Advisory Board

The AM&HS team is assisted by the company's advisory board, a source of industry expertise and a key component contributing to our fundamental business practice of delivering individualized business strategies and to our motto: "Excellence is not optional." The Board consists of renowned professionals representing a number of disciplines critical to solutions we provide.

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Robert H. Rippee 
Senior Vice President of Marketing
The Venetian Las Vegas | The Palazzo Las Vegas

As senior vice president, Robert's role is to lead the marketing strategy for the world's largest five-diamond hotels - The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas. His multi-channel team designs and executes strategies for digital marketing, social media, public relations, brand marketing, partnership/sponsorship, and loyalty and database marketing.

Prior to joining the Venetian and The Palazzo, Robert led FORMO a digital and event marketing firm based on Charleston, SC. He was also on the faculty of the University of Georgia's prestigious Terry College of Business where he taught Luxury Marketing to graduate students in the Terry College MBA Program.

Robert's background includes some of the most notable brands in the hospitality and luxury sector including the Sea Island Company, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and many others. He is an active member and has been a speaker at The Luxury Marketing Council, the CMO Club and the Luxury Society. He holds a Master's degree from The University of Georgia's Terry College of Business and a BS from the University of Wyoming.

ROBERT J. DONOVAN 
Senior Director, Meeting & Travel Services
American Hospital Association

Bob Donovan is senior director, meeting and travel services for the American Hospital Association. The AHA is a not-for-profit association which provides representation and advocacy on public policy, education, and information to its over 4,000 institutional and approximately 50,000 personal members.

Formerly as AHA's vice president, meeting and travel services, Donovan was responsible for contracting for more than 300 meetings and special events a year for the AHA and its 11 Personal Membership Groups, and managing the travel function of AHA staff and membership. As senior director, Donovan's responsibilities include enhancing AHA relationships with the hospitality community, providing support for AHA Board-related events, and special assignments.

Donovan is a past president of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and served on its board from 1990 - 1995. He also served as chairman of the PCMA Education Foundation. He currently serves on the board of the Catholic Disability Foundation, the President's Advisory Board of RML Specialty Hospital, as well as numerous hospitality industry advisory groups.

Donovan earned a degree in Industrial Relations from Xavier University in 1969. He and his wife, Sara, reside in Hinsdale, IL and have three children, Tim, Mike, and Nellie.

TIM BROOKS 
Sales, Marketing & Revenue Strategist
Hospitality / Travel / Meetings Industry

Tim wrote his first software code at age 16, won his high school science fair and earned a college scholarship. He brings 30 years of experience in developing new revenue streams and creating innovative solutions that deliver greater market share and profitability. During the start-up and early growth years of Ritz-Carlton Hotels, he helped develop the 5-star brand's first revenue management software while leading the company in group sales production. Tim implemented the first revenue management systems and training for Le Meridien Hotels North America, and as opening year Director of Marketing for The Mark NYC he led the innovative advertising, guerilla marketing tactics, and channel strategies that took the the hotel from 85% to 120% of STR share within 4 months of adoption. As SVP and Principal for the start-up of HelmsBriscoe - the world's largest meetings brokerage and conference advisory firm - Tim created its high-growth business plan, market strategy and performance agreements, and built HelmsBriscoe's first network of International sales offices. He has founded and sold two companies in the hotel and meetings industries, created patents for two software solutions, won the Kellogg MBA Alumni award for best new start-up, has opened 5 hotels, and has negotiated more than $700 million in individual conference, convention, and incentive contracts. He serves as a hotel and meetings industry speaker on issues relating to strategic meetings management, hospitality sales strategy, pricing, marketing analytics, solution selling, group cancellation and attrition remedies, lead generation, distribution channel optimization, and social media. Tim holds degrees from Washington & Lee University in Politics & Economics and has won two USA Masters Athlete Silver Medals.

PATRICIA KERR 
Director, Distribution Sales Support
Manulife Financial

Patricia Kerr, CMP, is a 18-year veteran in corporate meeting and conference management. She is a past member of the FICP Board of Directors, serving as its President in 2009. Patricia was named a "Changemaker" by Corporate Meetings & Incentives in both 2008 and 2009 and has served on the MPI Executive Advisory Council. As Director of Distribution Sales Support at Manulife Financial, she is accountable for all advisor reward, recognition, and loyalty programs, as well as project management services and sponsorships, including the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic and Meeting & Conference Management. Patricia's team manages in excess of 300 meetings, incentive conferences, and events annually in locations around the globe. She works out of Manulife's Canadian headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario.

