Aimbridge Hospitality Executive Chairman Dave Johnson will be leaving the company he co-founded to “pursue other external opportunities,” a company news release states.
Johnson led the company for 18 years before taking the executive chairman role in January, where has focused on mergers and acquisition strategy. At that time, Mike Deitemeyer moved from the role of global president to president and CEO.
Over the years, Aimbridge has become a global leader in third-party hotel management, growing from its original eight properties to more than 1,500 branded and independent properties in 49 states and 20 countries.
"I am both humbled and grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many talented people over the years and could not be prouder of the success Aimbridge has achieved,” Johnson said in the news release. “And knowing my good friend and longtime colleague, Mike Deitemeyer, is at the helm affords me the opportunity to pursue my next venture knowing our owners, guests and colleagues are in good hands."
In the release, Deitemeyer called Johnson “an industry icon” who leaves the company with quite a legacy.
“I'm grateful for both his partnership and friendship over the years and look forward to driving continued growth and success for Aimbridge as Dave ventures on,” he said.
One of Johnson’s recent acquisitions was a deal to buy Grupo Hotelero Prisma, announced in June, which adds the Mexican hotel operator’s 42 properties with more than 7,500 rooms under 19 brands to Aimbridge’s portfolio.
In an interview, Johnson called the deal “one of the most exciting transactions that I think I will have announced in the history of Aimbridge.”
The biggest deal for Aimbridge, however, was the 2019 merger with Interstate Hotels & Resorts, forming the world’s largest hotel operator. At the time of the merger, the companies had roughly 1,400 properties in their combined portfolios.
“I’m very excited about it,” Johnson said in an interview about the merger. “I certainly think it will be a game changer in this space.”
The two companies announced the merger in August 2019 and closed the deal the following October. The two largest management companies then focused on merging operations through the rest of the year and into 2020.