The IHM editorial team – George Sell, Eloise Hanson, Priya Khaira and Claudia Shergna – spotlight 26 influential leaders across travel, hospitality and real estate who are set to make a major impact in the year ahead.
Brand
• Asli Kutlucan, TFE Hotels (EH)
Having joined TFE Hotels in 2023 following her tenure as chief development officer at Cycas Hospitality, Asli Kutlucan is spearheading the growth of the company’s aparthotel brand Adina in Europe. With more than two decades of experience spanning operations and development, she brings both strategic vision and practical expertise to her role as CEO Europe.
This year, Australia-based TFE will open its first UK property with Adina aparthotels launching in Cambridge and Glasgow. It will bring the European portfolio to 20 Adina-branded properties – the majority of which are located in Germany. Earlier this year, Kutlucan also oversaw the debut of premium sister brand A by Adina on the continent with a site in Vienna.
With a clear focus strengthening brand presence in new markets, Kutlucan’s leadership signals a defining phase of growth for Adina against an increasingly competitive backdrop.
• B.K. Malagi, VLIV (GS)
B.K. Malagi is vice chairman of Experion, a managed rental housing brand in India which has just launched the VLIV brand to offer women-only coliving spaces.
As coliving experiences significant growth in India, the launch of VLIV is a shrewd move. The launch will be backed by around US$300 million of investment to build a structured, service-led rental housing ecosystem in India.
The first VLIV property is already open in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and offers 730 beds in twin rooms. Experion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore-based AT Capital Group, aims to scale to 20,000 beds over the next few years, with a long-term vision of reaching 100,000 beds nationwide. The target market is huge – there are an estimated 150 million women in India between the ages of 18 and 30.
Malagi says India’s rental housing is fragmented and inconsistent and that VLIV can offer a reliable, consistent and professional product. VLIV’s aim, under Malawi’s guidance, is to reimagine rental living by raising the bar on quality of life and delivering it with consistency, care, and safety built on solid compliance.
The brand has some serious resources backing it – AT Capital Group has a presence across India, Singapore, Dubai, and Europe. In India, its diversified portfolio includes Juniper Green Energy and it also backs Experion Capital, a “forward-looking Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)” that supports India’s real estate and infrastructure sectors.
• Jayne McClure, Travel Chapter (CS)
Jayne McClure has become a quiet force in UK holiday lettings. As CEO of Travel Chapter, one of the country’s leading platforms with more than 15,000 managed properties, she has helped steer the company through a period of calculated expansion. Most recently, she oversaw the acquisition of Cornish operator Beach Retreats.
The deal adds more than 230 design-led coastal properties to Travel Chapter’s portfolio and marks a significant push into highly sought-after domestic destinations. In an industry where scaling often risks diluting local character, McClure’s strategy has focused on maintaining place-based authenticity while delivering operational excellence at volume.
With over a decade in senior roles across the group, including director-level posts at The Norfolk Cottage Co., Gorgeous Weekend Ltd. and others, McClure brings financial discipline and brand sensitivity in equal measure. Under her leadership, Travel Chapter has become one of the few players to blend scale with curation, positioning itself as both a reliable operator and a local specialist.
As UK staycations remain in strong demand and competition intensifies among platforms, McClure’s measured, acquisition-led growth strategy places Travel Chapter on firm ground. She is a standout figure as consolidation across regional brands continues.
• Sam Nazarian, sbe (EH)
The Estate is sbe’s latest health and wellness brand, combining hospitality with functional, preventive medicine through a partnership with longevity clinic operator Fountain Life. The brand represents a bold evolution in the field of wellness hotels; each future location will deliver medi-wellness services, holistic therapies, and curated nutrition programmes, supported by urban longevity centres in major markets.
With 15 hotels and residences and 10 urban longevity centres planned by 2030, Sam Nazarian (CEO of sbe) is ambitious with his vision for The Estate. Collaborating with figures such as motivational speaker Tony Robbins, singer-songwriter Marc Anthony, and business innovation leader Richard Attias, he’s certainly demonstrating the strength of his concept.
The brand’s first location, a diagnostic facility, is expected to open by the end of the year, housed in the Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Additional properties under The Estate are scheduled to open in St Kitts (Caribbean), the UK, Trento (Italy), Montreux (Switzerland), Miami, as well as countries in the GCC.
