Ashford Inc. has appointed Hector Sanchez president and Eric Batis chief operating officer, according to a Monday press release. Both positions are effective immediately.
In his new role, Sanchez will be responsible for overall business performance and financial outcomes, and he will report directly to Ashford CEO Monty J. Bennett.
“I look forward to partnering with our talented teams to continue strengthening our asset management platform and driving growth across our real estate businesses for our advised REITs and our third-party clients,” Sanchez said in the release. “We have tremendous opportunities ahead of us, and I'm excited to get to work."
Batis will oversee the company’s daily operational execution and will report to both Bennett and Sanchez.
In the release, Bennett said the combined experience and leadership of Sanchez and Batis “will sharpen our focus, accelerate execution and position Ashford for stronger performance and continued expansion in the years ahead.”
Sanchez was most recently Ashford’s head of real estate development and CEO of Ashford Inc. subsidiary Premier, where he rebuilt and repositioned the organization, per the release. His efforts at Premier helped advance a development pipeline exceeding $1 billion in estimated value. Prior to joining Ashford, he held executive roles at Rubicon Oilfield International and National Oilwell Varco, per his LinkedIn profile.
Meanwhile, Batis previously served as Ashford’s executive vice president of operations, per the release. Before joining the company in 2013, he was vice president in the real estate valuation and advisory services group at Houlihan Lokey and held analyst roles at Integra Realty Resources and McNeel, Weissler & Associates.
“I look forward to helping drive the next chapter of value creation at Ashford," Batis said in the release. “By sharpening our acquisition strategy and strengthening operational oversight, we will position the company for sustained performance in the hospitality space.”
Ashford Inc. is an advisor to Ashford Hospitality Trust, which last week offloaded three assets for nearly $70 million, as well as Braemar Hotels & Resorts, which initiated a process for the sale of its company in August.
Ashford Hospitality Trust named Stephen Zsigray CEO in April 2024. He has been with Ashford since 2014.
Sanchez and Batis’ appointments come more than two years after the departure of Jeremy Welter, Ashford’s former president and COO. Welter was with Ashford for more than 11 years, per his LinkedIn profile, and left in July 2022. At that time, he also left his position as COO of Ashford Hospitality Trust and Braemar Hotels & Resorts.
