Sean Hehir Principal & Managing Partner
Sean Hehir Principal & Managing Partner
Mr. Hehir has more than 20 years of experience in real estate investment and asset management, and currently serves as a Managing Partner of Trinity Investments. In addition to management of the company, Mr. Hehir oversees the firm’s investment activities including sourcing and executing investment opportunities, formulating investment strategy, and structuring acquisitions and dispositions.
During his time with Trinity, Mr. Hehir has executed over US$4.0 billion of global real estate transactions. As a partner in Trinity Hotel Investors L.L.C., he was involved in the formation of Leading Hotel Fund Advisors, Ltd., a European hotel investment vehicle formed between affiliates of The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. and Trinity Hotel Investors.
Prior to joining Trinity, Mr. Hehir worked for HVS International as a Senior Associate performing in-depth market studies, financial analyses, income and expense projections, valuations and feasibility studies, competitive market and property positioning studies, and operational reviews for hotels ranging from limited-service to full-service corporate and resort properties.
Mr. Hehir is a graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration and holds a Diploma in Hotel Administration from the Hotel Institute Montreux, Switzerland. He is a board member of the American Red Cross in Hawaii, the Hawaii Business Roundtable, and the Hawaii Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, in addition to being an active member of Young Presidents Organization.
Steve Haggerty Principal & Managing Partner
Steve Haggerty Principal & Managing Partner
Mr. Haggerty has significant experience and expertise in leading capital strategy, real estate development and growth-related functions for global hospitality organizations around the world. In his role as a Managing Partner, Mr. Haggerty adds strategic focus to further expanding Trinity’s platform on a global basis.
Mr. Haggerty was most recently the Global Head of Capital Strategy, Franchising and Select Service at Hyatt Hotels Corporation. He was responsible for implementing Hyatt’s overall capital and franchising strategy and overseeing the Select Service business. He joined Hyatt in 2007, first as Global Head of Real Estate and Development, where he oversaw Hyatt’s Global Development, Feasibility and Development Finance, and Asset Management teams. He then served as Hyatt’s Executive Vice President, Global Head of Real Estate and Capital Strategy beginning in 2012. His responsibilities as EVP included implementing Hyatt’s capital strategy, managing Hyatt’s hotel asset base and providing support to the teams of development professionals on a global scale.
Prior to his tenure at Hyatt, Mr. Haggerty spent 13 years working with Marriott International, Inc. in various roles in the finance, asset management and development departments around the world, including Hong Kong and London.
Mr. Haggerty holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University. He serves as a Member of the Board of Directors for Playa Hotels & Resorts (NASDAQ: PLYA) and is an Advisory Board Member for the University of Denver Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management.
Greg S. Dickhens Principal & Managing Partner
Greg S. Dickhens Principal & Managing Partner
As a Managing Partner, Mr. Dickhens is responsible for overseeing and managing Trinity’s investment strategies. With 25 years of hospitality experience, Mr. Dickhens has a highly diverse and complementary skillset, a wealth of longstanding relationships and an intimate understanding of the global marketplace. Before joining Trinity, he served on the Board of Directors of Seibu Properties, one of the largest private land owners in Japan and was Vice President of Prince Resorts Hawaii where he was responsible for coordinating the repositioning, redevelopment and value enhancement strategies of Prince’s portfolio in Hawaii, including the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, the Hapuna Beach Hotel and the Hawaii Prince.
Prior to joining Prince Resorts Hawaii, Mr. Dickhens was President and Senior Advisor of Kyo-ya Company LLC and a member of the Board of Directors of Kyo-ya Pacific Company, LLC and each of its subsidiaries. Kyo-ya owns seven hotels in Hawaii, California and Florida, including the Sheraton Waikiki and Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Prior to joining Kyo-ya, Mr. Dickhens served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Vail Resorts Development Company in Vail, Colorado and oversaw the financing and development of hotels, condominiums, single family homes and retail space. Mr. Dickhens also spent seven years with Hilton Hotel Corporation in Beverly Hills, California, as Vice President of Managed Development and Director of Feasibility and Investment Analysis. Prior to Hilton, Mr. Dickhens was with Marriott International, first as Senior Manager of Market Planning and Feasibility for North America and Latin America in Washington, D.C., then as Vice President of Hotel Development Planning for Asia/Pacific Region, based in Hong Kong.
