Amaze Insights Honors Six Hospitality Leaders at BITAC Summit
April 10, 2026
At the BITAC Sales, Marketing and Revenue Summit 2026 in Fort Myers, Fla., Amaze Insights CEO and co-founder Jaime Job and Chief Commercial Officer Nick Horgan presented the Amaze Insights Awards on March 29, recognizing six hospitality professionals for their contributions to the industry. Here’s a look at the six honorees and the careers behind the recognition.
Ashley Asher
Senior Director of Sales at Columbia Hospitality, Inc.
Ashley Asher has led sales across Columbia Hospitality’s portfolio of hotels, resorts, conference centers and distinctive venues since 2013. In that role, she oversees sales leadership, training and strategy, working closely with property teams on annual sales plans, new property transitions and performance-driven incentive programs. She also manages companywide training initiatives and the company’s sales technology platforms. Asher’s leadership philosophy is rooted in empowering independent thinkers to grow to their full potential — and in the belief that great leaders create the conditions for success while each individual determines the impact they make.
Brian Krail
Group VP, Commercial Operations & Sales Strategy, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts
Brian Krail brings a career that bridges information technology and commercial strategy. Now serving in a senior leadership role at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts — the world’s largest hotel franchising company by number of properties, with roughly 9,300 hotels across more than 95 countries — Krail has built a reputation for delivering large-scale initiatives that drive revenue growth and bottom-line impact. His expertise spans strategic planning, cross-functional team building and organizational change management.
Jamie Grittman
Head of Commercial Strategy, Welcome Group/Eight Form
Jamie Grittman holds more than 15 years of hospitality experience. Based at the Welcome Group — the sister company of Eight Form that is focused on real estate development, hotel transformations and strategic investments — Grittman has concentrated on leading teams to surpass organizational goals in sales and management. Strong business acumen and analytical skills have been hallmarks of her approach to identifying market share growth opportunities.
Kiley Watkins
Director of Digital Marketing & Strategy, Island Hospitality Management
Kiley Watkins began her hospitality career as a sales manager in Connecticut following her graduation from James Madison University with a degree in business and hospitality. She has since held sales roles across markets including San Diego, Richmond, Va., and the Mid-Atlantic region, rising to regional vice president of sales before transitioning to marketing. Today, she oversees digital marketing and strategy for a portfolio of 95 hotels at Island Hospitality Management, one of the country’s largest independent, third-party hotel management companies.
Lior Sekler
Chief Commercial Officer, HRI Hospitality
Lior Sekler serves as chief commercial officer at HRI Hospitality, a New Orleans-based management company with a portfolio spanning luxury branded hotels, Five Diamond resort spas, independent boutiques and historic properties. Sekler’s background covers hotel operations and multi-unit commercial services, and he is recognized for his ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and to apply analytical and problem-solving skills to business development, valuation and process-improvement challenges.
Stephanie Atkisson
Senior VP of Commercial Strategies, Raines Co.
Stephanie Atkisson’s hospitality career spans nearly two decades, beginning as a dual-property sales coordinator before advancing to director of sales at a Hilton Garden Inn managed by HP Hotels. She spent 16 years with HP Hotels, 11 of them in a multi-property regional role where she shaped sales and marketing processes and built an award-winning sales team. Along the way, she earned recognition as 2008 Partner of the Year and 2014 Hospitality Professional of the Year from Visit Charlotte, among other honors. She now serves as senior vice president of commercial strategies at Raines Co., where she oversees sales, marketing and revenue for a portfolio of 42 hotels.
***
Interested in speaking at a future event? To learn more about speaking opportunities, connect with the BITAC team here.
Follow BITAC Events on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok for event updates and highlights.