• Chris Powell, Pegasus (GS)
Chris Powell, the COO of Pegasus Homes, is a key member of a senior leadership team which is turning the company’s business model on its head.
In a move which has echoes of the wider housing market trends, Pegasus is pivoting from a for-sale developer in the later living space, to a later living build-to-rent (BTR) developer and operator.
The company, which is part of the Lifestory Group, announced in 2023 that it had secured a significant investment loan facility with Barclays, to support its growth as a dedicated BTR developer and operator.
The company is offering both home purchase and renting as options across all its 26 live existing communities, before moving to be exclusively BTR.
In June, Powell explained the rationale for the change: “Despite the strong British tradition of homeownership, we’ve observed a clear shift in our customers’ preferences towards renting when downsizing. This shift is driven by various advantages such as reduced maintenance, financial flexibility, the ability to pass wealth to family, and adaptability during later life.
“While renting in retirement isn’t for everyone, it has consistently represented over half of our transactions for the last two years. Looking at broader trends, projections all agree that the older demographic in our population will grow substantially over the next decade. This necessitates a diverse range of housing solutions, with private rental playing a big role. Pegasus’s vision to develop high-quality, lifestyle-focused Build-to-Rent (BTR) accommodation for the 65+ active adult market is now being realised. We aim to lead in this sector and expand our offerings nationwide. We are looking forward to collaborating with our entire team to accelerate this progress.”
Development
• Rajdeep Gahir, Urban Rest (CS)
Rajdeep Gahir has recently been appointed as head of portfolio growth for EMEA at Urban Rest – a flexible accommodation provider with properties in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland. She has a rich background in property and operations leadership: from co-founding the coliving brand Vivahouse and real-estate venture CoCreations, to spearheading WeWork’s European expansion, opening over 20 sites in 20 months.
In her new role, Gahir will be responsible for building and deepening relationships with landlords – an area where her mix of experience is particularly valuable. With experience across different asset classes and disciplines, she brings a unique understanding of investor and landlord priorities combined with insight into how people are choosing to live, work and travel.
Gahir represents a new breed of innovators in the space, contributing fresh ideas to the serviced apartment sector at a time when evolving customer behaviours demand more flexible and creative solutions.
• Amy Rees, Homes England (CS)
On 8 September 2025, Amy Rees will step up as chief executive of Homes England, the UK’s national housing delivery agency tasked with delivering 1.5 million homes during this Parliament.
Previously, she led His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and served as interim Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, with a CB honour awarded for her public service leadership.
Though new to housing, Rees brings a proven record of leading complex public systems under pressure. Her mandate, steering regional delivery, oversight of the new National Housing Bank (£53 billion in private investment), and scaling social and affordable housing, puts her at the centre of one of the UK’s most urgent crises.
She won’t have much time to settle in as pressure to deliver on the government’s housing target mounts. Rees will oversee Homes England’s 3,000 BTR home joint venture with developer Muse and the Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), as well the implementation of the new National Housing Bank, a publicly owned financial institution that will help deliver more than 500,000 new homes across the country. The bank will sit within Homes England and act as a long-term, flexible partner to developers, SMEs and local authorities.
• Veronica Rivas, Homes and Villas by Marriott International (PK)
In a space increasingly shaped by branded residential experiences, Veronica Rivas is a key figure in Marriott International’s short-term rental expansion. As Senior Director of Global Development for Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, she is helping define one of the fastest-growing branded home rental platforms in the world.
Now boasting a portfolio of over 160,000 curated homes across more than 700 destinations, Marriott’s STR division is moving beyond market entry. It is setting a standard for luxury and consistency in the home rental space. Rivas, who rose from senior manager to senior director, brings deep operational insight from her time at Hostmaker, where she served as head of operations. Her ability to bridge hands-on operational experience with global strategy has proven vital.
This year, she has focused on scaling the brand with a sharper eye on regional diversification and luxury positioning. As Marriott’s STR platform continues to gain traction in a competitive market, Rivas’s influence is central to its long-term credibility and success. Her next moves are worth watching closely.
• Ioannis Verdelis, Landmark Property (GS)
Fresh from a 10-year stint at regeneration specialists Vita Group, where he headed up investments, partnerships, joint ventures and divestments, Ioannis Verdelis is now spearheading the launch of a major new player in the UK PBSA landscape which is likely to take the sector by storm.