Mr. Dickhens received a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration with a concentration in real estate finance and property development, and a master’s degree in business administration from the Anderson School of Business at UCLA, graduating with honors. He is a member of YPO and serves on the board of the Straub Hospital Foundation. Mr. Dickhens also served on the Host Committee for APEC 2011 and the Hawaii Business Roundtable, and is a past board member of the Waikiki Improvement Association, Historic Hawaii Foundation, The Nature Conservancy’s Corporate Council for the Environment, Gift Foundation of Hawaii, Guenoc Winery, and After-School All-Stars.
Lee Neibart Chairman & Senior Partner
Lee Neibart Chairman & Senior Partner
Mr. Neibart is a highly accomplished real estate professional with a diverse array of skills honed over his approximately 40-year career in the industry. As Chairman & Senior Partner, Mr. Neibart focuses on advancing Trinity’s global investment strategies and fundraising efforts.
Mr. Neibart was a Partner in the Ares Real Estate Group and Chairman of Ares Global Real Estate, focusing on fundraising and U.S. opportunistic investing. Mr. Neibart also served on the Ares Real Estate Operating Committee and was a member of the Ares Real Estate Group’s U.S. Equity and Europe Equity Investment Committees. Throughout his career, he has held leadership positions at top real estate investment companies, having held executive roles at firms such as Apollo Real Estate Advisors, where, as Partner, he oversaw the investment and management of 15 real estate funds & joint ventures resulting in over 400 transactions with an aggregate value of over $30 billion, as well as NRDC Equity Partners & Robert Martin Company as a Founding Partner and Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President, respectively. Mr. Neibart serves as a director on various boards and is on the Advisory Board of The Real Estate Institute of New York University.
Mr. Neibart earned an M.B.A from New York University and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin.
Kevin Hayashi CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Kevin Hayashi CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Mr. Hayashi has over 25 years of experience in the fields of Public and Private Accounting. As Trinity’s Chief Financial Officer, he supervises Trinity’s financial management and partnership relationships. Prior to joining Trinity in 1997, Mr. Hayashi was an Audit Manager for the inter-national accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he oversaw audits for multinational companies with activity in Hawaii and Micronesia. He has been involved in international audits for banks and financial institutions, agricultural companies, real estate and construction firms, media, hotels and travel companies, the services industry, and high-technology manufacturers, as well as county and state government.
Mr. Hayashi, a Certified Public Accountant (inactive), graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting.
Ryan Donn PRINCIPAL & CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER
Ryan Donn PRINCIPAL & CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER
Mr. Donn has 17 years of experience in hospitality real estate, including experience on transactions exceeding US$2 billion in value. As Principal and Chief Investment Officer of Trinity Investments, he is responsible for leading the transactional activity of the firm including due diligence, acquisitions, dispositions, and financings. Through his transactional experience, Mr. Donn’s expertise extends to purchase and sale agreements, brand and management agreements, loan agreements, and partnership agreements and investment structuring. Along with Trinity’s other principals, he is responsible for building and executing upon the business plans for the firm’s investments.
Prior to his joining Trinity, Mr. Donn held real estate investment and advisory positions with Hotel Capital Advisers, Inc. (hotel investment advisors to Prince Alwaleed), Lehman Brothers, and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Mr. Donn is a former instructor of New York University’s graduate hospitality program.
Mr. Donn earned his Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in real estate from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. He is a Cornell Tradition Fellow, a member of the Cornell University Council, and a former chair of the Dean’s Council of Young Alumni for the Cornell Hotel School. He is actively involved on committees and boards with Urban Land Institute and GIFT Foundation (Hawaii), and is a Pacific Century Fellow.
Christopher Ford Senior Vice President of Asset Management
Christopher Ford Senior Vice President of Asset Management
As Senior Vice President of Asset Management, Mr. Ford is responsible for leading Trinity’s Asset Management team. He and his team partner with the leadership at the property, regional and corporate levels to execute value enhancement opportunities and improve operational efficiencies to maximize the performance of Trinity’s investments to deliver compelling returns.
