Hotel Equities Group has appointed Olya Brase as Chief Financial Officer, bringing more than 20 years of finance and transformation experience to the hotel management company. Brase will oversee its finance organisation, strengthen financial governance and visibility, advance finance technology and develop a System and Organisation Controls 1 programme.

Hotel Equities Appoints Olya Brase as Chief Financial Officer

Hotel Equities Group, LLC has appointed Olya Brase as Chief Financial Officer, placing her in charge of the company’s finance organisation. Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, the hotel development and management company says Brase will work as a strategic partner to operations, ownership and the board.

Her priorities include improving financial visibility and governance, advancing the company’s finance technology and developing a System and Organisation Controls (SOC) 1 programme.

Brase brings more than 20 years of finance and transformation experience, including a decade in third-party hotel management. Her background includes senior finance responsibilities at Highgate and Aimbridge Hospitality, where she worked on financial transformation, internal audit, controls and post-acquisition integration.

Finance Leadership Focuses on Governance and Transparency

In her new position, Brase will oversee Hotel Equities’ finance organisation and support financial decision-making across the business.

Her responsibilities include strengthening financial visibility, improving governance and advancing the company’s finance technology infrastructure. These priorities are relevant to hotel management businesses, which must coordinate financial reporting, operational performance and owner requirements across multiple properties.

Financial visibility helps management and owners understand business performance, identify risks and assess investment decisions. Strong governance and internal controls also support accountability and consistency in financial processes.

Brase’s role will connect these financial priorities with operational teams, property owners and the company’s board. The appointment places particular emphasis on disciplined decision-making and protecting ownership interests through transparent financial management.

SOC 1 Programme to Support Internal Controls

One of Brase’s stated priorities is developing a System and Organisation Controls 1 programme, commonly known as SOC 1.

SOC 1 reporting assesses controls at a service organisation that may be relevant to clients’ internal controls over financial reporting. For a hotel management company, a well-developed programme can help demonstrate how financial processes and related controls are designed and maintained.

Brase previously helped establish internal audit and SOC 1 programmes at Aimbridge Hospitality. That experience is directly relevant to her new responsibilities at Hotel Equities, where the development of a SOC 1 programme is among the stated priorities.

The work will sit alongside broader efforts to improve financial governance and strengthen the systems that support reporting and oversight.

Highgate Experience in Finance Transformation

Before joining Hotel Equities, Brase led a comprehensive finance transformation at Highgate across a portfolio of more than 400 hotels.

Her work involved establishing a standardised finance technology ecosystem and organisational structure designed to strengthen controls and improve efficiency.

Finance transformation can involve aligning systems, reporting procedures and team structures so that organisations can produce more consistent financial information. In a hotel portfolio, this can help support oversight across properties operating under different brands, ownership arrangements and market conditions.

Brase’s experience at Highgate provides a background in managing finance processes at scale. It also aligns with Hotel Equities’ stated objective of advancing its finance technology and strengthening financial visibility.

Aimbridge Hospitality Background in Audit and Integration

Brase previously held leadership roles across internal audit, finance and strategic initiatives at Aimbridge Hospitality.

During her tenure, she built and led the company’s internal audit and SOC 1 programmes. She also led post-acquisition integration work, including activities associated with the acquisition of Interstate Hotels & Resorts.

Post-acquisition integration can require organisations to align financial systems, reporting structures, internal controls and operating procedures following a transaction. This work is particularly important in hospitality management, where acquisitions can bring together large numbers of properties, employees and financial processes.

Her experience in audit, controls and integration adds to her finance transformation background and supports her new remit at Hotel Equities.

More Than 20 Years of Finance and Transformation Experience

Brase brings more than two decades of finance and transformation experience, including approximately ten years in third-party hotel management.

Third-party hotel management companies operate properties on behalf of owners, making financial stewardship an important part of the relationship. Finance teams must support accurate reporting, monitor operating performance and provide information that helps owners make informed decisions.

Brase has emphasised the importance of integrity, transparency and disciplined decision-making in protecting owners’ interests. These principles align with her stated priorities around governance, financial visibility and internal controls.

Her experience across major hotel management businesses provides a foundation for working with operational leaders and ownership groups on financial performance and risk management.

Board Roles and Industry Involvement

Alongside her executive responsibilities, Brase serves on the BlackLine Advisory Board and the board of directors of the Care Beyond Birth Foundation.

These roles extend her involvement beyond her day-to-day finance leadership responsibilities at Hotel Equities.

Her appointment comes as the company focuses on the financial systems, controls and reporting capabilities required to support its hotel development and management activities.

Hotel Equities’ Hotel Development and Management Business

Hotel Equities is a full-service hotel development and management company. It works with brand representatives, institutional investors, high-net-worth individuals and joint venture partners to develop and grow hotel properties.

Its activities include new developments, property rebranding and hotel management. These operations require financial systems capable of supporting multiple stakeholders, reporting requirements and property-level performance assessments.

Brase’s appointment adds an experienced finance leader to the company’s executive structure. Her responsibilities will span financial governance, technology, internal controls and collaboration with operations, ownership and the board.

Her experience in finance transformation at Highgate and internal audit and integration at Aimbridge Hospitality provides relevant experience as Hotel Equities pursues these priorities.

Conclusion

Olya Brase’s appointment as Chief Financial Officer at Hotel Equities Group brings more than 20 years of finance and transformation experience to the company. Drawing on previous leadership roles at Highgate and Aimbridge Hospitality, she will focus on financial governance, technology, transparency and the development of a SOC 1 programme to support stronger controls and reporting.