The Davidson Difference

John started his career as a hotel consultant for Laventhol and Horwath, with successive stints at The Residence Inn Company and Holiday Corporation, where he was as a member of the founding concept team for Homewood Suites.

John joined Davidson Hospitality Group in 1989 and led the Business Development team during a period of unprecedented growth for the company, overseeing new management, acquisition and development opportunities for the company, as well as asset management and asset disposition responsibilities. John became President and CEO in 2006 and has helped shape Davidson into one of the strongest and most respected lodging companies in the industry. In early 2016, John helped launch Pivot, Davidson’s lifestyle and luxury operating division.

John has previously served on Marriott’s MINA Board (including as its President), the Sheraton Franchise Advisory Council, the Hilton Owner’s Advisory Council, the Doubletree Owner’s Advisory Council, the Hyatt Full-Service Hotel Franchise Advisory Board and has continued to be a strategic collaborator with Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts. John has also been a longtime Board Member of Give Kids The World. John was named Michigan State University’s Industry Leader of the Year in 2010 and was inducted into its Alumni Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2018, the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association presented John with the J. Patrick Leahy Lifetime Achievement Award. John obtained a degree from the Business College at Michigan State University with an emphasis in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management.

Thom Geshay has been in a management position with Davidson since 1988; instrumental in major milestones, a critical catalyst in championing company culture and a driver in the development of an expanding team. Most recently, Thom spent two years as President where he oversaw the company’s rebranding as Davidson Hospitality Group and the delineation of clearly defined operating verticals, including the creation of Davidson Resorts. Previously, he served as COO for three years, where he was responsible for overall company operations and an important contributor in the successful launch of Pivot and Davidson Restaurant Group. Prior to that, he was SVP of Business Development where he led all new business activity and stimulated growth of the company through management, ownership and development opportunities. His experience in the hospitality industry spans over three decades during which he held a variety of property and corporate level positions in both operations and real estate acquisitions. He began his hotel career at an early age as a bellman and quickly ascended the ranks, acquiring considerable expertise in virtually every aspect of hotel development and operations. He has completed over a billion dollars in acquisitions and recapitalizations, involving single-asset and portfolio transactions, and has structured joint venture agreements, negotiated management contracts, and negotiated franchise agreements with nearly every hotel brand. Geshay has held several other strategic corporate positions during his tenure with Davidson including Regional Vice President of Operations, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Chief Operating Officer.

He is currently an AHLA Executive Committee member, a Marriott MINA board member, a member of the Hospitality Investment Roundtable, on the Owner Advisory Councils for Hilton and Hyatt, a Give Kids the World board member and a frequent speaker at industry events. Geshay received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University.

With a 30-year tenure, Steve Margol oversees the growth of the company’s management portfolio, including investment, acquisition and disposition activity, and asset management. He is also responsible for creating and maintaining both equity and debt relationships with top-tier capital partners. Since he was appointed to the executive leadership role looking after acquisitions and business development in 2006, the company has added 133 hotels to the management company portfolio, in addition to acquiring 61 hotels totaling more than $4.7+ billion.

Prior to Davidson, Steve served as vice president of appraisal & consulting with Grubb & Ellis Company, with national responsibility for hospitality industry assignments. Previously, Steve was a hospitality industry specialist with Merrill Lynch Capital Markets Real Estate Investment Banking Department, and Laventhol and Horwath. During the span of his prolific career, his efforts have resulted in nearly $8 billion of M&A.

Steve received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from Emory University.

Crystal Beasley joined the company in 2007. Her primary responsibility is monitoring and overseeing the legal and contractual obligations of the company. Prior to joining Davidson, Crystal was an Associate in the Commercial Transactions and Real Estate practice group of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Marketing Management with a minor in Political Science from the University of Arkansas. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas School of Law where she also served as the Executive Editor of the Arkansas Law Review.

Prior to joining Davidson, Lance spent nearly 25 years in the restaurant industry. Most recently, he was Chief Financial Officer at CKE Restaurants, the parent company of the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s brands, where he was responsible for all finance and accounting and helped drive the company’s full business transformation process. Prior to CKE, Lance served as the Chief Financial Officer at Jack in the Box, Inc., where he was responsible for not only finance and accounting activities, but also led the Information Technology and Development areas. Lance began his career in the restaurant industry at Papa John’s International and spent nearly 20 years with the brand, eventually becoming its Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. In this role, he was directly responsible for financing, accounting, investor relations, internal audit and risk management, while also overseeing the Information Technology, Legal and Human Resources functions. Lance began his career with EY and is a CPA. He graduated from Transylvania University with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting.