Executive Management Team
Joe Forster, President & COO
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Joe Forster is a co-founder of Hospitality Performance Network and serves as its President & COO. He has direct oversight for the day-to-day operations of the company and works diligently with industry leaders to increase HPN's effectiveness in the marketplace. Prior to the formation of HPN, he spent twenty years selling and managing various Conference Center properties, spending the last seven years as Executive Vice President of the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. Mr. Forster's responsibilities included both operational and Sales and Marketing oversight for the 404-room, four-star conference resort as well as its Destination Management and Meeting Planning/Travel divisions.
Prior to the Plaza, Mr. Forster served as Vice President, Sales and Marketing and management company principal at the Seabrook Island Conference Resort. Prior to Seabrook, Mr. Forster served as Director of Sales and Marketing for Westfields International Conference Center outside Washington DC., and began his career, in 1984, as a National Accounts Manager at the Scottsdale Conference Resort.
Joe graduated from the University of Arizona, where he met his wife of 17 years, Gina. They, with their three children, reside in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Bill Kilburg, Chairman & CEO
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Mr. Kilburg acts as the company's Chairman and CEO with specific responsibilities for the strategic growth of the company. He has a long history of entrepreneurship and involvement in the hotel and meetings industries, having founded Epix Hotels and Resorts and Set Solutions Inc. Epix Hotels is an aggressive entrepreneurial resort turnaround firm which has been involved with 22 hotels and resorts in the last ten years. Set Solutions is an industrial hard set and theming company based in Phoenix. Bill started his career in the hotel industry as a bellman, working his way up to Chief Financial Officer of a resort ownership and management firm.
In addition, he spent time as a Hotel Investment Banker, and was formerly the President of the hotel division of Samoth Capital, a publicly traded Canadian mezzanine lender. Responsibilities included 30 hotel assets comprising 5,000 rooms. In that capacity, he was primarily responsible for all the organizations asset acquisition and disposition strategy and execution. Other background includes time spent as the CEO of the opt-in ethical email marketing firm Whitehat Inc. Mr. Kilburg is a certified public accountant and is also recognized as one of the foremost experts in the country on the interpretation of liquidated damage clauses in hotel contracts, having been retained in over 30 cases on the subject.
Steve Scatino, E.V.P. Sales
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Steve Scatino became a partner at Hospitality Performance Network in 2002. As Executive Vice President of Sales, he is responsible for implementing and monitoring "best practices" throughout the company, conducting ongoing training for sales associates, maintaining brand awareness in the industry and interacting with HPN's supplier network working with property level sales executives to maintain strong partnerships.
He has more than 20 years of industry experience, which includes positions in sales and sales management with several independent conference centers in Scottsdale, Arizona and Washington, D.C.
Scatino graduated from Arizona State University and resides in Gilbert, Arizona with his two sons. He is a member of Meeting Professionals International and Young Entrepreneurs' Organization.
John Murillo, SR. V.P. Sales
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John Murillo is a Partner at Hospitality Performance Network and serves as its Sr. Vice President of Sales. He assists in the training and support of all HPN associates. He is also responsible for maintaining our brand awareness in the marketplace and strengthening our partnerships within the industry. He has over nineteen years of industry experience in sales and marketing. He joined HPN after having a very successful career with several major conference center and resort properties in Scottsdale, Arizona and Washington, D.C.
John graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1991, with a BA in Business Administration. John resides in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife Lindy and two sons.
Karin Kilburg, E.V.P. Operations
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Ms. Kilburg acts as the firms Executive Vice President of Operations and oversees the full-service division of the firms business. She has over fifteen years of industry experience, primarily in the Operations, Conference Services and Destination Management areas. Previous to her involvement with HPN she was the founder of Set Solutions, Inc the largest Phoenix based industrial hard set and Theming Company. She has a vast amount of experience on the hotel side of the business and has been involved in the execution of literally thousands of successful meetings. Previous positions have included Vice President of Resort Operations/General Manager, Director of Conference Services and Director of Special Events.
Karin was an All-Ivy League soccer player, and graduated with honors from Brown University. Originally from Oregon, she now calls Scottsdale home with her husband and five kids.
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Kip Horton, President, International Division
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As President of HPNG International Division, Kip Horton is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with corporate and association accounts throughout Europe, Africa, Middle East, India, China, South America and Asia.
He has over 25 years of hospitality sales and marketing experience. Kip’s career began with Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1984, progressing through a variety of Sales and Marketing positions at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, before he was appointed Director of Marketing at the Sheraton Inn Fredericton, Canada in 1990.
Kip’s resume includes eight years with Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Brussels, BE, where he served as Vice President, Sales, Europe, Africa and Middle East. In this role, he led a sales force of 65 associates and oversaw the sales activities including revenue-generating strategies across all business segments for over 250 hotels and resorts in almost 60 countries.
Kip holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada and an MBA from the University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland. He is happily married to his wife Cindy and enjoys spending time with his two adult sons James and Riley.
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