Sonesta Leadership

Kelley McNeil

EVP, General Counsel & Head of People

• Linkedin

MICHELLE STEFFENS

Chief Operating Officer

• Linkedin

Michelle Steffens serves as Chief Operating Officer at Sonesta, where she oversees the company’s portfolio of hotels and leads regional operations teams. She brings more than over 20 years of hospitality experience, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Operations at Aimbridge Hospitality. Her career also includes senior-level and regional leadership roles with Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Island Hospitality, and White Lodging.

Jeffery Edwards

Chief Technology and Commercial Transformation Officer

• Linkedin

Jeff is an established technology industry executive who has successfully led a number of companies in senior executive roles as CEO, President, CIO and Executive VP.

Over the past 30 years he has developed a proven track record in defining and executing strategic technology vision, managing technical architecture teams, leading design and development teams, as well as operational and organizational expertise. He is highly proficient in evaluating skills portfolios, defining processes and business controls, and defining the most effective technology suite that is capable of enhancing business performance metrics for revenue generation, profitability and cost containment targets.

Experienced in management of key vendor agreements and optimizing vendor relationship value through diligent contract management and negotiation. A disciplined fiscal manager with extensive experience in P & L responsibilities with annual budgets in excess of $400 million.

DAVE BRYAN

Chief Financial Officer

• Linkedin

Dave Bryan joined Sonesta in May of 2024 as SVP Finance responsible for its Finance Shared Service Center. He was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in April of 2025.

Bryan is an accomplished financial executive at both large public and small private companies. We believe that his comprehensive experience, problem-solving and analytical skills, and strong work ethic will help fuel and sustain Sonesta’s growth.

Bryan is looking forward to building financial acumen across the business, meeting the company’s evolving business intelligence needs and continuing Sonesta’s rapid growth.

Phil Hugh

Chief Development Officer

• Linkedin

Phil Hugh serves as Chief Development Officer for Sonesta International Hotels Corporation, where he leads the company’s strategic growth initiatives across its diverse portfolio of brands. In this role, he is responsible for expanding Sonesta’s footprint, fostering relationships with owners, developers, and management companies, and driving the company’s long-term development vision.

A seasoned hospitality executive with more than 25 years of experience, Hugh is recognized for his expertise in franchise sales, development strategy, and organizational leadership. Before joining Sonesta, he founded Hugh Hotel Group (HHG) in 2022, an organization dedicated to maximizing profitability and value for hotel owners through strong partnerships and operational insight.

Previously, Hugh served as Chief Development Officer, Americas, for Radisson Hotel Group, where he led development and growth strategies for brands including Radisson Blu, Radisson RED, Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, and Country Inn & Suites by Radisson. He played a key role in driving portfolio expansion, managing strategic investments, and leading merger and acquisition activity that culminated in the successful sale of the Americas division to Choice Hotels International.

Earlier in his career, Hugh held leadership roles at Red Roof Franchising, where he established the franchise division and transformed the company into an asset-light, franchisee-focused organization. He also served as Executive Vice President of Worldwide Development & Sales at Realogy, President and CEO at DOC Corp, and Senior Vice President of Franchise Sales at Cendant.

Throughout his career, Hugh has been recognized for his ability to build high-performing teams, strengthen brand portfolios, and cultivate meaningful partnerships that fuel sustainable growth within the hospitality and real estate industries.