Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry

With over 15 years of experience in the corporate travel and events Industry, Eloísa Urrutia Monot heads up American Express Meetings & Events global sustainability strategy, helping organizations transition to sustainable business models and reduce the environmental impact of their travel and events´ programs, then building on competitive advantage through positive impact. She actively participates in key industry initiatives and associations to help drive the net zero journey and foster collective action across the industry´s ecosystem and wider economy.

Ms. Monot holds a B.A. in Economics and Business Administration, an MBA in Foreign Trade, and a P.G. Cert in Sustainability Leadership. She is half French/Spanish, has lived and worked in various countries, and lives in Spain.

Emily Smith serves as Senior Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Responsibility for Park Hotels & Resorts. The company owns 46 premium-branded hotels and resorts, with over 29,000 rooms located in prime U.S. city centers and resort locations with high barriers to entry. Ms. Smith is involved in investor relations, external communications, ESG program oversight, and risk management, including resilience to climate change.

Ms. Smith previously served as Director of Investment and Portfolio Analysis for RLJ Lodging Trust. Prior to RLJ, she worked for the global hotel consulting firm HVS in New York. Ms. Smith received her undergraduate degree from Tulane University and her Master’s degree from the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management at the University of Houston.

In 2008, Eric Ricaurte founded Greenview, an international consultancy catalyzing innovation and best practices in sustainability and ESG, providing services for strategy, programs, data management, benchmarking, and reporting. Greenview’s clients include most of the largest hotel companies as well as hotel owners and developers, event organizers, cruise lines, NGOs, DMOs, OTAs, and industry organizations including the WTTC, UNWTO, and AHLA.

With 25 years of hands-on experience, Mr. Ricaurte is a frequent speaker, convener, and researcher on the topic of sustainability. His notable industry work includes launching the Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking Index, Green Lodging Trends Report, Destination Water Risk Index, Hotel Global Decarbonisation Report, Hotel Owners for Tomorrow Coalition, and Net-Zero Methodology for the Hotel Industry. Mr. Ricaurte is a member of the UFI Committee on Sustainable Development and the International Standards Committee of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Prior to founding Greenview, he specialized in the operations and development of nature-based lodges, theme parks, and attractions in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Brazil.

Mr. Ricaurte earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration as well as a Master of Science degree in Tourism and Travel Management from New York University. He has held a research fellowship at the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research and been an adjunct instructor at New York University.

Jeanne Varney serves as the Arthur Adler ’78 & Karen Adler ’78 Director of the Center for Real Estate and Finance and is a Senior Lecturer at the Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University. Jeanne is based in the Properties Development and Management department, where she is responsible for the curriculum in Fundamentals of Hotel Development and Management, Hospitality Asset Management, Sustainable Development, and Introduction to Sustainable Tourism.

Jeanne has chaired/co-chaired multiple industry roundtables, chairs several Nolan internal committees, and has led multiple student industry competitions. She is a current member of the Hospitality Asset Manager Association (HAMA) Education Committee and an International Past President for NEWH, Inc.

Jeanne holds an MBA from The George Washington University and a B.S. in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.

Rishi Shah is the Senior Director of Sustainability for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Before this role, Mr. Shah ran his own consulting firm, where he assisted hotels and other commercial properties with the development and implementation of energy strategies and operational best practices. He also spent 10 years working with his family’s hotel business. Mr. Shah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Cornell University and an MBA from Babson College.

Tom Mallet is a sustainability/ESG professional with more than 10 years of consulting and corporate experience working in the public and private sector. He is the Global Director of Decarbonisation and Sustainable Performance at Accor Group. Since 2019, Mr. Mallet has been responsible for developing and leading the implementation of Accor’s 1.5 degree Paris-aligned climate and energy strategy. Accor is recognized as a climate leader by ratings providers including CDP. 

Mr. Mallet is a member of and contributor to various hospitality industry sustainability initiatives with WTTC, CHSB, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, and the Net Zero Methodology for Hotels. He is also the President of the International Platform for Insetting, a member-based not-for-profit focused on advancing corporate value chain engagement that delivers positive impacts for the environment and communities.