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The chairman of Forbes Travel Guide is digital media pioneer Jeff Arnold, who is the visionary behind Forbes Travel Guide and the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Sharecare, a digital health company he founded with Dr. Mehmet Oz that helps people manage all their health in one place.
In 2005, Arnold purchased the rights to Mobil Travel Guide, a well-known series of regional guidebooks that Mobil Oil had published since 1958. The guides provided independent ratings of hotels, motels and restaurants in North America. Arnold had the vision to transform the collection into a digital guide and globalize the Star Rating system, with a focus on luxury hospitality. By 2009, he evolved Mobil Travel Guide to Forbes Travel Guide, in partnership with Forbes Media LLC.
Prior to founding Sharecare and Forbes Travel Guide, Arnold was chairman and CEO of HowStuffWorks.com, an award-winning online resource used by millions of people each month, which he sold to Discovery Communications, where he served as chief digital strategy officer, as well as chief architect of The Curiosity Project until December 2011.
In 1998, he founded and served as CEO of WebMD, the first healthcare company to harness the power of the Internet to create a unified destination for consumers, healthcare institutions and physicians to find trustworthy medical information. Prior to WebMD, Jeff founded Quality Diagnostic Services (QDS), a cardiac arrhythmia monitoring company, one of the first companies to use the concept of telemedicine over 25 years ago.
Arnold has been honored for his innovative contributions to media, technology and healthcare, including the 2016 Blumenthal Award by Johns Hopkins University which recognized his exceptional ability to bridge business and technology. Additionally, he was inducted into the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, as an Honorary Member for his superior achievements and contributions to the advancement of nursing and health care on both a national and global level. Arnold also has been honored by the World Economic Forum; inducted into the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia; named Entrepreneur of the Year, Southeast Region by Ernst & Young; and received the prestigious Phoenix Award, which recognizes companies and individuals who embody strength, tenacity and leadership in Georgia’s healthcare information technology industry.
Currently also chairman of Endeavor Atlanta, Arnold also has served on numerous boards for public, private and charitable organizations over the years.
A well-respected, widely traveled, and assured leader in luxury hospitality, Hermann Elger brings a wealth of expertise and 30 years of global experience to his role as the chief executive officer of Forbes Travel Guide.
Serving most recently as executive vice president of travel, entertainment, and health security at digital health leader Sharecare, he led the successful launch of Sharecare’s health security verification program in partnership with Forbes Travel Guide, which now covers thousands of properties globally.
Prior to Sharecare, Elger was the managing director of Baccarat Hotel New York and chief operating officer of Baccarat Hotels and Resorts, leading the development of new properties and overseeing day-to-day operations and quality guest experiences for the flagship hotel. As general manager, he led Baccarat Hotel New York to its first Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award in 2018.
Elger has also served as general manager at other renowned Five-Star hotels across North America, including The St. Regis New York, Montage Beverly Hills (now The Maybourne Beverly Hills), and The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun. In nearly 18 years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, he supported the development of new hotels as an opening team leader for The Ritz-Carlton Aspen Highlands, Philadelphia, Dubai, and Kuala Lumpur.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Elger followed his father into the hotel industry and earned a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from the University of Denver. From his humble beginnings as a doorman for The Brown Hotel in Denver, Colorado, this second-generation hotelier has established himself as an accomplished and innovative hospitality leader. His talents are recognized with honors including “Best GM in US and Canada” in the Travvy Awards and “Most Innovative GM” by American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts, both awarded in 2016. Elger also was named one of the “40 Most Influential Leaders in Tourism in Mexico” by Lideres magazine.
Before joining Forbes Travel Guide, Boyen served as CEO of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, overseeing a portfolio of more than 520 exceptional independent hotels in 80 countries.
Prior to that post, the Belgium native spent 18 years with Orient-Express, the famed precursor to the Belmond brand. Joining the hospitality company as general manager of Bora Bora Lagoon Resort in Tahiti, he rose to become executive vice president and chief operating officer of Orient-Express. In between, various roles included Group Vice President Operations; Regional Vice President, Africa, Australia & Latin America; and Managing Director, Hotels & Trains.
Boyen began his hospitality career as a commis chef and stayed in the food and beverage side of the business for 10 years, working in Michelin-starred restaurants in Belgium, France and England. He even did a stint under French master chef Joël Robuchon.
For more than 20 years, Hervé Houdré has been one of the foremost advocates of sustainable hospitality, a term that he coined in the early 2000s. Houdré established the model for sustainable luxury during his time managing distinguished properties such as Hôtel Plaza Athénée, New York; Hôtel de Crillon and Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris; Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C.; and during his tenure as the chief operating officer for Kempinski Hotels.
Houdré’s efforts and passion to promote sustainability in his industry have been highlighted across a wide spectrum of media in the U.S. and abroad. He was recognized as the 2006 Independent Hotelier of the World by HOTELS magazine readers, and his leadership earned him the 2009 Condé Nast Traveler World Saver Award, the D.C. Downtown Citizen honor and the D.C. Chamber of Commerce 2009 award.
An industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in the travel and hospitality industry, Richard Lebowitz is building awareness of Star Rated hotels across the global luxury travel advisor community.
Lebowitz spent nearly 25 years with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in various leadership positions, including his last role as regional vice-president of luxury, lifestyle and leisure of North America for the global sales office. He later served as senior vice president, hotel and resort program at Signature Travel Network, a member-owned travel agency cooperative serving more than 7,000 travel advisors and 1,000 hotel and resort global partners. Most recently, Lebowitz was vice president of strategic partnerships at Sharecare and rolled out the VERIFIED™ health security program to the hotel and travel industry.
