IHM Names Top Hospitality and Living Leaders to Watch

International Hospitality Media (IHM) has unveiled its list of top hospitality and living leaders to watch, selected by editor-in-chief George Sell, hospitality editor Eloise Hanson, and short-term rentals editor Priya Khaira [1]. The selection highlights executives across brand management and real estate development driving major portfolio expansions, institutional funding deployments, and corporate integrations across the UK, Europe, and North America [1].

Who are the top brand executives featured on the list?

The brand leaders identified by IHM span residential management, purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), coliving, and vacation rentals [1]. Justine Edmonds has stepped in as managing director at Apo Group to oversee platform growth, as reported by Short Term Rentals [1]. Apo Group has been owned by Broadsword Investment Management since 2024 and manages assets including Invesco Real Estate’s Kew Bridge and Barking Wharf schemes [1]. Edmonds previously spent over 20 years in UK residential property, serving most recently at LRG as director heading Living Markets across single-family and multifamily portfolios [1]. She also sat on the British Property Federation's Build to Rent Committee [1].

In the PBSA and institutional residential arena, Johnny Langton has been named head of operations at a new residential platform founded by Tim Butler [1]. Boutique Hotel News reported that the venture launched with an initial £500 million in institutional backing from AustralianSuper, Australia's largest pension fund [2]. The platform aims to become one of the UK’s top five rental home operators within five years, covering PBSA, coliving, and build-to-rent (BTR) [1]. Langton spent over 12 years at Greystar across BTR and student accommodation and previously served as interim managing director at Student Roost [1]. AustralianSuper has acquired PBSA schemes across seven UK cities to establish day-one delivery [1].

For European student accommodation, BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts named Karim Malak as chief executive of its PBSA division, The Boost Society [1]. Founded in 2014, The Boost Society is backed by shareholders including AXA and Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, developing schemes under the KLEY and Hife brands across France and Spain [1]. Malak was previously chief executive of easyHotel and led international expansion at Adagio Aparthotels following roles at BCG and Accenture [1]. Malak targets expanding the platform to €3 billion in assets within five years [1].

In vacation rental management, Joe Riley will succeed founder Steve Schwab as chief executive of Casago in October 2026 [1]. Riley joined as president in September 2024 following his leadership of Patriot Family Homes, a company focused on rentals near military bases [1]. Riley previously served as director for Indo-Pacific Security on the National Security Council at The White House and holds a master’s degree and a PhD in International Relations from the University of Oxford [1]. He led the May 2025 transaction where Casago acquired Vacasa for $128 million, merging Casago’s franchise model with Vacasa's North American portfolio [1].

How are development leaders transforming property operations?

The development side features Preet Ahluwalia, CEO of Dominus Group, leading the business alongside founder Sukhpal Ahluwalia and principal directors Husnell (also spelled Husnall) and Jay [[1], [2]]. Founded in 2011, Dominus has developed 15 hotels totalling more than 4,000 keys [1]. Its latest project, The Derby London City, converted a 20th-century bank into a 237-room boutique hotel [1]. In March 2025, Dominus established its in-house management platform, Dominus Hospitality, to operate five company-owned properties: The Derby, The Dixon, Lost Property, and Hampton by Hilton hotels in Bath and London [1].

Dominus expanded into student housing by completing its first development at Talgarth Road in Hammersmith, London, in June 2025 [1]. Short Term Rentals reported that Dominus has three more London student schemes underway along Crutched Friars, Holborn Viaduct, and Fleet Street [1]. However, Boutique Hotel News reported only two ongoing student schemes along Crutched Friars and Holborn Viaduct, leaving out Fleet Street [2].

What does the creation of Real Estate:UK mean for the industry?

Vanessa Hale has been appointed the first chief executive of Real Estate:UK, a unified advocacy organisation created by the merger of three major industry groups [1]. The body was established following a unanimous vote across the memberships of the Association of Real Estate Funds, the British Property Federation, and the Investment Property Forum [1]. Hale joins after serving as head of research and strategy and an executive leadership team member at BNP Paribas Real Estate, bringing more than 20 years of research and strategy experience [[1], [2]].

How do the tracked platforms compare across operations and capital?

The highlighted leaders oversee substantial asset pipelines and significant capital allocations across varied property classes [[1], [2]].