Kristi Gole is EVP Strategy at Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), responsible for enhancing the value proposition of the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty program, getting the word out, and strategically growing the business through profitable channels.

GHA is the world's largest alliance of independent hotel brands with over 50 brands and 1,000 hotels across 100 countries. Kristi was part of the original team in this start-up and helped build the brand, the global marketing team, and the first-of-its-kind experiential loyalty program – GHA DISCOVERY – from the ground-up. GHA DISCOVERY has won 150 awards for its program and marketing innovations and now has 35 million members driving over US$3.2 billion in revenue.

Kristi has 20 years of experience in consumer-centric roles, starting at Neiman Marcus and joining GHA in 2009. She serves on the Advisory Board for Global Loyalty Organisation and the Hospitality Innovation Advisory Council at Vation Ventures, and is a judge for various industry awards. She has a BS from Cornell University with a concentration in Consumer Economics and has an EMBA from NEOMA Business School.