JLL announced that Gilda Perez-Alvarado has been promoted to Global CEO of its Hotels & Hospitality Group to succeed Mark Wynne-Smith, who will continue as Global CEO of Valuation Advisory.
Previously, Wynne-Smith had dual global leadership of both JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group and Valuation Advisory business. With over 10 years of building a significant platform for the global hotels sector, Wynne-Smith will now solely focus on the Valuation Advisory business.
Perez-Alvarado will continue to lead the Americas along with her expanded global responsibilities. She will report jointly to JLL’s Global CEO of Capital Markets, Richard Bloxam, and Americas Capital Markets CEO, Mark Gibson.
“We are confident that with Gilda’s successful track record in executing high-profile transactions, and her already prominent global presence, her leadership will leverage our exceptional international footprint and provide next-level strategic partnership with our clients across the world,” said Bloxam.
Perez-Alvarado will be responsible for driving global strategy for the overall sector, connecting the business to support cross-regional growth and overseeing the asset management and strategic advisory business lines. Additionally, Perez-Alvarado will lead ESG initiatives in hospitality, including commitments to diversity & inclusion and sustainability. She will also focus on enhancing the connectivity of the company’s capital markets teams in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific, as global investor interest within the hospitality sector continues to rise.
In September 2018, Perez-Alvarado was named CEO of the Hotels group for the Americas. She will continue leading and driving strategy in the Americas region, the Global Hotel Desk and cross-border assignments in partnership with JLL’s regional hotel specialists and the International Capital team.
Perez-Alvarado’s track record of transacting with off-shore investors is unmatched in the industry. Most recently, she led international marketing efforts for some of the most iconic hotel assets, including the St. Regis New York, Montage Beverly Hills, Four Seasons Toronto, InterContinental New York Barclay, The Standard High Line and Mandarin Oriental Boston.
“The lodging industry is poised for a strong rebound and we are optimistic that, with the wider distribution of the vaccine, the industry will come back stronger than ever,” said Perez-Alvarado. “I’m eager to lead our global team in JLL’s commitment to providing the most consistent advice to clients in what will be some of the most transformative years in the history of the lodging industry and real estate in general.”