Verdelis has joined Landmark Properties, the largest PBSA player in the US, and will help to oversee its entry in to the UK market. Georgia-based landmark has around $14 billion of AUM and has more than 72,000 beds in its student and multifamily portfolio.
Backed by institutional partners including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, it nows plans to deploy £1 billion annually in to UK and European PBSA, a market Verdelis knows well, via joint ventures and funds.
As managing director, investment and development, Verdelis is already busy sourcing deals to establish Landmark’s initial UK footprint, and he has ambitions for the company’s scale to mirror its presence in its home country. Definitely a company, and an individual, to keep an eye over the next 12 months.
• Fabian Vieregge and Lukas von Lüdinghausen, Centralis (EH)
Fabian Vieregge and Lukas von Lüdinghausen co-lead Centralis, a German serviced apartment investment and development company poised for rapid growth. Since its founding in 2020, Centralis has specialised in acquiring, refurbishing, and developing serviced apartments across Germany’s primary and secondary cities. The recentacquisition of a majority stake by ActivumSG will enable the company to scale into a €500 million platform, doubling its portfolio by the end of 2025.
The deal includes nine assets across Berlin, Bonn, Lübeck, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Cologne, and Nuremberg, with refurbishment plans in place at five of the properties. All assets, representing 550 keys, are pre-let on long-term, inflation-linked leases to tech-enabled hospitality operators.
Vieregge and von Lüdinghausen will remain as co-CEOs of Centralis, driving its next phase of expansion with the added firepower of institutional capital.
Entrepreneurs
• Sarah Dines, Viator (PK)
Sarah Dines has emerged as one of the leading commercial minds in the experiences sector. As Chief Commercial Officer at Viator she is helping the brand scale globally while refining its value proposition.
After a brief stint as VP of Supply and Distribution at Viator, Dines was promoted to CCO within eight months. Her rapid ascent mirrors the platform’s own momentum, as it grows its global supply network and doubles down on verified, quality-led experiences.
Under her leadership, Viator has introduced enhanced trust protocols, streamlined partner onboarding, and deeper integration with Tripadvisor’s review and loyalty systems. She brings both operational clarity and commercial foresight at a time when the experiences economy is under pressure to prove value to more discerning and cost-conscious travellers.
As competition intensifies in the tours and activities space, Dines’s influence will shape not only Viator’s direction but the wider future of experiential travel platforms.
• Neil Jacobs, Wild Origins (EH)
Neil Jacobs announced his departure from Six Senses last month, having spent the last 13 years as CEO of the luxury wellness and sustainability brand. At the time, Six Senses had a global portfolio of 27 open hotels and resorts with 38 more in the pipeline.
Weeks after he stepped down, Jacobs revealed his next venture: Wild Origins, a creative consultancy aimed at shaping “soulful ventures in hospitality, wellness, sustainable development, and lifestyle”. Services span brand and marketing development, financial and operational assessments, sustainability planning and execution, concept development, residential planning, and pre-opening strategy.
Early collaborations include advisory roles with Capella Hotels & Resorts and Desa Potato Head. As Wild Origins grows, Jacobs is expected to play a pivotal role influencing the next wave of hospitality projects globally.
• Reza Merchant, &Soul (GS)
Reza Merchant, the CEO and founder of pioneering UK coliving operator The Collective, is back in business with a new brand. While The Collective went in to administration in September 2021, its groundbreaking schemes are still operational. Much of its pipeline was built out and is now trading, and its alumni were inspired to go on and create the next wave of UK coliving at a host of other companies.
Merchant, who was still in his 20s when The Collective opened its first scheme in 2016, is now at the helm of a new venture – &Soul – which currently has two London locations, Shoreditch and Southall. &Soul’s mission is “to build soulful spaces that empower communities, nurture individuals, and inspire change. Our vision is to radically reimagine urban existence, uniting people in connection to themselves and others, weaving community into the tapestry of tomorrow”.
The properties are on a different scale and have a very different feel from the early days of The Collective. Wellness and wellbeing are high on the agenda – activities on offer include yoga, meditation, breath work, Qi Gong, capoeira, pilates and Tai Chi. The Shoreditch property has a huge sauna, a vegan restaurant and ice bath.
