NEW YORK, May 2, 2017 — sbe, the leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hospitality venues globally, has exponentially grown its leadership team since January 2017. Known for being trailblazers in the crowded field of hospitality, sbe has attracted the most prominent industry professionals from design, finance, and hospitality groups – adding its fourth strategic hire this year. Part of the attraction is sbe's uniquely compelling 360° offering for elite travelers: a high-end portfolio of restaurants, nightlife, hotels, and residences that bring visionary experiences and legendary style together under one roof. As one of the only companies to embark on this mission, experts from various sectors are coming together to bring this experience to life for guests and clients around the world.
Today, sbe announced that David Hammarley has joined as Chief Financial Officer – its seventh senior leadership hire in less than a year and fourth in 2017 alone. In this role, he will work closely with sbe Founder and CEO Sam Nazarian to oversee the finance function across the sbe platform.
"We are excited to welcome David as our new CFO," stated Nazarian. "His significant hospitality experience, strong track records in both finance and strategy, and tenure working for a large global organization, will be extremely valuable to sbe as we continue to expand globally. Our executive team is robust and all of our recent additions bring some of the top talent in the industry to sbe."
"sbe is one of the most relevant and exciting lifestyle hospitality brands and I am thrilled to be joining the company," stated Hammarley. "I look forward to working closely with Sam and the rest of the sbe leadership team as we continue to grow our fee business and footprint around the world."
sbe's leadership expansion began in late 2016 when Philippe Zrihen, a leading authority in hospitality investment banking at Houlihan Lokey and major player in the Morgans acquisition, joined as Chief Business Officer & Partner, and kept up its momentum when Starwood Hotels & Resorts senior leader Jorge Giannattasio was appointed Chief Operating Officer in January 2017. During that time, Jack Myers, another highly respected Starwood Hotels leader, came on as Executive Vice President Human Resources. Each executive brings over 20 years of experience to sbe – rounding out key roles to support a growing global footprint.
In the last ninth months, other top industry experts have joined the dynamic team along the way: Michele Caniato, design industry power broker and co-founder of Culture and Commerce, came on as Chief Brand Officer; Peter Chambers as Chief Information Officer from Viceroy Hotel Group; and Marcy Miles as Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing for the Americas, Europe and Middle East from Atlantis Paradise Island. In addition, sbe has hired over 10 new Vice Presidents and Directors in varying fields from events to finance to communications.
Hammarley joins sbe as an experienced executive with a 20-year career in finance and strategy. In September 2016, he became a Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance at Marriott International following the company's merger with Starwood. Hammarley held a variety of leadership roles at Starwood Hotels and Resorts since 2007. Most recently, he led the Corporate Planning function, overseeing financial and strategic planning, investor relations, and risk management. During his tenure, he helped lead several transformational changes including the expansion into new business areas, significant cost reductions, improved capital structure, and the merger evaluation and integration with Marriott.
Previously, Hammarley worked at American Express in both finance and strategic planning. Prior to American Express, he held a variety of positions in management consulting and financial services.
Hammarley holds an MBA from Yale University and a Bachelor's Degree in Business from the University of California.
