RLA GLOBAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Corporate Director
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
- Director of Corporate Development
Aniko is RLA Global's Corporate Director who brings a wealth of experience gained in the corporate world and in tourism industry, having worked for American Express Global Business Travel for more than 2 decades in various leadership roles in Central & Eastern Europe, both in Operations, Sales & Client Relationship Management.
Aniko has been a member of RLA Global since its early years and has contributed largely to the company's successes with her client focus, strategic and analytical thinking, and high standards for quality. Leveraging her vast experiences in Sales, Operations and P&L management she also actively participates in multiple aspects of operating the business and works closely with RLA Global's new clients.
Aniko is a multitalented and resourceful team member, which in combination with her tenaciousness probably stems from her sporting history as a multiple rowing champion and member of the national youth team.
Job Titles:
- Head
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
- Senior Consultant - Central Asia
Baktyiar is head of RLA Global's hospitality and tourism division in Central Asia with 18 years of hospitality background within 5 star and luxury properties and a proven track record in Central Asia and Middle East hotel and tourism sector. His leadership in enhancement of product and services, streamlining internal operations, sales and marketing focus and fiscal discipline resulted in substantive increases in guest satisfaction, occupancy and profitability. Representing senior management, he has developed corporate brand standards, implemented guest satisfaction and financial excellence projects, overseeing hotel operations and exercising multidisciplinary oversight, coaching and developing professional teams, managing award-winning hotel and resort outlets
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
As hospitality businesses navigate through changing landscapes, the conversation is shifting toward how to unlock additional value within the industry. In a thought-provoking podcast episode, RLA Global advisory board member and seasoned hospitality expert, Cornelia Kausch, sheds light on this critical issue.... Read more
Born into a family hotel business that included a Michelin-star restaurant, with high standards and values in focus, Cornelia possesses an in-depth knowledge of hotel management, food & beverage, conference operations, logistics and ROI.
Cornelia has a proven track record for developing hotels and turning around flagging properties having worked with Corinthia Hotels & Resorts, Dorint Hotels & Resorts, Westin and IHG. Served as Chief Operating Officer of The International Campus Group and was previously the Vice President of Development for Pandox AB, Sweden, one of the leading hotel property companies in Europe. Her areas of expertise include strategy and brand development; asset management; change management; refurbishment and renovation projects; sales and marketing; and operations for small and large hotels across star ratings. Since leaving the hotel sector, she has fine-tuned her methodological toolkit and embraces the psychodynamic approach she learned at INSEAD via her life coaching advisory Psychodynamic Coaching.
Fluent in three languages, Cornelia is an active alumni and mentor to students of Ecole Hotelière de Lausanne in Switzerland.
Cornelia can be viewed in a TEDx talk on the topic titled 'Want to be a leader? Think about how to serve
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
- Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
- Head of Property Services of Hotel Partners Africa
RLA Global's 'Influencers in Hospitality' this month is David Harper, Head of Property Services of Hotel Partners Africa. 'Influencers in Hospitality' looks to gain a keen understanding of renowned hospitality personalities' vision …... Read more
David is one of the most experienced hospitality and leisure veterans having worked in over 180 countries with particular expertise in emerging markets and the founder of Leisure Property Services.
He has been engaged for a very wide range of clients, including many hotel companies, property investors, hoteliers, developers, bank, investment funds and governments which include Cape Verde Government Djibouti Government, Ecuador Government, Sierra Leone Government.
David is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, as well as being a registered expert witness and registered valuer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
- Advisory Board Member & Chief Medical Advisor
- Specialist
Dr. Maria Ridao Alonso is a preventative medicine specialist and thought leader on the topic. She is formerly the Managing Director and Medical Director of Dubai Herbal and Treatment centre (DHTC), which was founded in 2003 under the auspices of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Dr. Maria is the Founder and Medical Director of Maison Santé, a market-leading preventive medicine and longevity clinic in the heart of Jumeirah, Dubai.
Dr. Maria graduated in 1992 as an allopathic physician from the University of Bonn, Germany and worked for three years in neurology and four years in psychiatry. Has a master's degree in Preventive Medicine from Dresden International University and is licensed as a conventional and as a CAM physician. She is trained in homoeopathy, naturopathy, and a certified member of the German Anti-Ageing Society (GSAAM) and of The German Society of Preventive Medicine (DGP-Med) and is fluent in English, German and Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Chief Strategy Officer
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
- Director of Hospitality Investments & Board Member
Dr Richard von Kalmar has been involved in the development and financing of many hospitality projects and also worked across a number of other industry sectors, including power, FMCG, banking, shipping and aviation.
Richard started his career with Standard Bank. He later worked as a consultant at Siemens Business Services, the consulting and outsourcing arm for Siemens, where he was involved in developing one of the world's first internet trading platforms.
In 1998, Richard founded a financial technology firm in South Africa, which he sold to Dimension Data in 2003 and that they sold to Sungard Data Systems several years later. Subsequently, he was employed by Charles River in London and then Bearing Consulting, where he became a Partner and worked on strategy and project finance assignments for six years. In 2007, Richard founded a fashion retail business in South Africa that owned two Paul Smith franchise stores and Loom, a multi-brand store and e-commerce business. The business was sold in 2012.
