BOSTON, Mass., May 28, 2015—The University of New Hampshire (UNH) Hospitality Management Program (HMGT) awarded CHMWarnick Co-Founder and Partner Ken Wilson its Hospitality Management Distinguished Alumni Award at the annual Hotel Equity Lending and Perspectives (HELP) Conference recently held at the Seaport Boston Hotel. The university recognized Wilson for his contributions to the hospitality industry, including the founding of the largest hotel asset management firm in the nation, his past and current support for the four-year, hospitality management program and his position as one of the four founding members of the HMGT Program’s Advisory Board.
“To say this is a tremendous honor that I truly cherish would be an understatement,” Wilson said. “The hospitality industry has provided me with a genuinely fulfilling career, and UNH helped me identify my passion and prepared me to be a part of it.”
To receive the Distinguished Alumnus award, recipients must have graduated from the university, preferably with a Hospitality Management degree, both of which Wilson accomplished. Further, the recipient must have made demonstrable contributions to the industry during his/her career and be viewed as an “industry leader” by peers. Finally, the person should be noted for supporting the UNH Hospitality Management program over a long period of time, including financial support. Previous honorees include Bob Webster, Class of ’80, Jim Nassikas, Class of ’52 and Tom Varley, Class of ’80.
“Having graduated in 1981, Ken has been making an impact on both the hospitality industry and our university’s hospitality management program for decades,” said Professor Nelson Barber, the chair of the hospitality management program. “He is the perfect embodiment of the Wildcat spirit—tenacious and powerful, making him the ideal recipient of this award.”
Wilson is a co-founder and partner of CHMWarnick, the world’s largest hotel asset management company with $8 billion in assets currently under contract. Prior to forming the company in January, he was the CEO of Capital Hotel Management, a company he co-founded in 2000. Under his leadership, CHM’s portfolio of asset-managed hotels grew by 300 percent, to an aggregate book value of more than $5.0 billion. His 30 years of hospitality industry experience encompasses all aspects of hotel investment and ownership having directly contributed to the success of more than 350 hotel assets.
The evening was attended by UNH hospitality advisory board members, UNH board of young hospitality professional members, UNH staff members, family, friends, business associates, current hospitality program students and past UNH hospitality program graduates.