Aimbridge Hospitality recently rounded out a new executive leadership team with yet another Marriott veteran, naming Eric Jacobs to the position of chief global growth officer.
In May, Jacobs joined CEO Craig Smith, who came to the company in March after serving as group president and managing director, international, with Marriott, as well as Executive Chairman Steve Joyce, who also worked previously at Marriott and was more recently CEO of Choice Hotels International, as part of a leadership trio that will set the direction for the industry’s largest third-party operator.
Succeeding Allison Reid—who had served as chief global officer since July 2022—Jacobs reports directly to Smith in his new role in which he is overseeing all aspects of growth and development. He discussed the decision to join Dallas, Texas-based Aimbridge—which manages some 1,500 properties globally—after a nearly 20-year career with Marriott and some 35 years in hospitality.
“Let’s face it, it’s a new C-suite. I’m excited about the opportunity to partner with the leadership and shape this company for long-term growth. We bring what I think is best-in-class leadership to the table to drive returns for the owners through business acumen, background, and a balanced scorecard approach,” he said.
Jacobs continued, “I look at where the industry is headed and a huge opportunity exists for a company like Aimbridge in terms of partnering with brands and investors, and particularly with the international footprint that we have; it’s exciting.”
The chief global growth officer has extensive experience in development and branding. For more than a decade, he served as chief development officer for Marriott Select Brands, where he led the growth strategy and execution for 10 different brands ranging from core to lifestyle, including Courtyard, Residence Inn, AC Hotels, and Moxy. During this time, Jacobs added close to 2,400 hotels and 264,000 rooms to the Marriott system.
Jacobs’ experience also includes development leadership across several companies, including Hilton International, InterContinental Hotels Group, Stouffer Hotels & Resorts, and Tarsadia Hotels, in addition to a diverse background in hotel and restaurant operations.
Jacobs is expected to grow the company’s U.S. and international footprint. Homing in on areas of growth globally going forward, Jacobs cited Latin America as a “big focus” for the company, while he identified “significant opportunity” in Europe in the near term and eventually Asia. He also talked about how the business has evolved within North America.
“I think what’s happened here in North America is that while there’s more third-party management, the length of those agreements is much shorter because of the institutional ownership and the time frame that they put on owning a hotel asset. So, there’s a little more churn in this market, and we can balance that out with some of the long-term visions that international owners have for their hotels,” he said.
Jacobs continued, “I think that provides a greater balance. So, I think early on the strategy in terms of my conversations with senior leadership and board members is that there’s going to be a focused and balanced approach. That to me is where we will win.”
Jacobs is expected to bring a fresh perspective to the team, with the company fully leveraging his background in developing core and next-generation brands, as well as his ability to anticipate up-and-coming markets and capture outsized share in high-demand markets, according to the company.
One of the major focuses for Aimbridge in recent years has been around maintaining a hands-on operational approach with owners despite its size.
“Craig has made a huge commitment to that. One of the things that I think we both have heard was previous leadership maybe was not as in touch with [owners]. I understand; I’ve been working with the same ownership groups for years, and they always wanted more attention, but it’s a regular conversation. What’s working? What’s not? And then listening and responding to those. They’re all looking for an NOI [net operating income], but there are certain things that are different from group to group in terms of the attention they need and the focus. Craig has already challenged all of us with accounts and the number of touches a year we want to have,” he said.
The company has gone through a number of corporate restructurings in recent years, the last of which was in February when the company created a dedicated owner relations team and two focused operation divisions.
Jacobs looked ahead with confidence.
“Let me put it this way: there’s a reason why there’s new leadership being put in place. We want to build on the Aimbridge pillars. It’s more than saying all the right things; we’ve got to live it and we’ve got to walk the talk. That will come out over the next six to eight months,” he said.
