Menu

Management

Hersha’s senior management team has worked together since 1999, including four lodging cycles. The depth and breadth of Hersha’s senior management provides the Company with unique local market expertise, as well as a proven ability to deliver value across multiple market cycles.

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT:

  • Jay H. Shah, Executive Chairman

    Jay H. Shah is Hersha Hotels and Resorts’ Executive Chairman. Mr. Shah is involved in all areas of the business with a particular emphasis on strategic relationships, capital transactions, asset management, and acquisitions.

    Prior to joining Hersha, Mr. Shah formed Shah & Byler, LLP, a Philadelphia-based law firm specializing in real estate and construction. Earlier, Mr. Shah was also a consultant at the former Coopers & Lybrand LLP, now PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Shah served as a legislative assistant to the late Senator John Heinz on Capitol Hill and has also worked with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office.

    Mr. Shah serves on Cornell University’s Dean’s Advisory Board for the School of Hotel Administration and is also a member of American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Board of Directors, American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Hospitality Investment Roundtable, the Philadelphia CEO Council for Growth, Young Presidents’ Organization, the Chief Executives Organization, and the President’s Leadership Council for Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health.

    Mr. Shah earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, an MBA from the Temple University Fox School of Business, and a Law degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law.
     

  • Neil H. Shah, President and Chief Executive Officer

    Neil H. Shah is President and Chief Executive Officer of Hersha Hotels and Resorts.  For the last 20 years, Mr. Shah has been instrumental in the acquisition, development, and management of over $3 billion of hotel real estate. Prior to Hersha, Mr. Shah served as a Consultant with The Advisory Board Company and the Corporate Executive Board, strategy research firms based in Washington DC. Mr. Shah is Chairman of the Institutional Real Estate Finance Advisory Council (IREFAC) of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and serves on the executive committee of the Board of Trustees for the National Constitution Center and the Florida Council of 100. Mr. Shah is a Research Sponsor of the Zell-Lurie Real Estate Center at the Wharton School and a member of the Real Estate Board at the University of Miami Business School.

    Mr. Shah earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Bachelor of Science in management with honors from the University of Pennsylvania and The Wharton School of Business. He earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.

  • Ashish R. Parikh, Chief Financial Officer

     

     

     

     

     

    Ashish R. Parikh has been Chief Financial Officer of Hersha Hotels and Resorts since 1999. Prior to joining Hersha, Mr. Parikh was an Assistant Vice President in the Mergers and Acquisition Group for Fleet Financial Group where he developed valuable expertise in numerous forms of capital raising activities including leveraged buyouts, bank syndications and venture financing. Mr. Parikh has also been employed by Tyco International, Ltd. and practiced as a Certified Public Accountant with Ernst & Young LLP.

    Mr. Parikh received his Master’s in Business Administration from The Stern School of Business at New York University (NYU) and Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

    Mr. Parikh is currently a board member of the Center for Real Estate Finance at NYU’s Stern School of Business, The Tisch Center at NYU, Philadelphia Real Estate Council, and a member of the M&T Bank Directors Advisory Council.

  • Michael R. Gillespie, Chief Accounting Officer

     

     

     

     

     

    Michael R. Gillespie, Chief Accounting Officer, is responsible for the accounting, financial reporting and audit functions for the company.  Prior to joining Hersha Hospitality Trust, Michael was manager of financial policy & controls for Tyco Electronics Corporation, responsible for the development, enhancement and implementation of financial controls.  Previously, he served as a senior manager with the “Big Four” firms of Arthur Andersen LLP and KPMG LLP. Mr. Gillespie received his B.S.B.A in Accounting from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

  • Stephanie Galli, Senior Vice President & General Counsel

     

     

     

     

     

    Stephanie Galli, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, is responsible for overseeing the legal department. Since joining the company in 2013, she has been involved in closing over $1 billion of acquisitions and dispositions, $1.5 billion of financing activity and establishing a $570 million joint venture. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Galli was in private practice with the law firm of Greenberg Traurig, LLP specializing in real estate and general corporate transactions.  Ms. Galli received her law degree from Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia, PA.

  • William J. Walsh, Senior Vice President of Asset Management

     

     

     

     

     

    William J. Walsh, Senior Vice President of Asset Management, is responsible for developing strategic plans for each property, reviewing all budgets and expenditures, and working with Hersha’s operators and third-party management companies to increase profitability and overall portfolio returns. Prior to joining Hersha, he worked for GF Management, a hospitality management company based in Philadelphia. Mr. Walsh joined GF Management in 1994 as a Regional Controller and was promoted to Corporate Controller in January 2000. Previously, he was the Controller for PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Mr. Walsh also served as a Controller and in various accounting related positions for the Radisson Hotel Corporation over a ten-year period. Mr. Walsh holds a B.S. degree in Accounting from Drexel University of Philadelphia, PA.

  • Chris Doyle, Senior Vice President of Asset Management


     

     

     

     

     

    Chris Doyle, Senior Vice President of Asset Management, is responsible for oversight of a portfolio of luxury and lifestyle branded and independent hotels. Mr. Doyle is known for driving value, optimizing financial performance, brand development and building strong relationships with stakeholders. Prior to joining Hersha in 2013, Mr. Doyle held various operational, asset management and corporate finance positions at Marriott International and oversaw the corporate finance function for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Mr. Doyle earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Babson College, where he majored in Finance and minor concentration in Entrepreneurship. He earned his MBA from Loyola University of Maryland.

  • Chas Hyatt, Senior Vice President of Investments


     

     

     

     

     

    Chas Hyatt, Senior Vice President of Investments, is responsible for managing the Company’s investment strategy from sourcing to execution, covering acquisitions and dispositions. Since joining the Company in 2015, Mr. Hyatt has led or been deeply involved in $1.8 billion of transaction volume across acquisitions, dispositions and financing. Mr. Hyatt joined the Company in 2015 from HEI Hotels & Resorts, a privately held lodging investment and management firm, where he held extensive roles within the firm’s investment, capital raising and operations/asset management functions.

    Mr. Hyatt earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in real estate finance from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and is a member of the Cornell Hotel Society.