An international leader in hospitality, Gray Shealy serves as the executive director of hospitality management for Georgetown University and is a noted expert in hotel brand development and innovation, design, and guest experience engineering. He created, launched, and is currently leading Georgetown University’s new Master’s in Hospitality Management program. During his past tenure as an executive at Starwood Hotels, Shealy lead the redevelopment and evolution of major branding and design strategies for the company’s most noted flags. He most recently served as the Global Design Director for W Hotels, setting the standard for design leadership and establishing the brand’s reputation as a global powerhouse. Previously, he led key components of Le Méridien Hotels + Resort’s worldwide re-launch as their Director of Design. A frequent speaker and published author, Shealy was named a “Wave of the Future” Honoree by Hospitality Design magazine in 2011. Originally from the mountains of Western North Carolina, he is an avid traveler, having been to over 50 countries on 5 continents. Shealy graduated as valedictorian from Clemson University with a B.A. in Architecture and holds a Master of Architecture from Yale University.