Chesapeake Hospitality Promotes Veteran Leadership Execs

GREENBELT, MD–Chesapeake Hospitality, a leading third-party hotel management company, announced the promotions of two C-level executives—Steve Smith to chief strategy officer and Clifford Ferrara to chief commercial officer. Chris Green, CEO of Chesapeake Hospitality, made the announcement.

“As our company and industry face new and increasingly difficult challenges every day, we need steadfast leadership now more than ever,” said Green. “We are eager to re-align our vision and usher in a new age of efficacy and efficiency at the senior-most level. Steve and Clifford, without a doubt, embody the expertise and vision for the future that has guided our company through some of the most challenging times and they have played a critical role in our success. They are both fundamental to building sustainable success internally and for our owners, and we look forward to a bright future as they continue to make lasting impressions on the operations here at Chesapeake.”

Formerly executive vice president, the new chief strategy officer, Steve Smith will maintain his responsibility of the Chesapeake restaurant division and the project management department, and additionally, will oversee the company’s accounting and IT departments. He will be tasked with ensuring all Chesapeake support functions work in tandem to support company strategies and goals. He will also be responsible for identifying processes that can be effectively streamlined or modified resulting in system-wide efficiency. With 37 years of experience at Chesapeake, Smith has made his mark on numerous areas of hotel management and company strategy including operations, food and beverage, systems implementation, development, and others.

In his new role as chief commercial officer, former executive vice president of sales & revenue generation, Clifford Ferrara will assume direct responsibility for the company’s commercial activities including revenue management, marketing, ecommerce & sales and catering. Ferrara will promote revenue growth and enhanced profitability for Chesapeake by developing, driving and executing strategic initiatives related to product development, brand awareness, guest loyalty, the management of distribution partners and more. Over the course of his 38+ years in hospitality, Ferrara has built a successful track record in hotel business development and a reputation across the industry as an enthusiastic and visionary leader.