Jeffrey Jones 
Vice President, Marketing & Advertising
89 Degrees

Jeff is a 35 year veteran of the hospitality industry working in senior sales and marketing positions at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Walt Disney World Resort, Tishman Hotel Company, Kiawah Island, Saddlebrook Resort, Colonial Williamsburg and HelmsBriscoe.

In Jeff's capacity at 89 Degrees he is responsible for the hospitality division, where he brings his expertise in the marketing and sales of a wide variety luxury properties to his clients which benefit from his actual "hands on" experience and successes. Knowledgeable in all facets of domestic and international hospitality sales and marketing and coupled with 89 Degrees long pedigree of innovative and award winning marketing services to companies such as IKEA, Hyundai and Kia Automotive, Uno Chicago Eatery, Genzyme Pharmaceutical, World Vision and many others, Jeff offer's his clients critical thinking and cutting edge marketing programs that are designed to produce results, drive market share and provide an ROI.

Jeff's background and expertise complements the talents and experiences of the other advisory members of AMHS, who provide additional real world experience and resources to AMHS clients.

Christine Eme, CAE, CMP 
Executive Director
Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma

Christine is a proven association management career professional of 25+ years and has been considered an invaluable asset for several small to mid-size organizations beginning when she served as the Administrative Director for the Illinois Podiatric Medical Association (IPMA). Christine’s work ethic and administrative and management acumen, and meeting management skills are the cornerstones to her successful growth and development.

In 2007 Christine was hired as Executive Director for the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST), her current position. EAST is a multi-disciplinary professional membership organization serving more than 1,600 members. The EAST membership consists of trauma surgeons, emergency physicians, trauma nurses, advanced practitioners, and other trauma team healthcare providers. The EAST Annual Scientific Assembly attracts more than 700 attendees each year. Christine directs the planning and coordination for the Annual meeting including contract negotiations, logistics, faculty management, housing, and program development.

Christine is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), and a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). She is a member of the Association Forum of Chicagoland and the American Society of Association Executives.

DAVID M. BRUDNEY, ISHC 
PRINCIPAL, DAVID BRUDNEY & ASSOCIATES
FOUNDING MEMBER, INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF HOSPITALITY CONSULTANTS CHARTER MEMBER, LAGUNA STRATEGIC ADVISORS

David M. Brudney, ISHC, principal and founder of David Brudney & Associates, a hospitality sales and marketing consulting firm based in Carlsbad, CA, provides customized, professional sales and marketing advisory services that include independent, fresh-set-of-eyes, operational audits, production and talent assessments, sales training, mentoring, teaching and speaking.

David is engaged by hospitality owners, asset managers, and operators and destination marketing organizations to render advice and counsel based on industry standard of care regarding positioning, strategy, pricing, direct sales, e-marketing, occupancy, rate and total spend optimization. Notable properties where David has provided these types of services include The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the Westin Diplomat, Peabody Orlando, the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii, Visit Baltimore, Maryland and Tourism Vancouver, B.C.

A hospitality veteran of 50 years, David is an established hospitality industry spokesman who has been interviewed on Fox News and quoted on/in ABC News, the New York Times, Dow Jones/Market Watch, the Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and the San Diego Union-Tribune. His columns on hotels, meetings and events marketing appear monthly on Smith Travel research's Hotel News Now. Organizations where David has instructed classes, lectured, and appeared as a featured speaker include Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland, the Anderson School of Management/UCLA, the Irish Tourism Board, COTELCO/the Colombia Hotel & Tourism Association, the Las Vegas Chapter, National Speakers Association and HSMAI.

Prior to launching his consulting practice, David had a long and distinguished career with Hyatt, Westin and Marriott. David directed the sales and marketing efforts for the Grand Hyatt San Francisco and the Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago. He also served as V.P. Marketing with the Fred Harvey Company.

David is a founding member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants where he now serves as marketing committee chair emeritus and has recently become a charter member of Laguna Strategic Advisors. He earned a B.A. degree at San Francisco State University and currently sits on the school's Broadcast and electronic communication Arts Advisory Board.