In 2014, Richard founded Senga Bay Capital, a hospitality-focused project finance advisory firm and became Director at RLA in 2017. He's worked on the financing and development of a long list of hospitality projects, primarily in Africa. Some of his recent assignments include the financing of a Fraser Suites, a Ramada Plaza hotel, a Le Meridien and a Four Points by Sheraton hotel among many others.
Richard was born in Germany and spent his childhood in a number of European and African countries, including Italy, Lebanon, Malawi, South Africa and the United Kingdom. He completed his education in the United Kingdom with an MBA in Finance and a Doctorate in Industrial Economics & Competitive Strategy at Cranfield University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
- Senior Tourism & Hospitality Consultant
Laura is RLA Global's Senior Tourism & Hospitality Consultant and since 2015 she has represented owners, developers and investors in various strategic projects from single asset class feasibility studies and financial modeling, planning of wellbeing experiences and operator search to multiple asset class attractions as part of tourism destination planning and mixed-use development including marinas, residential, recreational and wellness components.
She has undertaken projects all over the world including the US, most of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Her experience in the tourism and leisure industry combined with a strategic and creative approach has proven to be an invaluable quality in helping RLA Global clients achieve long-term results.
Laura also has a strong knowledge of the African markets due to being formerly a key member of the HVS Cape Town team, where for over four years she was involved in some of the high-profile African hospitality projects and built strong relationships with developers, investors and operating brands. Laura also worked as Revenue Manager for the 1,025-key Le Meridien Etoile (Marriott) in Paris and helped plan the phased renovation of the property; a position that strengthened her operational experience and strategic thinking.
Laura has a bachelor's degree in hospitality management and completed her MBA in Hospitality Management at ESSEC Business School with majors in Real Estate and Luxury Marketing. Laura released the Hospitality in Africa Trend Forecast for 2020 and was a contributing author to the Wellness Real Estate Report.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
Marco's extensive experience spans 19 countries, working in senior management positions for the past 34 years with a variety of hospitality groups including Corinthia Hotels, Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt International and Marriott Hotels.
In addition to being multilingual, Marco is well-versed in strategy creation, business development, people and leadership, asset management, development and operational excellence. He is an active participant and speaker in international investment conferences worldwide and a sought-after hospitality specialist.
Marco is talking in the below video for an episode of Influencers in Hospitality which is a Q&A with the movers and shakers of the hospitality and tourism industry with the objective of gaining leadership insights and the success traits that make the influencer.
Job Titles:
- Strategic Associate / Four Corners Advisors Ltd.
Michael C. Shindler, ISHC, is a Strategic Associate at RLA Global and also President of Four Corners Advisors, Inc. (FCA), a hospitality transactions consultancy and advisory firm he established in June 2007 and relaunched in May 2014. FCA provides strategic, transactional and asset management services to developers in the conception, programming, planning and negotiation of hospitality transactions, advisory services in brand entry to the hospitality marketplace, restructuring and workout services to lenders and borrowers for hotel loans, and arbitration, mediation and expert services for participants in disputes relating to the hospitality industry. He is a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (www.ishc.com).
Mr. Shindler's career arc has involved positions of increasing responsibility in the hospitality transactions industry over the last 35 years, working with a major brand in a development capacity, hospitality brokerage and consulting boutique, an international luxury brand, a destination resort company, and a lifestyle brand. In addition, prior to his entry into the hospitality industry, Mr. Shindler held senior development positions with a major real estate syndication firm and practiced law in Chicago from 1976 to 1984. He received his Juris Doctor from Washington University in St. Louis and an AB in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
Paul is a Managing Partner of RLA Global. He has worked across the Middle East and Africa for the past 16 years, representing operators, owners and developers with feasibility studies, technical and design services, renovation, and improvement plans and operational consulting services for various hospitality and leisure assets. A thought leader in the Hospitality Sector, Paul has helped shape Hotel projects across all stages, from development to design and through pre-opening to operation, representing the full life cycle of the hotel asset with dynamic results.
Paul is known for his strategic and analytical approach to Hotel assets and has developed a series of innovative Hotel Asset Calculators to promote communication and understanding for hotel investments and capital expenditure projects to deliver high-value assets. This is particularly relevant to Hotel Renovation strategy, where he excels at the strategy and delivery of property renovation with a guaranteed speed to market and ROI. Paul has written a number of articles on the use of metric and data-driven design for hotel projects.
Formerly the Regional Manager for Architecture, Design and Construction for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and Director of Projects for Jumeirah Hotels, Paul brings a wealth of Hotel Technical Services knowledge and the ability to optimize developments to deliver efficient operation and a return on investment.
Paul is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
- Associate Director of Master Planning & Tourism Development
- Leisure and Tourism Consultant, Master Planner and Strategy Designer
Paul Sawford is an internationally experienced leisure and tourism consultant, master planner and strategy designer with decades of expertise gained in hospitality, leisure and tourism.