Merchant has created &Soul as a sanctuary to help members and residents address the anxiety and stress levels inherent in modern urban life. He raised £35 million from family office investors and lenders to convert and launch the 35,000 square foot Shoreditch venue in a former Victorian textile warehouse. Its accommodation element, The Villas, includes individual rooms with showers and basic cooking facilities, in clusters of six around a communal kitchen and socialising area.
The buzz surrounding &Soul is growing after a quiet start, and it will be no surprise to see Merchant and the brand make a big impression in the next 12 months.
• Sharan Pasricha, Ennismore (EH)
With more than 180 hotels across 16 brands, Ennismore has become a global benchmark for design-led, experiential hospitality. Founded in 2011 by Sharan Pasrischa, the platform formed a joint venture with Accor in 2021 and a year later, sold a stake in the company to a consortium of Qatari investors. At the time, the deal valued Ennismore at more than $2 billion.
Amid swirling rumours that Pasrischa might be leaving Ennismore, the platform is reportedly being considered for a US IPO. According to sources, Accor is in early discussions with advisors about the potential listing of Ennismore on the US stock exchange, though there is no certainty that this will lead to a transaction.
Should the IPO be successful, Ennismore would rank among the largest lifestyle hotel companies to enter public markets, cementing lifestyle hospitality as a mature asset class and a growth engine in its own right. It would underscore Pasricha’s position as one of the industry’s most entrepreneurial and influential leaders.
• Gregory Sion, Pierre Vacances (PK)
Gregory Sion has delivered one of Europe’s most noteworthy hospitality turnarounds. Sion brings over 20 years of leadership across tourism and digital sectors. His efforts have pushed RevPAR up by 20 per cent in three years, secured €10 million in cost savings, and expanded inventory across France, Spain and Italy.
He also oversaw the merger of the company’s French and Spanish operations, improving operational cohesion and regional growth.
His leadership has been rooted in customer centricity. Net Promoter Score has jumped 25 points under his watch, and a new brand platform has helped reset perceptions of Pierre & Vacances as a forward-facing hospitality brand. The company’s latest campaign focuses on tailored guest experiences and emotional value, not just functional offerings.
In an industry split between nimble new entrants and legacy brands, Sion has managed to future-proof Pierre & Vacances by delivering both profitability and cultural renewal. As travel preferences shift and legacy players face mounting pressure, his blueprint may prove instructive for many others.
Finance
• William Astor, Long Harbour (CS)
William Astor leads Long Harbour, a major player in UK operational real estate. The company has recently expanded into the purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sector, entering a joint venture with Rosethorn Capital to build up to 10,000 beds across key university cities over five to seven years.
Earlier, in January 2025, Long Harbour secured £300 million from South Korea’s NPS for its £1.6 billion single-family housing fund, aiming to deliver about 5,000 new homes across the UK.
Astor’s leadership marks Long Harbour’s strategic expansion across multiple living asset classes: build-to-rent, single-family housing, and now PBSA. His approach demonstrates how institutional capital and operational depth can address housing supply gaps across demographics, positioning Long Harbour as a versatile force in the UK living sector.
The main task on Astor’s to do list is to complete the planned acquisition of PRS REIT, one of the largest owners of SFR homes in the UK. Long Harbour has submitted an offer for the entire issued and to-be-issued business share capital of PRS REIT, which would see shareholders would be entitled to receive 115p per share in cash. Talks between the two parties are ongoing.
• Dan Batterton, L&G (GS)
Legal & General’s new head of housing Dan Batterton has taken the newly-created role to to lead housing investment across L&G’s asset management business, including build-to-rent, single-family housing, affordable housing operations and purpose-built student accommodation.
Batterton brings more than 20 years of experience in the property sector and expertise in portfolio strategy. He joined L&G in 2007, where he held positions as head of UK product development and head of residential. In his 18 years with the company, he has launched several new investment strategies during his time at L&G, notably the BTR platform in 2016, which has grown to over £4 billion and over 10,000 apartments across the UK.
The new appointment comes as the UK housing shortage intensifies across all tenures, and L&G is seeing growing interest in the sector from its investor clients who are attracted by strong returns and positive social impact. It also unifies housing activity under a single integrated platform, bringing together the different tenures L&G provides to help scale what it describes as “this critical component of our private markets strategy”.
Batterton has been instrumental in forming powerful housing investment partnerships in recent years such as a JV with the real estate arm of the Japanese investment bank Nomura to deliver high-quality rental housing in the UK, with the aim of building more than 1,000 homes; and a partnership between L&G, Nest and PGGM which is looking to build a £1 billion portfolio. We can expect to see more collaboration of this scale on Batterton’s watch in his new role.
