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.
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.
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.
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.
Mark Ranieri
The Fixer
Mark Ranieri
The Fixer
His passions are family, surfing the shores of Long Island beaches, and casual Sunday afternoon drives on his Harley-Davidson.
Sonia Mleziva
The Humanitarian
Sonia Mleziva
The Humanitarian
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.
Ryan MacCluskey
The Mechanic
Ryan MacCluskey
The Mechanic
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.
Sumeet Lakhaney
The Cloud
Sumeet Lakhaney
The Cloud
Holly Luces
The Rainmaker
Holly Luces
The Rainmaker
Holly is a graduate of University of Central Florida
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.
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.
Jacob Wigdor
Acquisitions & Development
Jacob Wigdor
Acquisitions & Development
A graduate of Cornell University, Jacob graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration with a concentration in Real Estate.