie joined Starwood in London as Senior Director of Acquisitions and Development, then Hilton Hotels Worldwide as VP of Development in Dubai, before joining Rezidor in 2010, as VP of Business Development for the Middle East and Africa. In January 2013, he was promoted to SVP of Business Development EMEA, and then to EVP and Chief Development Officer in 2015.

He is a keen sportsman practicing martial arts with a competitive flair and an obsession for continuous improvement and self-development.

Elie is a devoted father of a daughter and a son. 

Nancy Orji

Co-owner, Park Vega

Nancy is the co-owner and initiator of Park Vega - a fun and leisure center to be located in Agbor, in Nigeria’s Delta State.  

She is based in Abuja, and has spent the last 10 years of her work life in development aid organizations in Nigeria, with a focus on health programs. As a Doctor of Pharmacy, Nancy appreciates that relaxation and having fun with loved ones makes a great contribution to improving overall health.  

Nancy is motivated by the desire not only to improve health but primarily to create and spread wealth in the local community, by leveraging on one of Agbor’s competitive advantages – its central location between various centers of population including Benin City and Onitsha.

As the co-owner of Park Vega, Nancy shares responsibility for the development of the project from project conceptualization to actualization.  To be able to carry out these responsibilities, she attends training program run by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) in Florida, as well as hospitality conferences.  

Sirak Ambaye

Managing Director, Shore Properties Ltd.

Mr Ambaye is the founder and Managing Director of Shore Properties LTD.

Shore Properties LTD. is in the process of developing a boutique Apartment Hotel in the heart Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Sirak was born in Addis Ababa and spent his adult years in California, USA involved in the real estate, hospitality and the financial services industry.

Developer’s inspiration for the project in Ethiopia comes from Southern California beach chic living, minimalist and Feng-Shui elements of eastern Asia, attention to detail and quality of Italy/France, and bold colors and patterns present in Ethiopian traditional dresses.

Sirak holds a Business Administration degree from Southern Illinois University and is a graduate of the Executive Program at UCLA.

Sirak’s passions include design, travelling, wine, cooking and playing basketball.

Jonathan Worsley

Chairman, Bench Events, Board Director, STR

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events, is one of the founders and co-organisers of leading conferences for the hotel investment industry in Berlin (IHIF), Dubai (AHIC), Moscow & Sochi (RHIC), Istanbul (CATHIC), Addis Ababa & Nairobi (AHIF), Casablanca (MTIF), London (BHTS), Madrid (MR&H) and the recently launched Global Restaurant Investment Forum in Dubai. 

Jonathan sits as a shareholder and board director of STR Global,  a global benchmarking company with some 50,000 participating hotels following the merger of The Bench, Smith Travel Research and Deloitte’s Hotel Benchmark.  Prior to The Bench, Jonathan worked for real estate consultants CBRE & Hotel Partners, hotel advisors PKF and hotel operators Forte & Holiday Inns.  He also sits on the board of Hotel Swaps which allows participating members to swap empty hotel rooms with other members around the globe.

Jonathan and his colleagues have been involved in raising money for various causes including the Kenyan Red Cross and the anti-poaching efforts of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.  More recently, considerable funds have been raised for TUSK, Cancer Research and the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation by participating in the Kili Madness challenge and breaking the World Record for the highest game of cricket ever played on top of Kilimanjaro as shown on www.mtkilimadness.com.  Jonathan also sits as a trustee of Future Talent, a charity to provide financial support to gifted young musicians who need financial assistance to pursue their dreams and talent.

Lazaro Nyalandu

Chairman, Waverly Group & Former Cabinet Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Tanzania

Lazaro Nyalandu is Chairman & CEO of Waverly Group, (www.waverlygroup.co), an investment and consulting firm operating across Africa. He is a former Cabinet Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism in the United Republic of Tanzania , and is a founder and Chairman of Africa Conservation  (africaconservation.co), a pan African conservation trust dedicated to advancing the cause of wildlife conservation and protection in Africa.

Kellen Kaburu

Co-Owner, Saikeri Estate

Kellen is a co-owner of Saikeri Estate.  Her main role is to manage development activities.  Specifically, she looks for innovative approaches and solutions that positively contribute towards success of the project.  Additionally, Kellen is a Director at Ekma Holdings Limited.  At Ekma she has enhanced the organizational culture to nature accountability, teamwork, transparency and employee development. The firm has a well organized and flexible structure to accommodate growth and changes.  Prior to joining Ekma Kellen worked as a management consultant.   She has worked for public and private organizations in various capacities.  In her spare time Kellen will be found outdoors.

Dr Wanjiku Ndungu

Proprietor, The Cradle Tented Camp & Lodge-Lodwar Turkana

Mossadeck Bally

Chief Executive Officer, Azalaï Hotels Group

Mr. Bally is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Azalaï Hotels Group.

In 1994, he acquired the mythical “Grand Hôtel de Bamako”. In 2000, he built the Salam Hotel, and managed Hotel Nord Sud. In 2005, he consolidated the activities of the various properties under a common brand “Azalaï Hotels”. The Azalaï Hotels Group expanded to Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Benin and more recently to Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Guinee Conakry and Niger.

Azalaï Hotels Group is today the first African private hotel chain group in the West African Region, providing direct employment to about 900 persons and over 2000 indirectly.

Trevor Ward

Managing Director, W Hospitality Group

Trevor Ward is a specialist consultant in the hospitality, leisure and real estate industries. He is the Managing Director of the Lagos-based W Hospitality Group, and Chairman of Hotel Partners Africa. 

His industry experience spans over 40 years, and includes advising clients on hotel, tourism and leisure development in over 90 countries across the globe, and in 39 in Africa.  With a special focus on sub-Saharan Africa, he works with many of the international hotel groups seeking a presence there, and with financial institutions, investors and entrepreneurs across the continent.  He is regarded as one of the foremost experts on the hotel industry in sub-Saharan Africa, and is engaged primarily in development consultancy, ranging from investment appraisals to operator selection, asset management, valuations and agency.

Matthew Weihs

Managing Director, Bench Events

Matthew Weihs is Managing Director of Bench Events. Within this role he focuses on the development of new business opportunities and sales for Bench Events and partners, whilst also supporting the direction of the business and providing commercial support for new product launches.
With over 15 years experience in B2B conferencing with Guardian News and Media, IQPC and now Bench Events his main responsibilities have been to manage the sales across the portfolio, deliver the projects to the high standards our customers expect and to find new development opportunities for the business. In 2012 he successfully founded and launched the African Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) and in 2013 he launched the Morocco Tourism Investment Forum (MTIF) - an invitation only event for the industry. 2014 will see the launch of the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF), the latest addition to the Bench Events hotel investment conference portfolio.