Sue Sanders
EVP & Chief Strategy and Administrative Officer
"I can't change the direction of the wind but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."
- Jimmy Dean
Sue Sanders works with company leaders to define strategies to extend and defend the company in the short term, build emerging capabilities in the medium term and create viable options for the long term. She provides oversight for accounting and finance, human resources and talent, and corporate public relations and marketing communications. Sanders joined HVMG in 2010 as vice president of strategic planning and human resources. During her tenure with the company, she has been responsible for many strategic initiatives and teams, including the design and build of HVMG's company brand, strategic plan and management routines; design and oversight of the property transition process and playbook; leader of the development of all core human resources and talent programs; and leader of the investor, brand partner and General Manager annual satisfaction assessment process. More recently, she led the design and build of HVMG's Talent Acquisition Center of Excellence (TACOE), the company's centralized talent recruiting team, and XLR8, a fast-track program to develop new select-service general managers. Also under her direction, HVMG has received the Atlanta Journal and Constitution's "Top Workplaces" award five times in a row.
Prior to joining HVMG, Sanders worked as a management consultant for eight years supporting leading organizations to improve their enterprise performance management processes through strategic planning and related methods for clients including The Coca-Cola Company, Marriott International and the American Red Cross. Before then, Sue worked in the hotel industry in positions across organizational development, training, quality management and hotel operations for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Lodgian, Inc., and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Her hospitality industry experience also includes a five-year adjunct faculty appointment at New York University's Robert Preston Tisch Center for Hospitality Travel and Tourism.
Sue serves on the Hospitality Board of Directors for Georgia State University and the Georgia Women in Lodging Steering Committee. She holds MBAs from Columbia Business School and the London Business School. Sue has a BS in Marketing from Florida State University.
Experience
- 2023 - Present : EVP & Chief Strategy & Administrative Officer, HVMG
- 2020 – 2023 : EVP & Chief Human Resource Officer, HVMG
- 2010 - 2020 : SVP, Strategic Planning & Chief Human Resource Officer, HVMG
- 2003 - 2010 : Management Consulting
- 2000 - 2003 : Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc
- 1996 - 2000 : Lodgian, Inc
- 1991 - 1996 : The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Robert S. Cole
President & Chief Executive Officer
Richard Jones
EVP & Chief Operating Officer
Matthew Woodruff
EVP & Chief Brand Partner Officer
Michael "Woody" Woodward
EVP & Chief Growth Officer
Cory Chambers
EVP & Chief Commercial and Analytics Officer
Ronald Mader
SVP, Operations
Andy Wardner
SVP, Acquisitions & Asset Management
Suzanne Saunders
SVP, Design & Construction
Wilson Turner
SVP, Human Resources
Bob Kisker
VP, Operations
Melissa Arana
VP, Revenue Strategy
Bryan Gatzemeyer
VP, Business Intelligence
Kim Brooks-Martin
Corporate Director of Sales Strategy and Development
Nikki Thomas
Corporate Director of Sales - Select Brands
Denise Hanas
Corporate Director of Marketing Strategy
Carla McDonald
Corporate Director of Revenue Strategy
Brandon White
Corporate Director of Revenue Strategy
Jamison Conrey
VP, Engineering, Capital Projects & Risk Management
Ken Morgan
Director of Operations
Robert Babst
Director of Operations
Josh Harper
Director of Operations
Mandisa Brown de González
Corporate HR Director, Programs & Support
Sunny Larkin-Newman
Director of Talent Excellence
Margarita Quintero
Corporate HR Director, Transitions & Support
Carolann Hardy
Director of Operations Performance and Support
Corey Dutra
Director of Acquisitions & Financial Analysis
Heidi Nielsen
VP, Business Development
Linda Philp
SVP & Chief Financial Officer
Maggie Rosa
VP, Operations