FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: McLean, VA (May 17, 2023) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will celebrate four outstanding revenue optimization leaders during HSMAI ROC Americas in Toronto on June 28, part of HSMAI Commercial Strategy Week 2023. HSMAI will honor Andrew Rubinacci with the prestigious Vanguard Award for Achievement in Revenue Optimization. Monika Morrobel, CRME, CHDM, Senior Corporate Director of Commercial Strategy at Kessler Collection and Don Hood, Director of Commercial Services at Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa, will be presented with the Revenue Professional of the Year Awards for corporate and single/multi-unit, respectively. Dave Roberts, professor at Cornell University, author, and longtime hospitality executive at Marriott, will be honored with the Revenue Optimization Educator of the Year Award.
Andrew Rubinacci
This year, HSMAI is awarding Andrew Rubinacci EVP, Commercial & Revenue Strategy of Aimbridge Hospitality with the Vanguard Award for Achievement in Revenue Optimization. Andrew is a seasoned hospitality veteran with over 25 years of experience and considered by many in the industry as one of the foremost revenue management and global distribution experts anywhere. He serves currently as EVP, Commercial & Revenue Strategy over all of Aimbridge Hospitality’s 1,500+ hotels.
Andrew was previously EVP & Chief Commercial Officer for Omni Hotels & Resorts responsible for Marketing, Sales, Loyalty, Revenue Management, Digital Marketing, eCommerce, Distribution and Channel Strategy. In addition, he was previously the Senior Vice President of Distribution & Global Revenue Management for InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and was responsible for the leadership of an integrated Distribution and Revenue Management Strategy team. He has also worked with Bristol Hotels & Resorts and MeriStar Hotels & Resorts.
Mr. Rubinacci holds bachelor degrees in business administration, majoring in both marketing and hospitality administration at Florida State University. He is currently a member of the HSMAI Americas Executive Committee and has served on the boards of HEDNA, Worldres, Open Travel, Roomkey, and the Dedman College of Hospitality at Florida State University.
Monika Morrobel
Monika Morrobel, CRME, CHDM, Senior Corporate Director of Commercial Strategy for the Kessler Collection is this year’s corporate Revenue Optimization Professional of the Year. Growing her career within the Kessler Collection and its group of inspiring, unique properties, Monika has 19 years of experience in the hospitality industry. She worked in operational roles before finding her true calling in revenue management and commercial strategy. Currently serving as Sr. Corporate Director of Commercial Strategy, she has a passion for analyzing data and trends to create synergy between departments and improve company performance.
As a recipient of HSMAI’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds award, Monika takes an active role in the industry by serving on advisory boards for HSMAI and Marriott and earning CRME and CHDM certification. She is always striving for learning and development and seeks to bring value through her partnerships to help continue to bring the industry forward.
Don Hood
Don Hood, Director of Commercial Services at the Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa is this year’s single/multi-unit Revenue Optimization Professional of the Year. He is responsible for the Revenue, Sales, Marketing, and Events efforts for the resort. A 23-year veteran with Hyatt Hotels, he has over 20+ years of experience within the field of Revenue Management.
Don is passionate about revenue and has received several Hyatt awards for his work including Director of Revenue of the year (twice) and most recently led his team in Key West to win the Commercial Services Team of the Year. He is a firm believer that revenue optimization is very much a team effort and works with his counterparts to garner support for each strategic revenue tactic that is put into place.
Dave Roberts
This year, HSMAI is awarding the Revenue Optimization Educator of the Year Award to award-winning professor, author, and former hospitality executive, Dave Roberts. Dave joined Cornell’s faculty in 2020, teaching courses in Lodging Operations and Channel Distribution. He previously taught graduate courses in Business Strategy and Corporate Finance at Virginia Tech. In 2022, Dave published his first book, Hotel Revenue Management – The Post-Pandemic Evolution to Revenue Strategy.
Dave retired from Marriott in 2019, after 23 years with the company, serving as Senior Vice President of Revenue Strategy & Solutions, with global responsibility for Revenue Management, Analytics, and Sales Systems. At this time, Dave was also a member of IBM’s Business Analytics Advisory Board. Prior to Marriott, Dave was a manager in the Finance Department at American Airlines, and a technical consultant on missile defense for the US Department of Defense.
AWARD INFORMATION
These awards will be presented at HSMAI ROC Americas, the world’s largest gathering of revenue optimization professionals in the travel industry. This year, ROC will be held in conjunction with HSMAI’s Marketing Strategy Conference as a part of HSMAI’s Commercial Strategy Week. For more information, visit commercial.hsmai.org.
HSMAI chapters and the industry at large can nominate individuals for the Vanguard Award for Achievement in Revenue Optimization and the Revenue Optimization Professional and Educator of the Year Awards. Nominees represent top talent in the discipline and are judged by a panel of revenue leaders on a variety of criteria.
To interview an HSMAI spokesperson about the event and the award honorees, please contact [email protected].
