Our Team
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Nick Massad, Jr. -
Vicki Massad -
Charles Poirier -
Nick Massad III -
Scott Austin -
Steve Scott -
Christine Hsui -
Taylor Tritt -
Debi Riano
After graduation from the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston in 1973, Nick Massad joined American Liberty Hospitality as Food & Beverage Director at a Sheraton Hotel located in Dallas, Texas. He later served as General Manager of that hotel, as well as several of the company’s other hotels, before becoming its first President in 1983. He, along with his wife Vicki, purchased ALH in 1990, and Mr. Massad has since served as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Massad has held the position of Board Chairman of the Hotel and Lodging Association of Greater Houston and of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. He is presently a member of the Dean’s Industry Advisory Board and of the Eric’s Club Board of the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston and has also served as its Alumni Association President.
Mr. Massad has also served on the franchisee councils of IHG and Starwood Hotels and is a preferred developer of various Hilton brands. He has received major industry awards including the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from Hilton Hotels Worldwide for his achievements as a Hilton partner and developer over the last two decades. Mr. Massad also received his Honorary Doctorate Degree from the University of Houston in 2012 for his industry success and for his many years of support and service to the school he attended and loves so much.
In 2007 as a way to give back, the Massad family funded the rebuilding of the new library and archives of the Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston. The project is known as the Massad Family Library and Hospitality Industry Archives, and is a source of great joy to all Hilton College students.
Vicki joined American Liberty Hospitality in 1973 and brings abundant management experience to the team. Her background includes Rooms Division experience with business transient and convention hotels, guest service, training, and yield management procedures for several properties of varying sizes and business profiles. Today her day- to-day operations assignment requires her to direct management and capital improvement strategies for owned and managed properties throughout ALH’s portfolio. Vicki’s standards of excellence in property inspections and service audits distinguish her as an industry leader in quality assurance. Interfacing directly with property managers, investors, owners and franchisors, she uses her professional experience to produce desired financial returns. Vicki motivates ALH’s team members to stretch for optimal results while using her owners’ perspective of preserving the asset. In 2003, she was named an honorary alumnus of the Conrad N. Hilton college of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston. She is the mother of three children, all graduates of the Hilton College. In 2008, she was awarded the Distinguished Alumna Award for her outstanding service to the College and to the hospitality educational community. Vicki has served as a Best Western Governor for nearly a decade and really enjoys the relationships that come from working with brands and fellow owners. Vicki is originally from Waxahachie, Texas.
Charles Poirier CPA, Chief Financial Officer, has served with American Liberty Hospitality since September 2022. He currently manages all accounting and finance functions with lines into the people and data sides of the business.
Prior to serving with ALH, Charles served as CFO for 19 years and COO for 2 years at Martin Preferred Foods, a 78 year old family owned foodservice manufacturing and distribution company. During that span the organization quadrupled revenues and became a strong regional player in the center of the plate protein sector, branching out from pure distribution into wholesale manufacturing and eventually retail manufacturing.
Charles has a degree from Texas A&M University in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. Charles is married to his wife Marie, and they have a beautiful daughter and son and reside in central Houston. They are blessed to have lots of family and friends nearby, and they enjoy traveling.
Nick started in the hotel business as a young child, raised in and around hotels by his parents, Nick and Vicki. Prior to graduation from the Hilton College at the University of Houston, he began working for the Four Seasons Hotel company, and held various management positions in both operations and revenue management. After more than six years with Four Seasons, Nick moved to Dallas to work three years for Hilton Worldwide in their corporate office for revenue management.
In late 2010, Nick returned to Houston to join the family business and join the American Liberty opening team of the Embassy Suites Houston-Downtown. He helped lead the Embassy Suites to achieve financial goals and service success. The team earned multiple awards from Hilton, including two of the coveted Connie Awards. Hilton’s Connie Award is the most prestigious hotel award named for their founder, Conrad Hilton. American Liberty then acquired the Sam Houston Hotel in downtown Houston, and Nick moved over as General Manager, and ultimately prepared the hotel to join Hilton’s Curio Collection. While at the Sam, Nick began working on new development projects for the company and in 2015 moved to American Liberty’s corporate office as Vice President of Development. Nick handles the complete development process for new ALH endeavors, including financing, construction and pre-opening management.
Scott Austin, SVP of Operations, joined American Liberty Hospitality in July 2011 as General Manager of the Embassy Suites Houston Downtown. He has over 20 years multi-brand managerial experience in his role in which he is responsible for all aspects of hotel operations. He led the Embassy Suites to the forefront of the brand, receiving the coveted Hilton Connie Award twice as the top Embassy Suites Hotel in the world and recipient of Hilton’s highest individual honor for 2015 as a CEO Light & Warmth Award winner. Scott is an Executive Committee Member of the GHCVB Board and also a member of the Embassy Suite’s Circle of Leadership Team. In addition to his work with the GHCVB, he partners with Special Olympics of Texas for the Over the Edge annual fundraiser benefitting athletes across Texas and specifically Houston. Prior to joining American Liberty Hospitality, Mr. Austin held General Manager roles in New York, Orlando, and Houston. Scott studied Finance at McNeese State University and Hospitality Administration at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, PA. He along with his family have made Houston their home.
Steve Scott joined ALH in 2018 with over 35 years of hospitality experience. His positions have led him to Phoenix, Houston, Dallas and Kansas City with Hilton, Starwood, Marriott and Independent brands. Over the years, Steve has tackled properties with up to 750 rooms, task force assignments in North Carolina and California, as well as been on multiple hotel opening teams. Those foundational years, plus his regional roles with multi state responsibility have prepared him for his position as Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing. In this critical position, Steve is accountable for all Sales & Marketing teams and results portfolio wide, along with hiring and developing sales talent. In his free time, Steve loves travel, NFL football and spending time with his wife, kids and grandkids.
Christine’s career began with American Liberty at the Hilton Garden Inn Galleria where she progressed through the responsibilities in Operations. Prior to joining Hilton World wide’s Revenue Management Consolidated Center (RMCC) in Dallas, TX, Christine earned a dual Master’s in Hospitality and Business Administration from the University of Houston. During her tenure with the RMCC, Christine mentored a team of analysts to ensure the successful implementation of revenue strategies for a collection of properties in the North American region. She determined her skillset would translate into other businesses, ultimately transitioning into a career in the energy sector back in Houston. She successfully completed 2 midstream projects for Williams and decided to focus on her passion – Revenue Management. Christine is currently the Vice President of Revenue Management where she is responsible for driving market share and revenue for the entire ALH portfolio.
Taylor is a graduate of the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management at the University of Houston. Go Coogs! Like her family, Taylor grew up in and around hotels. She has worked for ALH in various positions including Guest Services Manager, Director of Sales and General Manager for brands such as Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn, and Best Western. Taylor assists both the Operations and Development teams in the corporate office in a wide range of projects. When she’s not at work, Taylor loves to be outdoors, preferably exploring the great city of Houston, and values time with her family.
Debi Riano is a native Houstonian and has been involved in the hospitality industry since graduating high school in 1976. Debi joined American Liberty Hospitality in November of 1981. Debi began her career in guest services and had a variety of disciplines including Front Office Manager, Guest Services, Accounting, General Manager and is currently the Executive Assistant to President and CEO, Nick Massad Jr. Debi is a valued member of the ALH family and her sharp and proven skills are key to her meaningful role on the American Liberty Hospitality Corporate Team.