With over 30+ years in the hospitality and real estate industries, Mr. Ford offers a global approach to the business with a broad background having worked in five continents and 16 countries. Prior to joining Trinity, he served as Senior Vice President for Host Hotels and Resorts Inc, the largest lodging real estate investment trust. Mr. Ford’s responsibility focused on Europe and Asia continents covering luxury, upper-upscale, and mid-scale assets flagged by ten distinct brands. His earlier role at Host concentrated on an extensive portfolio of assets in Washington, California and throughout Latin America. Mr. Ford served on the Board of Directors of Triguna Hospitality Ventures Private Limited, a joint venture among APHV India (an investment vehicle of GIC Real Estate and Host Hotels & Resorts), Accor S.A. and InterGlobe Group. The organization developed and owned a portfolio of seven hotels across India with approximately 1,700 rooms and a commercial office tower. Mr. Ford also served as President, Hospitality Asset Managers Association – Asia Pacific.
Preceding his time at Host, Mr. Ford served as Vice President of Finance for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company where he provided financial and operational leadership to 24 luxury hotels and resorts, 10 condominiums, 3 fractional ownership clubs, and a private membership club. He held executive roles in hospitality with Marriott International in corporate, regional and property level positions.
Mr. Ford received a Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University, a Master of Science in Real Estate at Johns Hopkins University, a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from University of Kentucky and received his Certified Public Accountant designation from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Mr. Ford is a member of the Hotel Asset Management Association, Georgetown and Johns Hopkins alumni organizations. He has also served as guest lecturer for Georgetown’s Real Estate Program and San Diego State’s Hospitality Program.
Jeffrey S. Barry General Counsel
Jeffrey S. Barry General Counsel
Mr. Barry serves as the General Counsel of Trinity Investments, with responsibility for the management of the firm’s legal and corporate governance functions in support of the Trinity’s portfolio and strategic vision.
Prior to joining Trinity, Mr. Barry was the Deputy General Counsel of Schottenstein Stores Corporation, a family office, and Vice President of Legal and Finance of TACKMA, LLC, an affiliated men’s apparel brand, both based in Columbus, Ohio. During his time with Schottenstein, Mr. Barry advised shareholders and management on equity and debt investments, and served as outside counsel to Schottenstein’s portfolio companies to provide each management team with legal and other counsel relating to tax, accounting, corporate governance, real estate, employment, compliance, and other organizational, operational, and financial functions. At TACKMA, Mr. Barry was responsible for the legal, finance, human resources, and IT functions. Prior to Schottenstein and TACKMA, Mr. Barry began his career as an associate in Goodwin Procter LLP’s tax practice in Boston.
Mr. Barry earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting from The Ohio State University, a Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law, and an LL.M. from New York University School of Law.
Juan Vaughan PRINCIPAL - MEXICO
Juan Vaughan PRINCIPAL - MEXICO
Mr. Vaughan has over 20 years of investment and development experience spanning all facets of real estate in Mexico. Mr. Vaughan is responsible for expanding Trinity’s presence in the Mexican market and oversees all of Trinity’s investment activity in Mexico, including sourcing, structuring, underwriting and executing investments.
Prior to joining Trinity, Mr. Vaughan served 10 years as the Director for Hotels and Vacation Club for Grupo Questro where he was in charge of asset management of six properties, development of all new hotels, as well as all other related transactions. Mr. Vaughan operated and managed Casa Dorada Hotel and Timeshare sales, negotiated and oversaw development of the 500-key Secrets Puerto Los Cabos, and led development for the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residences in Los Cabos.
Mr. Vaughan began his career at Protego (Evercore) as a financial analyst, and subsequently worked for Marriott International as part of the Development Financing Team. Mr. Vaughan grad-uated from ITAM in Mexico City and completed his MBA at Georgetown University.
Craig Lovett Vice President of Development
Craig Lovett Vice President of Development
Mr. Lovett has over 30 years of design, development, project management, and construction experience in the commercial, residential, educational, civic and hospitality fields. As Vice President of Development, Mr. Lovett oversees both the construction and development aspects of the business with a thorough understanding of hotel management and operations.