• Mathieu Elshout, Aware Super (EH)
Sydney-based super fund Aware Super has deepened its commitment to the aparthotel sector with the acquisition of APG’s stake in The July – the owner-operator of a growing aparthotel portfolio. The move forms part of Aware Super’s broader £5.25 billion European investment strategy, targeting real estate, infrastructure, and private equity opportunities over the next five years.
The July currently operates three properties across London and Amsterdam, with a pipeline that includes new sites in Amsterdam, Dublin, and Lisbon. Aware Super plans to expand the business across Europe.
Mathieu Elshout, senior portfolio manager for property in the UK and Europe at Aware Super, emphasises the “diverse customer base, strong growth, and limited supply” as reasons for why the aparthotel market represents a “high conviction subsector” for the firm. The backing of The July signals strong confidence in the growth potential of aparthotels and underscores the sector’s appeal as a high-value investment opportunity.
• Benjamin Habbel, Limestone Capital (EH)
Limestone Capital launched its first hospitality fund in 2020 and has quickly established itself as a reputable player in hospitality investment. The firm is known for scaling its own independent hotel and membership club brand Aethos, with locations in Portugal, Italy, France, Spain, and soon to launch in the UK.
Under Benjamin Habbel’s leadership as CEO, the firm recently acquired a 30 per cent stake in UK-based modular cabin provider Nokken. Limestone aims to expand Nokken internationally, reflecting a broader strategy of building a diversified portfolio including hotels and technology to outdoor hospitality concepts.
By investing across multiple segments, Habbel’s approach aligns with evolving travel patterns where the rise of remote work, demand for flexible stays, and growing interest in experiential hospitality is shaping what brands are built and where. Looking ahead, it remains to be seen which new markets or asset classes Limestone will target next.
• Roshan Ramlugun, AXA (PK)
Roshan Ramlugun is helping reshape AXA’s residential real estate strategy in the UK and Ireland at a time when asset resilience and sustainable growth are in sharp focus.
Now Sector Lead for Residential at AXA IM Alts, one of Europe’s largest real asset investors, Ramlugun draws on a strong track record in asset transformation. He previously led the regeneration of London’s iconic Dolphin Square estate, a site with deep historical and cultural significance, and currently serves as executive director of operations there. His ongoing role reflects a commitment to both long-term stewardship and value creation.
At AXA, Ramlugun is spearheading a strategy that aligns institutional investment with evolving residential needs, particularly in the build-to-rent and private rented sectors. With AXA IM Alts managing over €185 billion globally, his leadership carries weight at both project and portfolio level.
This year, he has focused on ESG-led repositioning, mixed-tenure developments, and tenant-centric upgrades. In a climate where investment outcomes must also deliver social value, Ramlugun is building frameworks that balance financial performance with community impact.He is one to watch as AXA continues to bridge capital investment with meaningful urban regeneration.
Technology
• Sylvia Epaillard, Interhome (PK)
Sylvia Epaillard is helping lead Interhome into a new era of digital transformation. As co‑CEO and chief commercial and digital officer of the Swiss-based holiday rental company, she has played a central role in its strategic repositioning and recent €160 million acquisition by HomeToGo.
Interhome, with over 50 years of history in European holiday lettings, has traditionally operated on a high-touch, offline model. Under Epaillard’s leadership, it is becoming a leaner, tech-first brand, integrated into HomeToGo’s AI-powered, SaaS-driven marketplace. The deal signals a shift towards real-time data exchange, scalable automation, and smarter revenue systems.
Epaillard is also an advocate for inclusion in tech. She sits on the board of Mod Elle, a Swiss non-profit focused on gender equality and career mentorship, reflecting her wider commitment to values-led leadership.
Over the past 12 months, she has focused on dynamic pricing integration, channel optimisation, and end-to-end digital journeys for owners and guests alike. Interhome’s transformation shows how legacy brands can still compete in a marketplace dominated by agile tech disruptors.
With the HomeToGo acquisition complete, Epaillard is set to play a pivotal role in accelerating Interhome’s next phase of digital and operational evolution.
