Special RepoRt : Leadership
Sloan Dean , vice preSiDent of revenue optimization , aShforD hoSpitality truSt
Numbers guy with charisma
Despite never working in a hotel , 33-year-old Sloan Dean has been in the hospitality industry for the majority of his career . Dallas-based Ashford Hospitality Trust ’ s young vice president of revenue optimization is the mastermind behind revenue management , distribution channel maximization and yield optimization for a large portfolio of full-service and select-service assets . However , the Georgia Tech-trained industrial engineer was a seemingly unlikely match for the hospitality industry .
“ If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I would have a successful career in hotel revenue management , I probably would have said it sounded exciting but wondered how a guy with an engineering and finance background would get into the industry ,” Dean reflects .
Upon graduating from the top-ranked engineering school , Dean worked as a consultant with Mercer Management ( now Oliver Wyman ). After several years of constant travel , plus starting a family of his own , Dean was looking for a lifestyle change and secured a position on the
www . hotelsmag . com April 2015 HOTELS 43