Most recently, Mr. Lovett served as Vice President of Design & Development for Prince Resorts Hawaii, a Seibu company, where he coordinated and managed the repositioning, redevelop-ment, and rebranding of their hotel portfolio in Hawaii, including Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, and Prince Waikiki.
Mr. Lovett started his career in the consulting engineering field where he grew to be Partner of a large multinational consulting engineering firm specializing in MEP and Environmental services. Mr. Lovett earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.
Gregg Yamauchi Vice President
Gregg Yamauchi Vice President
Mr. Yamauchi currently serves as the Director of Acquisitions responsible for the sourcing, underwriting, and execution of the company’s investment activities. He also helps facilitate disposition activities and complements the team’s asset management functions.
Prior to joining Trinity, Mr. Yamauchi was a Vice President with Karlin Real Estate, a private investment fund based in Los Angeles. During his time with Karlin, Mr. Yamauchi was primarily involved in the firm’s acquisition efforts throughout the US and Europe and was responsible for all aspects of the acquisition process including sourcing, underwriting, due diligence and clos-ing. In addition, Mr. Yamauchi spent two years abroad in the UK to open Karlin’s London office and establish its European investment business. Prior to Karlin, Mr. Yamauchi began his career as an analyst in Ernst & Young LLP’s Transaction Advisory Services group in Los Angeles. He has personally overseen over $1 billion of real estate transactions throughout his career.
Mr. Yamauchi graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Harrison ‘Jeeter’ Ishida Vice President
Harrison ‘Jeeter’ Ishida Vice President
Mr. Ishida is responsible for underwriting and assisting in transaction execution as well as participating in asset management functions related to the Trinity’s portfolio.
Prior to his joining Trinity, Mr. Ishida was an analyst with Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotel & Hospitality Group based in Los Angeles. During his time at JLL, he was involved in over US$1.6 billion in transactions. Mr. Ishida started his career as an investment banker at GCA Savvian Advisors, focusing on mergers and acquisitions in their San Francisco office. While at GCA, Mr. Ishida was involved in over US$1.0 billion of public and private M&A transactions. Mr. Ishida graduated summa cum laude from Cornell University with a Bachelor’s degree from the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management.
Drew Wallace Director of Asset Management
Drew Wallace Director of Asset Management
As a Director of Asset Management, Mr. Wallace is focused on creating value and maximizing returns of Trinity’s US hotel investments. Responsibilities include driving operational performance, reporting and analysis, supporting the planning and execution of renovations, negotiating business contracts, and working with investment partners, as well as supporting new investment opportunities through deal sourcing, investment strategy, and due diligence.
Prior to joining Trinity Investments, Mr. Wallace held roles in the hospitality industry in the US and internationally. As a Senior Associate with Davidson Hotels & Resorts, one of the largest third party hotel operators, Mr. Wallace was involved in Business Development and Asset Management. During his tenure there he supported the closing and/or management transition of nearly a dozen properties totaling over 3,000 rooms and $1 billion in asset value as well as the underwriting and feasibility of numerous additional acquisition and ROI opportunities. Mr. Wallace also led the development of Davidson’s reporting capabilities and implementation of standard operating procedures to streamline the management transition process. Before Davidson, Mr. Wallace worked for InterContinental Hotels Group in strategy, project management, and corporate finance roles supporting the company’s US, Mexico, and Latin America managed and franchised hotels. Additionally, Mr. Wallace has held property level positions in Operations and Sales with Marriott, Four Seasons, and Outrigger Hotels, in Hawaii and Singapore.
Mr. Wallace received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University, majoring in International Relations and Political Theory, while also completing programs in Hong Kong and Edinburgh, Scotland. He received his Master’s degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration via the international program in Singapore, where he focused on real estate. Mr. Wallace is actively involved in the Cornell Hotel Society, most recently as President of the Georgia Chapter prior to his move to Los Angeles.
Collin Hoo ASSOCIATE
Collin Hoo ASSOCIATE
Mr. Hoo is responsible for underwriting and due diligence functions related to the asset manage-ment and investment activities of Trinity’s existing real estate portfolio.