• Rohith Kori, Agilysys (EH)
As SVP of corporate and product strategy at Agilysys, Rohith Kori is responsible for developing and driving innovations in hotel technology. While hotel KPIs have traditionally focused on occupancy and ADR, the industry is beginning to shift towards metrics that capture ancillary revenues, guest engagement and lifetime value. A recent launch from Agilysys illustrates how the company strives to provide the tools to meet these evolving demands.
Intelligent Guest Profiles (IGP) continuously collects and shares real-time behavioural, transactional and preference data across Agilysys software applications and properties, creating a complete view of each guest. Powered by guestsense.ai, it also aggregates spending data alongside recency, frequency and monetary value metrics during each stay and over time, so hotels and resorts can assess a guest’s lifetime value.
Kori described the feature as a “quantum leap forward in how guest data is collected, shared and used”. By consolidating data across touch points, Kori’s work enables properties to deliver more personalised experiences through data-driven decisions in real time. Tools like IGP have the potential to fundamentally shape the future of operations.
• Teresa Mackintosh, Hospitality Solutions (CS)
TPG has recently completed the £1.1 billion purchase of Hospitality Solutions, the technology platform formerly under Sabre. Hospitality Solutions will now operate as a standalone company through TPG Capital, with Teresa Mackintosh leading the new division as CEO.
She brings extensive experience in SaaS and technology-driven businesses, having served on multiple boards of directors. She now stands at the intersection of hospitality and technology at a pivotal moment of digital transformation for the sector.
Under her leadership, Hospitality Solutions – anchored by SynXis, which is said to support more than 40 per cent of global hotel brands – is positioned to play a critical role in shaping how hotels leverage technology to drive operational efficiency, guest experience, and growth.
At the time of her appointment, Mackintosh said: “It’s a privilege to join the team at this exciting moment in the company’s history, and I look forward to working together to provide dynamic solutions that allow our customers to focus on what matters most: their guests.”
• Matt Ong, Ctrl Alt (GS)
Matt Ong, CEO and founder at Ctrl Alt, is instrumental in making investing in alternative assets cost effective, secure and accessible through tokenisation.
His company was been selected as partner by the Dubai Land Department (DLD), alongside Prypco,the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), the UAE Central Bank and the Dubai Future Foundation, for the launch of the MENA region’s first government-backed tokenised real estate investment platform.
The platform, Prypco Mint, enables UAE residents to invest in selected real estate projects with a minimum stake of AED2,000 (approximately £400). Each investment represents a fractional ownership stake in a property, recorded as a digital token. The platform runs on blockchain technology but processes all pilot-phase transactions in UAE Dirhams, without involving cryptocurrencies.
Ctrl Alt, the project’s tokenisation infrastructure partner, issues the ownership tokens on the XRP Ledger, an open-source public blockchain originally developed with contributions from Ripple. The team selected the platform for its suitability in asset tokenisation and its compatibility with regulatory frameworks. Ctrl Alt also developed the tools to mint these tokens and integrate them with Dubai’s official property registry, creating a digital record that aligns with legal title ownership.
With a background in banking, having held roles with Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley, Ong says the platform is a major step towards bringing real estate investment to a wider audience. “Dubai’s leadership in embracing next-generation financial technologies is truly world-class and this project is a powerful signal of what’s to come,” he says.
• Rena Pacheco-Theard, Boutiq (CS)
Rena Pacheco-Theard is gaining attention in both travel and investment circles for her leadership at Boutiq, a luxury holiday rental platform with real estate investment built into its core model.
With a CV that spans consulting at Deloitte, product strategy at Indeed, and leadership in the edtech sector, Pacheco-Theard has brought a multidisciplinary lens to the short-term rental space. She co-founded Boutiq to fill a gap she identified at the intersection of premium hospitality, tech-enabled property management, and real estate syndication.
Boutiq does not just operate properties; it identifies, acquires and curates homes that meet specific investment criteria, using data science and AI to drive market selection and revenue optimisation. In doing so, the company operates more like a hospitality-asset hybrid than a traditional STR operator, offering investors yield-generating assets while delivering hotel-level consistency to guests.
Armed with an MBA from MIT Sloan and a policy degree from UT Austin, Pacheco-Theard is fluent in both macroeconomic strategy and start-up execution. In a market where institutional capital is flowing into STRs and residential hospitality is emerging as a category of its own, Boutiq, under her leadership, is well-positioned to lead the next phase of growth.
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