Executive Leadership

An Evolved Hospitality Management Company

Bret Chittenden

President & COO

Bret Chittenden brings more than 30 years of combined leadership experience in the hotel, food & beverage, and hospitality industries.

He has conceptualized, developed, and overseen more than one hundred hotel/restaurant operations across a diverse spectrum—including independent, franchised, branded, private, semi-private and owner-operated formats. His portfolio spans full and limited-service hotels, public and private golf courses/resorts, quick service dining, casual dining, upscale casual dining, and fine dining. Expert in hotel operations, repositioning, and knowledgeable on development. Operated upper-upscale and luxury boutique hotels under a number of luxury brands and independents and steered the growth of management companies. Bret has been part of the core team and was instrumental in building an initial portfolio of eight owned properties managed, which subsequently grew to include more than twenty third-party managed hotels in ten states.

Key Consulting Services

Market Studies & Feasibility Reports for Hotels

RFPs & Conduct Vetting Professional Services

Development & Renovation Technical Services

Troubleshoot Underperforming Hotels & Restaurants

Business Development for Management Companies

Background

Bret has been part of the company since its inception in 1999. He also previously worked for the founders of the company George Newton & the late David Burrus. Bret is responsible for driving the overall development and growth of the company. Bret leads the company’s owned and managed portfolio, establishing policies that promote the company’s culture and vision, as well as overseeing operations of the company. Managing and assisting development of the firm’s executive leadership team; working closely with the Expotel development and real estate investment committee; and serving Expotel Hospitality’s liaison to brand partners and industry groups.

Expertise

Chittenden has a background in all types of hotels from select limited service to upper-upscale and luxury boutique hotels including leading projects in Pontchartrain Hotel, Maison St. Charles, Autograph, Tribute, Indigo, Curio, Renaissance, Sheraton, Marriott, and most other major branded companies. He is skilled in performing market studies and feasibility reports for hotel projects including financial proformas. Chittenden has experience with F&B concepts, co-work, retail, spas, fitness, as well as rooms operations. This makes it possible to prepare detailed operating proformas. His work to incorporate financial proformas for proposed hotels into development project investment workbooks calculates returns on investment. Chittenden is skilled in preparing Requests For Proposals (RFPs) to select architects, branding agencies, interior designers, procurement agencies, low-voltage system, and IT system providers and defines scope and requirements for project execution. Also, he has a construction background holding several different construction licenses. Chittenden leads an organized vetting of the proposals. As an advisor to owners and developers, he provides development technical services to support the planning and design of back-of-house areas, review FF&E and OS&E, and recommends technologies needed for effective operation. With years of experience analyzing underperforming hotels, identifying deficiencies, and recommending solutions, he is a key advisor to turnarounds. Chittenden has had experience in creating business development plans for growing management companies and their portfolios.

Professional & Other

A native of New Orleans, Bret is a graduate of the University of New Orleans and has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality & construction industry, including serving currently on the Board of Directors of Greater New Orleans Hotel & Lodging, Board of Directors Jefferson Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau, Alumni Board of Directors Holy Cross School, and Secretary of the Tigers Den Booster Club. He served as Chairman of the Board and President of the Louisiana Hotel & Lodging Association 2016-2022. Member of the St. Tammany Home Builders Association. Bret has been with Burrus Investment Group 1996-1999 and Expotel 1999 to present since its inception.

Chris Schott

Chief Investment Officer

Christopher Schott joined Burrus Investment Group in 1986 as its Corporate Controller.

Ron Pitisci

Chief Financial Officer

Ron began in accounting and became General Manager of a time-share property in the French Quarter

Jason Areng

Vice President of Sales and Revenue

Jason Areng is the Vice President of Sales and Revenue of Expotel Hospitality with over 30 years of experience in the Hospitality industry.

Brent Baudier

Executive Vice President of Hospitality and F&B

Brent Baudier currently serves as Expotel's Executive Vice President of Hospitality and Food & Beverage.

A veteran executive with more than two decades of leadership experience, Brent began his career with Expotel in 2000, as a Director of Operations in the New Orleans Market. Since his original stint with Expotel, Brent has managed operations across hotels, resorts, private clubs, and restaurants nationwide. His distinguished career includes senior roles with both the PGA TOUR and the PGA of America. Throughout his ten years of increasing responsibility with the TOUR, Brent was promoted to Senior Director of Club Operations for the TOUR’s North American Resort Properties. In this role, he managed, conceptualized, rebranded and revitalized many resorts in the PGA TOUR’s portfolio. More recently, Baudier served ten years in a senior management role with the PGA of America, spearheading concept development and rebranding projects at several high-profile destinations—including it's Flagship - PGA Golf Club resort in South Florida and Valhalla Golf Club. Brent's ability to thoughtfully program an owner’s vision and elevate brand-aligned experiences has made him a highly sought-after consultant for resorts, restaurants, clubs and design teams nationwide. In Brent’s role as Expotel’s Executive Vice President Hospitality, Brent is responsible for the company's operational performance, strategies and its most important resource - Team Members. Brent is committed to prioritizing operational integrity, owner relations, brand stewardship, and delivering outstanding customer service. In addition to his focus on hotel and restaurant operations, Brent is laser focused on establishing a culture of integrity, teamwork and respect for all employees and business partners. A native of New Orleans, Brent attended Louisiana State University and the University of New Orleans where he received degrees in Business Administration and Hotel Restaurant & Tourism Management. Brent is married and has two children. Brent and family have recently relocated to the New Orleans area from South Florida.

Richard Ganucheau

Vice President, Technology & Risk Management