---
title: Watch the Arum Group Webinar - Hotel Operators' Iberian Challenge
description: Reps of some of the biggest international hotel brands explore how the barriers to entry are coming down in what has traditionally been a tough market.
---
[](https://www.arumgroup.es/)
# Hotel Operators' Iberian Challenge
### Register now
## If you missed the webinar, register above and you'll be taken to the recorded video.
## Wednesday, July 14th, 2021 at 17:00 CET (Central Europe)
Spain and Portugal have long presented high barriers to entry to international hotel brands, but this is finally changing. Bigger and better opportunities to break into Iberia are the post-Covid reality. In this webinar, we'll explore this new horizon with reps from Accor, Hyatt, and Marriott.
What were the main obstacles for international brands in the past? How has Covid affected the situation, and what has changed? Which locations are offering the best opportunities? Which investors are getting involved?
We'll dive into these questions and your own in this live session.
## Meet our experts
### Jerome Lassara
**Vice President of Development, Southern Europe**
**Accorhotels**
Jerome Lassara has worked in management with Accorhotels since 1994 and is currently the VP of Development for Southern Europe. He started as General Manager for Development in Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia before beginning to work in Europe in 1998 as General Manager for Development in Spain. He has since worked as Managing Director for Ibis and Novotel in Italy and as VP for Development and Franchise in Italy, Greece, Malta & Israel.
He holds a joint MBA from Cornell University and ESSEC in Hospitality Management and an MBA from the Université Paris Dauphine in Finance.
### Nuno Galvao Pinto
**Regional Vice President, Acquisitions & Development**
**Hyatt Hotels Corporation**
Nuno Galvao Pinto has held his current position for five years, and he is responsible for the expansion of all Hyatt brands across Western and Southern Europe and North Africa. He also previously served as the Director of Development in Western Europe for Starwood and was Senior Vice President of Hotels & Hospitality for Jones Lang LaSalle.
He holds a BS in Hospitality Management from the University of Wales and a BS in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the Glion Institute of Higher Education.
### Edgar Olle
**Director of Development, Spain and Portugal**
**Marriott International**
Edgar Olle has been with Marriott International for over five years, and has a wealth of experience in finance and development roles across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He was previously based out of Dubai working for Hilton in Spain, Portugal, and the Middle East, and prior to that was with Deloitte in Spain.
Mr. Olle holds a BBA from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, a master's from HTSI, and an Executive Program degree in Real Estate from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
### Wilke See-Tho - Moderator
**Managing Director**
**qverum**
Wilke See-Tho has a long history in development, working in Asia, Europe, and North America for some of the world's top hotel brands, including Four Seasons, Starwood, Westin, and The Leading Hotels of the World. He is currently Managing Director of qverum and a strategic partner with Tattoo Strategy.
He earned his bachelor's degree from Stanford University and his master's from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.
### Jesús Abellán - Introduction
**CEO, Arum Group**
Real estate sector expert and specialized in strategic planning, Abellan has been responsible for numerous operations and projects related to joint ventures, restructuring, and the sales and purchases of assets and companies.