David Duncan

As President & CEO of First Hospitality, David has over 25 years of global operating experience in managing high performing teams and in executive roles in both private and publicly held organizations. He coordinated over $10 billion of real estate and capital market transactions across multiple geographies and currencies. His experience ranges from fee-simple equity transactions to mortgage and mezzanine lending and complex joint venture and structured transactions.

David began his career in public accounting, consulting, and financial institutions before he found his true passion in the hotel and travel space. He has been immersed in the lodging investment and operating space for more than 20 years now. He especially enjoys harmonizing the right capital structure with the right real estate, branding, and operational solutions to optimize investor returns in lodging, and related investments.

His formative institutional experience was with GE Capital Real Estate, Guggenheim Partners, and Ernst & Young, LLC [in Los Angeles, Boston, Stamford CT, and New York]. Before joining First Hospitality, David served in executive roles at JC Resorts in La Jolla, CA and Denihan Hospitality in New York City. David received his B.A. from Western Michigan University, located in his hometown of Kalamazoo, MI. He was an adjunct professor in the Carroll School of Management, Boston College.

David is sought after for comment in leading publications such as Forbes, The Los Angeles Times, Lodging Magazine, and other industry publications. Additionally, he has made appearances on numerous television news programs. He is a frequent speaker at various real estate and lodging industry panels. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute Hotel Development Council.

David lives in Chicago with his wife Susan and their two dogs. In his free time, he loves to ski, mountain bike, ride motorcycles, and catch up with his three children. He is passionate about improving the lives of underprivileged youth and supporting research to cure Multiple Myeloma with the MMRF.