Chris Russell is the CEO of Spire Hospitality. Prior to joining Spire in 2018, Russell gained invaluable experience growing hotel management companies from the ground up. Recruited by Archon Group, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, he was tasked with starting and leading its in-house hotel management company, Archon Hospitality. In 2011, Goldman Sachs sold the business. Following the sale, the Goldman Sachs hotel management division was rebranded as Pillar Hotels & Resorts, with Russell remaining it’s leader, as president and CEO. In that role, he successfully managed over $2 billion in assets, a portfolio of 260 hotels in 45 states, and over 8,000 employees. He and his partners went on to sell the brand to Aimbridge Hospitality in 2016.