Matt spoke with Jim Risoleo, President and CEO of Host Hotels & Resorts, during this week’s episode of Leading Voices in Real Estate. Host Hotels & Resorts is the largest hospitality REIT with over 46,800 hotel rooms worldwide and the largest owner of high-end hotels in the United States with brands including Marriott, Ritz Carlton, Westin, and Hyatt. Given today’s COVID environment, much of the conversation revolves around the pandemic’s impact on the hospitality sector, how Host Hotels & Resorts has weathered the storm, and his predictions for business resumption coming out of the pandemic. Additionally, Jim shares his insights as a leader within the real estate industry as the chair of NAREIT, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts.

Jim became President and Chief Executive Officer of Host Hotels & Resorts in January 2017. He joined the company in 1996 as Senior Vice President for Acquisitions, and was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer in 2000. In 2012, he became Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the Company’s European business activities and, in 2015, Jim assumed leadership for all of the company’s West Coast investment activities in addition to Europe.

Prior to joining Host Hotel’s and Resorts Jim was Vice President, Development at Interstate Hotels Corporation and a Senior Vice President, Commercial Real Estate at Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Jim serves as a director of Cole Office & Industrial REIT, a public non-listed REIT, and is a member of its audit committee and Chairman of its valuation and compensation committee. He previously served as the non-executive Chairman of Cole Office & Industrial REIT from 2015 to 2018. In addition to serving as Chairman and an Executive Board member of NAREIT, he is an Executive Committee member of American Hotel & Lodging Association, a member of the U.S. Travel Association CEO Roundtable, and a member of the Real Estate Roundtable.