Head Influencers

Results Don't Happen By Coincidence

You create them through the efforts of finding great people who are committed to working together as one.

Brian Sparacino

Brian Sparacino

President & CEO

The Coach

Brian Sparacino

President & CEO

The Coach

Founder and former Managing Director of INTRIGUE by Interstate Hotels & Resorts. Past experience also includes senior leadership positions overseeing Blackstone owned portfolios with annual revenues in excess of $1B per year. Most of which were in gateway markets & consisted of extremely diverse asset classes - hotels, resorts, golf courses, and marinas.

Outside of keeping a very fast pace in his work life, Brian’s passions is coaching youth sports for his kids’ teams. He believes teaching teamwork in a competitive environment is a key ingredient with developing a successful workgroup that carries forward for many years to come.

Brian Sparacino
Jeff Baltzer

Jeff Baltzer

Chief Investment Officer

The Closer

Jeff Baltzer

Chief Investment Officer

The Closer

Jeff brings over 15 years of hospitality industry experience to the executive position. Prior to joining Rebel, Jeff was Senior Vice President of Development and Acquisitions at Magna Hospitality Group in Warwick, Rhode Island. Mr. Baltzer joined Magna in 2013.

A graduate from Penn State University, Jeff graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Jeff also earned a Master of Science in Finance from Boston College and has a Certificate of Hotel Asset Management from Cornell University.

Jeff Baltzer
Craig Franco

Craig Franco

Vice President, Commercial Strategy

The Algorithm

Craig Franco

Vice President, Commercial Strategy

The Algorithm

Former top-line & revenue distribution divisional leader for Evolution Hospitality and a founding member of INTRIGUE by Interstate Hotels and Resorts. Past experience also includes senior leadership oversight of Warwick International Hotels and Amsterdam Hospitality. Expertise in independent hotels along with every major brand - Marriott, Hilton, IHG and Hyatt.

His passion is family, New York City's sports teams and CrossFit. Whenever he is not logged in or spending time with the kids, you may be able to catch Craig in a warehouse somewhere across the city.

Craig received a Bachelor of Arts in business management from Farmingdale State College.

Craig Franco
Donna Hassett

Donna Hassett

Vice President, Finance

The Auditor

Donna Hassett

Vice President, Finance

The Auditor

Donna comes to Rebel with over 25 years of financial leadership experience and her comprehensive knowledge spans all major brands and multiple soft-branded properties across all asset classes.  After starting her career in the New York metro area rising to Area Director of Finance with Starwood Hotels, she most recently spent 9 years as Vice President of Hotel Finance for Interstate and Aimbridge overseeing a portfolio of 70+ full and limited-service properties across the US. Donna enjoys exercising, relaxing on the beach, visiting wineries and craft breweries, and spending time with her family.

Donna Hassett
Mark Ranieri

Mark Ranieri

The Fixer

Mark Ranieri

The Fixer

Lifestyle hotelier expert with extraordinary managerial skills for developing teams and creating unique guest experiences.  With over 20 years of hospitality experience, Mark spent the majority of his personal and professional life in New York City. As a former Vice President of Operations for Meyer Jabara Hotels and a Regional General Manager for Remington, he has vast knowledge in both independent and all the major brands.

His passions are family, surfing the shores of Long Island beaches, and casual Sunday afternoon drives on his Harley-Davidson. 
Mark Ranieri
Sonia Mleziva

Sonia Mleziva

The Humanitarian

Sonia Mleziva

The Humanitarian

A highly energetic and accomplished HR Professional, with over 15 years of experience in Human Resources, Sonia has worked in Hospitality HR for the last ten years, serving as an HR and Labor Relations Leader for Concord Hospitality, Remington Hospitality, Levy Convention Centers, and most recently in the non-profit sector as Head of HR at The Shed.

In her free time, Sonia likes to spend time traveling to find new taco spots, baking, doing yoga, and spending time with her family and friends, especially her dog, Meatball Linguini.
Sonia Mleziva
Ryan MacCluskey

Ryan MacCluskey

The Mechanic

Ryan MacCluskey

The Mechanic

20 years in Construction, Project Management and Property Operations Management. Former engineering leader for MCR, Highgate and CIM Hotels, Extensive experience in new hotel openings and transitions including the iconic TWA Hotel. Ryan's Experience includes managing “Big Box” hotels such as the Sheraton Times Square, Dominic, and a 5 Star, 5 Diamond, Mandarin Oriental NYC.
 
Outside of work, Ryan is very passionate about football, family and music. After playing 8 years of minor league football for 2 nationally ranked teams, he remains active in sports and physical fitness. 
Ryan MacCluskey
Sumeet Lakhaney

Sumeet Lakhaney

The Cloud

Sumeet Lakhaney

The Cloud

A true hospitality technology industry expert.  Working as a past senior leader for Apple’s IT Group, one learns to adapt to change quickly and with lightspeed precision.  Sumeet has vast experience in point of sales, restaurant technology infrastructure, & hospitality business intelligence analysis.
Sumeet Lakhaney
Holly Luces

Holly Luces

The Rainmaker

Holly Luces

The Rainmaker

Holly has an extensive background of independent hotels/systems and comes to us from CIM Group where she led the revenue team for The Redbury New York & Alsace L.A.  Other notable hotels Holly has been a part of were The Hollywood Roosevelt, Mondrian L.A., and the Grande Vista Resort.

Holly is a graduate of University of Central Florida
Holly Luces
Alexis Hanak

Alexis Hanak

The Analyzer

Alexis Hanak

The Analyzer

With a solid foundation in hotel operations, Alexis brings a unique perspective to her role as a revenue manager. Her tenure as a Brand Operations Analyst has seen her driving data-driven solutions and optimizing operational strategies, contributing significantly to the success of the Graduate Hotels brand. Alexis's dynamic approach, coupled with her expertise in both operations and revenue management, positions her as a valuable asset in the ever-evolving landscape of the hospitality industry.

Alexis Hanak
Raluca Andreea Avacaritei

Raluca Andreea Avacaritei

The Operator

Raluca Andreea Avacaritei

The Operator

Close to 15 years of NYC operational experience in union hotels across the city.  Of which, the last 13 years were spent in operations within branded and independent lifestyle hotels, such as Row (1332 keys), Manhattan Times Square (700 keys) and The Lexington Hotel, Autograph Collection (725 keys).
 
Raluca was born in Romania with a natural curiosity for languages, and the innate ability to learn 5.  Since she loves meeting new people, knowing so many languages in New York City made it very easy to make new friends.  Prior to moving to the Big Apple, she became inspired by the art of hospitality during her college days in Messina, Italy.  Outside of work, her true passion is family and spending as much time as possible enjoying Caribbean getaways.

Raluca Andreea Avacaritei
Jacob Wigdor

Jacob Wigdor

Acquisitions & Development

Jacob Wigdor

Acquisitions & Development

Jacob is passionate and energetic about the hotel industry. He started his career in hotel operations at the Dorchester Hotel in London at the age of 17. He has since worked in various hotel operation roles before joining Rebel in Acquisitions and Development.

A graduate of Cornell University, Jacob graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration with a concentration in Real Estate.
Jacob Wigdor