Previously, Mr. Hoo was an analyst for Ernst & Young LLP’s Transaction Advisory Services group in Los Angeles. At E&Y, Mr. Hoo performed project feasibility, valuation, and transaction due diligence services on over US$500 million of commercial real estate in the U.S. and abroad. Mr. Hoo earned his Bachelor’s degree with a minor in real estate from the School of Hotel Adminis-tration at Cornell University and is conversational in Japanese.
Ana C. Aguilar Associate
Ana C. Aguilar Associate
As an Associate, Ms. Aguilar is responsible for providing asset management services for Trinity’s existing portfolio as well as underwriting and supporting the team with the acquisition of new hotels. Prior to joining Trinity, Ms. Aguilar was an Associate within JLL Canada’s Hotels and Hospitality Group, where she was involved in the sale of over $1.4 billion in hotel transactions across Canada. Prior to this, Ms. Aguilar has had diverse experience in the operational and management areas of the hospitality industry both within Canada and internationally.
Ms. Aguilar holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Bishop’s University and received her Master’s Degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, where she specialized in Hotel Real Estate Finance.
Scott Matsuwaka Associate
Scott Matsuwaka Associate
Mr. Matsuwaka is primarily responsible for the underwriting and due diligence of new investments, in addition to asset management functions related to Trinity’s existing portfolio.
Prior to joining Trinity, Mr. Matsuwaka was an Associate at Hercules Capital, a venture firm based in Palo Alto, where he was involved in the sourcing, structuring and underwriting of debt and equity investments in venture and private equity backed technology companies. Mr. Matsuwaka began his career in investment banking at Wells Fargo Securities in San Francisco, where he supported over $1.0 billion in M&A, debt and equity transactions for public and private clients in the gaming and leisure sector. Mr. Matsuwaka graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Ethan Ng Pack Analyst
Ethan Ng Pack Analyst
Mr. Ng Pack is primarily responsible for supporting Trinity’s acquisition efforts, and secondarily assists with managing the existing portfolio’s assets.
Prior to joining Trinity, Mr. Ng Pack was a summer analyst at the Blackstone Group on its real estate private equity team. He recently graduated summa cum laude from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with concentrations in Finance and Real Estate.
Deanna Oda Partnership Controller
Deanna Oda Partnership Controller
Ms. Oda has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of Private and Public Accounting. She is responsible for Trinity’s partnership accounting and overseeing partnership tax matters. Prior to joining Trinity in 1999, Ms. Oda was a Senior Auditor for the international accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP. She oversaw audits for hotel and travel companies, healthcare, state government, banks and financial institutions, as well as retail companies. She also spent six years in the healthcare industry supervising the consolidation of healthcare entities and cash management.
Ms. Oda, a Certified Public Accountant, graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting.
Sarah Nakagawa Fund Controller
Sarah Nakagawa Fund Controller
Ms. Nakagawa has spent more than 14 years in the fields of private and public accounting. She has prior experience in software, licensing, healthcare, and non-profit industries, where she most recently served as Controller for the University of Hawaii Foundation. Ms. Nakagawa was also a Senior Audit Associate at the global accounting firm of KPMG, LLP.
Ms. Nakagawa, a certified public accountant (not in public practice), graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting and Finance.
Karyn Komatsu ASSISTANT CONTROLLER
Karyn Komatsu ASSISTANT CONTROLLER
Ms. Komatsu has more than 20 years of experience in the private sector. As Assistant Controller, Ms. Komatsu supports Trinity’s partnership controller. She is responsible for the firm’s bookkeeping and distribution payments as well as statutory compliance for the partnership entities. Prior to joining Trinity in 2000, she worked in the healthcare and hospitality industries.
Ms. Komatsu graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting.
Miki CupChoy Administrative Manager
Miki CupChoy Administrative Manager
Ms. CupChoy’s responsibilities include office management and assisting the Principals at Trinity.
Prior to joining Trinity in 2006, Ms. CupChoy spent over six years in the hospitality industry, working in Sales at the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa. Before the Grand Wailea, Ms. CupChoy worked with the County of Maui, Department of Housing and Human Concerns.
Ms. CupChoy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and an Associate in Science degree in Office Administration and Technology from the University of Hawaii Maui Campus, graduating with honors. She was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.