William Avitia’s passion for the hospitality industry led him into human resources and training early in his career. He has worked for Starwood Hotels & Resorts properties across the United States. As Director of Human Resources at The St. Regis Aspen Resort, Avitia developed an intensive seasonal staffing and training strategy thoughtfully aligned with brand and luxury standards. Most recently, Avitia worked with IHG Hotels & Resorts developing branded and operational service solutions that scaled across 16 brands globally.
Avitia is a certified Property Service Culture Trainer, and has certified other trainers as Service Culture Champions as well as led leadership simulations in region. He holds a degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, where he focused on special operations. Avitia plays an active alumnus role for the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality. He trains in both English and Spanish.
In seven years with Starwood Hotels, Santos led within rooms and food and beverage divisions, successfully oversaw several hotel department openings, and eventually became a service culture trainer. He later served as director of rooms for The Beverly Hilton and next as regional director of training for Loews Hotels. Since joining Forbes Travel Guide in 2017, Santos has trained on Five-Star standards in over 16 countries across five continents.
Glenda Barnatan is a seasoned hospitality professional with substantial experience developing and leading teams at luxury hotels and resorts. Her background covers all aspects of food and beverage, as well as rooms division departments including housekeeping and guest services.
Barnatan began her career at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples working in conference services and banquets, and later became food and beverage supervisor at The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale. For more than a decade following, she led in food and beverage and other management leadership roles at glamorous properties including 1 Hotel South Beach, Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach, Baccarat New York, and The Hermitage Hotel. She is a passionate coach; stays upbeat, positive, and shares a warm smile. Barnatan is trilingual in English, Spanish, and Hebrew.
Samira Charbonnier has built long-standing relationships in the hospitality industry by consistently demonstrating strong influence skills and success in coaching multi-cultural teams. She spent a decade offering expertise in advisory, operations and international training efforts while serving as director of learning and development for global hospitality consulting firm Minds in Motion SA.
Charbonnier worked with international consulting and real estate investment banking firms PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Eastdil Secured as an adviser focused on hotel development, marketing and sales. Prior to that, she spent four years as food and beverage manager at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in the United States and Canada. Charbonnier has a deeply-rooted passion for coaching and is a certified Quality Coach for the Swiss Tourism Federation, a qualification based on Six Sigma principles.
Edward Linsley brings a wealth of invaluable executive leadership experience stemming from service at some of the world’s top luxury hotels, resorts, and residences. Linsley has managed multiple Star Rated hotels, where he gained vast knowledge in all facets of hospitality management including expertise in the food and beverage industry. He spent over 20 years with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in numerous leadership positions, including senior general manager. Under his watch, properties have earned top rankings and awards such as Asia’s Top Resort and Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts marketing hotel of the year.
Linsley has managed teams of 300 to over 950 staff members and understands that delivering exceptional service to guests is a top priority. He strongly believes in continuous training, and places great emphasis on emotional intelligence (EQ), skills growth, and using the best metrics to develop a successful team. Linsley strives for excellence and success for the hospitality industry at all levels, and he continues to mentor former colleagues worldwide.
Ryan Stieler’s more than 15 years of accomplishments in hotel operations, management, and training have gained him a solid understanding of what it takes to deliver excellent guest service. He began his career as concierge at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach, California, and was later promoted to guest services manager. In 2006, he joined the team at Montage Laguna Beach as resort manager on-duty and night audit relief. Over the next 10 years, Stieler held management positions in a variety of departments at the property including retail, restaurant, and front desk.
In 2016, Stieler transferred to Montage Palmetto Bluff to serve on the opening team as guest relations manager, and by 2018 was promoted to front office manager overseeing all front-of-house departments within the rooms division. In recognition of his natural ability for training, he was later invited to several taskforce assignments including Montage Beverly Hills in 2019, opening of Pendry Chicago in 2020, and most recently opening of Pendry Manhattan West in 2021.
Before joining Forbes Travel Guide, Silvia Nauta worked in some of the best hotels in the world. Nauta began her career at the iconic Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane and held various management roles in both housekeeping and front office departments. She later took the front office manager position at Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles, Florida, where she concentrated on standardizing quality delivery in the division, as well as developing a service program for the residential component of the resort.
Nauta served as guest relations manager on the pre-opening management team at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas. Later as learning and development manager there, she focused on the hotel’s vision of obtaining three Forbes Travel Guide Five-Stars, which was achieved in 2012. During her time as director of training at The Breakers Palm Beach, she was integral in establishing the training department, company service quality cycle and re-structuring the overall service focus. Nauta’s latest appointment was at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, where she held the role of director of human resources and strategic planning.
As Executive Vice President of Finance, Tony Hounshell brings nearly 20 years of executive leadership experience to work in guiding Forbes Travel Guide's overall financial strategy. His department oversees a breadth of functions, including accounting, finance, treasury and tax; financial planning, analysis and corporate development; human resources; and investor relations.
Hounshell began his career in public accounting at a Big Four firm, later moving into advisory services at that firm and other global consultancies. His advisory experience spans forensic, transaction, risk management and performance improvement services. He regularly assisted boards of directors, audit committees, management and their legal counsel to address significant and complex matters. Hounshell has worked in more than 25 countries across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. He is a Certified Public Accountant and an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.