With over 35 years' experience in the commercial and high-end residential industry, Paul has focussed on master planning, architecture and the interiors sectors of the design industry including hotels, retail and large residential schemes, taking a lead role in the master planning and architectural design principals. He has concluded large-scale projects across the UK, Europe and the Middle East, which includes the principal design to final fit-out, project management and onsite development.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Strategic Associate / Global Branded Residences Ltd.
Riyan Itani is a Strategic Associate at RLA Global and also the Director and Founder of Global Branded Residences. For the past 20 years, Riyan Itani has specialised in providing branded and luxury non-branded residential development consultancy in the global urban and resort sectors.
His experience covers strategic development advice, feasibility studies, and financial appraisal as well as branded residential operator selection and contract negotiation. Considered a market leader in the branded residential advisory sector, Riyan has consulted on over 100 branded residential schemes and over 150 non-branded resorts and residential developments across the globe.
Riyan has been the keynote speaker at numerous conferences and forums including the Resort & Residential Hospitality Forum (R&R), the Association of Portuguese Developers and Investors (APPII), The Luxury Property Forum (LPF) as well as private webinars for Savills, Marriott International and Brands Lab International (BLI).
Riyan is a multi-award-winning development consultant with a proven track record and relentless passion for the branded residential sector.
Job Titles:
- Group CEO
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
Roger is the Group CEO of RLA Global and brings a no-nonsense approach to the leisure industry, that is based on a proven track record of representing owners and operators' best interests. Roger has worked with many of the leading hotel operating brands and most influential hotel owners and public tourism offices around the world. Furthermore, successful ongoing engagements with government entities and high net worth individuals keep him fully engaged with the day-to-day project development responsibilities.
Roger was a contributing author to the book Hotel & Resorts Valuation - An Investors' Guide and served a 3-year term as a Member of the Board of Directors of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants. Roger is also a popular public speaker at hospitality events around the world and an industry thought leader.
Job Titles:
- Strategic Associate / Dominion Advisors Ltd.
Sasha has lived and worked in Australia, Asia and Europe. He is a graduate with honors from Glion Hotel Management, Switzerland. Most recently, Sasha undertook a Master of International Business (MIB) from The University of Melbourne.
Sasha embarked on his career in London, working within the hotel finance department of Conrad Hotel in a position of cost controller. Later he was part of the Accor pre-opening team in Asia. He then gained experience with a software training company in the capacity of business development manager for UK/Europe, where he was instrumental in successfully concluding a cross border merger & acquisition of the leading UK hotel training company with an Australian firm that was servicing key clients including Accor, Radisson and Hyatt.
Sasha's career then took him to central Europe where he worked as a senior hotel consultant and later director for the CEE region, with Jones Lang LaSalle and Cushman & Wakefield; providing a full range of services, including feasibility studies, real-estate valuations, operational reviews, hotel financing, investment services and hotel operator selection within the real-estate and hospitality industries in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Montenegro and Spain.
In recent years, Sasha managed several projects and assignments, which included the following:
• Tivat, Montenegro: Development valuation for a planned mixed-use resort.
• Amanresorts: Completed an extensive feasibility of the planned amanresorts Sveti Stefan for EBRD. The project was approved and financed by EBRD.
• General Manager at the New York Palace Boscolo Hotel (Business turnaround mandate).
• Operational review of 13 hotel properties in Hungary and Austria on behalf of CIB bank (subsidiary of Banca Intesa) in cooperation with the workout and restructuring departments of the bank.
• Investment Sale: represented owner in the sale of Mercure (Vaci utca) and Ibis (Hero Square) hotels, including the introduction to the buyer, negotiating and drafting presale/purchase agreement and concluding the transaction.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Member of the Senior Team
- VP of Strategic Health & Wellness
Simon Lee Saunders serves as RLA Global's VP of Strategic Health & Wellness advisory. His multi-decade experience has been finely crafted through both professional and personal wellbeing experiences that distinguish his ability to connect with the most diverse projects.
Simon led the development and opening of a chain of several health clubs and spas for Europe's largest operator of thermal spas and resort with Danubius Hotels Group. Furthermore, he integrated the sports activities, adventure & fitness into the wider hotel operations and the re-launch of the group spa offering.
He has worked in the capacity of sales and marketing for the pre-opening of multiple stand-alone and hotel-based health clubs for the LivingWell brand (then part of Hilton Hotels) including exclusive clubs with celebrity, media and political membership bases in St. Johns Wood, The Langham Hilton Hotel and No.1 Millbank - Westminster in the UK.
Simon has worked with the iconic Gold's Gym brand in Iberia and Russia providing senior management, operational training and support for general managers & franchisees across the expanded territory. His health club experience also includes site selection, lease negotiations, tender, planning and fit-out processes for wellness clubs around the world.
On a personal level Simon went through his own personal wellbeing journey in 2011, a year after running the world's toughest footrace the Marathon de Sables in the Sahara, he overcame the greater challenge of cancer. Learning to thrive mentally and physically has become his personal focus.
Simon was educated at the University of West London in Leisure & Finance and is a qualified personal trainer and athletics coach.