Jimmy Bae

Jimmy is responsible for driving the growth of IHG’s Upper Luxury, Branded Residential, and Central US region for Luxury, Lifestyle, and Premium brands. He previously was responsible for Lifestyle and Premium brands across the Midwest where his responsibilities included prospecting for new franchisees, expanding existing franchisee portfolios, and identifying opportunity markets and sites for future development. Prior to joining the Development team, Jimmy was an integral part of IHG’s Finance team, serving as Director of Investment Analysis most recently. Jimmy graduated from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Patrick Bursey

Patrick Bursey is Regional Vice President of Luxury, Lifestyle & Premium Brand Development at IHG Hotels & Resorts, where he leads franchise growth across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Western Canada, and Northern California. He oversees development for IHG’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, Vignette Collection, Crowne Plaza, Voco, Ruby, Noted Collection, and EVEN Hotels.

With more than 20 years of hospitality and real estate experience, Patrick began his career in the luxury resort sector, leading pre-sale marketing campaigns and launch events across North America, the Caribbean, and Mexico that generated nearly $750 million in residential sales. He later held roles at HVS and Cushman & Wakefield, building expertise in market analysis, valuation, and real estate strategy. As a former Certified General Commercial Hotel Appraiser, he has evaluated hospitality assets totaling nearly $5 billion.

Prior to IHG, Patrick served as Vice President of Hotel Development at Hard Rock Hotels & Resorts, where he was a leader in lifestyle hotel development across the Western U.S. and Canada. He also held a senior development role at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, earning the President’s Club Achievement Award twice for his contributions to the pipeline, with a significant portion of deals driven by new-construction lifestyle projects.

Patrick holds a B.S. in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Colorado Denver and is a former licensed General Commercial Real Estate Appraiser and Real Estate Broker. He has also completed advanced leadership training through Anthony Robbins and Landmark Education.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Patrick is a supporter of the arts, including his local film festival and various philanthropic organizations. He and his wife Laura are the proud parents of two daughters, and Patrick enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, and following professional sports.

Margaret Crowell

Margaret supports the development of IHG’s Luxury, Lifestyle, & Premium brands and growth initiatives across the Western region of the USA and Canada. Prior to joining the Development team, Margaret gained valuable experience as a member of IHG’s market planning and feasibility team where she supported the Western USA and MLAC regions. Before joining IHG,  Margaret graduated from Cornell University with her Master’s of Management in Hospitality from the Cornell Johnson School of Business and Nolan School of Hotel Administration. In her free time, Margaret enjoys the outdoors, traveling to new places and listening to live music.

James Farrah

James joined IHG in January 2024 and is responsible for leading the growth of IHG's upper Luxury, Lifestyle, and Premium portfolio across the Americas region, including Six Senses, Regent Hotels & Resorts, and Branded Residential across all brands. Prior to joining IHG, James was part of Marriott International and held roles in both the law department and the development organization as Vice President of luxury hotel and branded residential development throughout North America. Prior to the hospitality industry, James was an associate in the real estate practice group at Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington, D.C. James earned his undergraduate degree and JD from Georgetown University. He is based outside of Washington, D.C. and enjoys spending time with his family, being outdoors, traveling, experiencing new cultures, and keeping an eye out for luxury development opportunities.

Jael Fischer

Based in Bangkok, Jael is responsible for expanding the Six Senses brand across the Asia Pacific – covering a diverse region from the Maldives to India, Japan, and New Zealand.

Before joining Six Senses, Jael enjoyed 11 years of hospitality experience across four continents, including five years at IHG Hotels & Resorts. She specialized in development, corporate finance, business analytics, and hotel advisory, including feasibility assessments, investment and market research, asset management, and owner representation.

Jael is an alumnus of EHL Hospitality Business School in Switzerland. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management with honors and a specialization in Corporate and Real Estate Finance. She has also completed Cornell University’s Certificate Program in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management.

Originally from Switzerland but raised in Africa and Latin America, Jael speaks English, Spanish, German, and French. Living in eight countries has allowed Jael to enjoy traveling, meeting new people, and learning about different cultures. She is passionate about holistic well-being, vegan cuisine, and dog fostering (saving over 30 dogs).

Carolyn Hervert

Carolyn is responsible for the growth of our lifestyle collections and premium brands across the Southwestern region of the US. Prior to joining IHG, Carolyn spent several years as the Senior Investment Director for NuovoRE, a private owner and developer of historic adaptive reuse lifestyle and luxury hotels across the country. During her tenure, Carolyn was responsible for both asset management of the existing hotel portfolio and development of the pipeline projects, while specializing in Opportunity Zone and Historic Tax Credit investments. As one of the first hires, she created investment models and projections to quickly scale the company. Prior to its merger with Hyatt, Carolyn developed hotels on behalf of Two Roads Hospitality to expand Thompson, AlilA, Joie de Vivre, tommie and Destination brands across the US and Mexico. Carolyn also worked for Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB), where she asset managed properties with a focus on the Western region. Carolyn graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Hotel Administration and is an advisory board member for the Cornell Real Estate Council (CREC Women). She lives with her husband in Denver where they enjoy hiking, skiing, running, and spending time with friends.

Aubrey Hiebert

Aubrey is a Senior Business Development Manager at IHG Hotels & Resorts based in Atlanta, GA. She supports the development of IHG’s Luxury, Lifestyle, and Premium brands and growth activities for the US and Canada team. Prior to her current role, Aubrey was a Manager on IHG’s Transactions and Asset Management team. Prior to joining IHG in 2019, Aubrey worked as an Analyst at Hilton in McLean, VA. Aubrey graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Hotel Administration.

Arik Kono

Arik spearheads new-build and conversion hotel development activity across the southern United States and the Caribbean for IHG’s upscale brands. With over 20 years of experience, Arik specializes in hotel real estate development. As Vice President, North America Development and Acquisitions for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Arik delivered against global growth objectives by expanding the development pipeline across all segments and project types. He was responsible for developing seven of Starwood’s nine franchise brands, including Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft, Element, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, and Luxury Collection in the United States and the Caribbean. During football season, Arik never misses an opportunity to watch his alma mater, the University of Alabama. Additionally, he is an avid golfer and enjoys traveling and spending time at home with his two dogs.

Alex Kuhl

As a Regional SVP of Development for IHG Hotels & Resorts, Alex Kuhl oversees the negotiation and execution of branded management agreements, joint ventures and franchise opportunities for IHG brands throughout the U.S. and Canada. With specialized expertise across the luxury, lifestyle and premium segments, Alex’s nearly three decades of hospitality leadership experience includes building strategic partnerships and delivering transformative deals in high-barrier markets. Since joining IHG in April 2003, he has assumed roles of increased responsibility across the company’s development, operations, commercial, and sales and marketing functions. Alex holds both a BA in History from Denison University and a Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investment and Asset Management from Cornell University.