Bob Boughner

Bob Boughner

Robert L. (Bob) Boughner advises clients in the hotel, hospitality, tourism and casino gaming sectors, helping them to define and exceed their business goals. He brings more than 30 years’ experience in executive and board-level management, operations and development to a range of U.S.-based and international clients in the resort and travel sectors.

Bob specializes in valuations; mergers and acquisitions; feasibility analysis; operations; and compensation/benefits analysis.

As a private investor, he brings a depth of knowledge and experience to existing and new ventures.

Bob’s expertise reflects an extensive history of delivering successful projects and initiatives for highly regulated public and private companies. His specialties include corporate leadership; negotiations; expansions and acquisitions; business integration; regulatory and compliance; and brand creation and identity.

From 1990-2001, Bob served as Chief Operating Officer of Boyd Gaming Corp. (NYSE: BYD), a highly successful company with significant family ownership that owns, develops and operates gaming resorts across the country. Bob had a leading role in Boyd’s new-market expansion that transitioned Boyd from local Las Vegas company to a national presence. He oversaw operations at Boyd’s destination resorts and hotels nationwide, and was responsible for their performance as Boyd completed its IPO in 2003.

As CEO of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J. from 1998 to 2012, Bob led and managed the development, opening and operations of the property, which became one of North America’s most successful casino destination resorts. He was responsible for master planning and launching a major expansion in 2008 that added the Water Club, a “resort within a resort” with 800 new guestrooms, five restaurants, a large spa, pools and a 100-table poker room.

John Schadler

John Schadler

LEAD STRATEGIC ADVISER

In a career that has spanned over 35 years, John Schadler has led some of the most recognizable and successful marketing campaigns in the hospitality world. Beginning in New York City as an art director, Schadler’s passion for marketing took him to Las Vegas and a transformative opportunity to work alongside Stephen Wynn, the gaming and resort visionary. For 15 years, he led the efforts behind the memorable campaigns and brand launches for the iconic Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio hotels.

In 1999, SK+G was formed with the idea of creating a world class lifestyle marketing firm. For nearly 20 years the firm crafted and shaped some of the world’s premier hospitality and restaurant brands including Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa (Atlantic City), Montage Hotels & Resorts, CityCenter Las Vegas, Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Aria Resort & Casino, Galaxy Macau (China), Baha Mar (The Bahamas), The Grand Del Mar (San Diego) and Planet Hollywood. Additionally, SK+G managed the branding for several iconic Belmond properties including Santa Barbara’s El Encanto resort and the glamorous landmark “21” Club.

In January 2019, Schadler and his award winning team joined OH Partners, one of the fastest growing advertising firms in the country. With offices now in both Las Vegas and Phoenix, OH has established itself as a dominant force in the West. OH Las Vegas is proud to represent such marquee clients as Virgin Hotels and Wynn Resorts.

John is the nephew of Schrafft’s former CEO, Morgan Shattuck.

Joseph C Essa

Joseph C Essa

Joe is a leading restaurant and hospitality professional, bringing extensive experience in directing and building global restaurant and related consumer product companies.

Joe is currently an active executive board member of Fransmart, a global leader in franchise development, turning emerging restaurant concepts into national and global brands, The Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, leading strategic development; Bite Acquisition Corp, a newly formed SPAC targeting a business transaction in the QSR and Fast Casual segments of the restaurant industry, and Good Planet Foods, a plant-based consumer product cheese company.   

Prior to his current roles Joe was President & CEO of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group and President, CEO & Board Member of Wolfgang Puck Worldwide. 

Joe has  served  on  the  Board  of Directors  for the National Restaurant Association with roles as Treasurer and Vice Chair. In 2019, he was named its Chair. He also represents the National Restaurant Association on the board of the International Food Manufacturers Association (IFMA). A Certified Public Accountant, Joe graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science in accounting and finance.

Richard Levine

Richard Levine

Richard Levine is a real estate investor and developer who is currently involved in projects in the U.S. and Europe. Rich was the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Belmond Ltd. from 2012 until its acquisition by LVMH in April 2019. Among the projects that he led at Belmond was the acquisition and subsequent redevelopment of Cap Juluca in Anguilla. Rich continues to work with LVMH/Belmond as a consultant. Previously, he was Executive Vice President and General Counsel for eight years at Kerzner International, a developer, owner and operator of luxury hotels and resorts under the One&Only and Atlantis brands.  

Prior to those positions with lodging companies, Rich worked in the private equity sector. He was General Counsel for Hellman & Friedman, a pre-eminent private equity fund headquartered in San Francisco. He had previously served as General Counsel for the Private Equity Division of Credit Suisse in New York where he was involved in numerous investments through the bank’s U.S, international and Russia/Ukraine funds. 

Rich began his legal career at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in New York and spent three years in the firm’s Tokyo office. He also worked in Tokyo, Hong Kong and New Zealand for the Associated Press after college. Rich earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from Cornell Law School.