O2E Brands

Vice President, Coaching

Vice President, Operations

Director, Operations

Fresh Painting

Founder / CEO (Acquired)

LoyaltyOne

B2B sales, generating recurring and incremental revenue programs for clients.

Business Development Manager

Aimia Inc

B2B sales, selling loyalty programs that generated recurring and incremental revenue for new and existing clients.

Client & Partner Development Manager

B2B sales and client account management, selling loyalty solutions that generated recurring and incremental revenue.

Account Manager

Bridgeable

B2B sales, selling innovation consulting solutions to clients throughout North America.

Senior Associate / Business Development Manager

The Home Depot

Store Leadership Manager

College Pro

Franchise Owner

Vice President, O2E Coaching Program // MBA // Certified Business Coach (CPCC, ACC)

As a results-driven executive leader, I specialize in scaling businesses, aligning cross-functional teams, and driving sustainable revenue growth. With over a decade of experience spanning operations, sales, coaching, and enablement, I have consistently delivered measurable outcomes by integrating strategic vision with actionable execution.

At O2E Brands, I transformed operations as VP of Operations, scaling WOW 1 DAY PAINTING by optimizing processes, building high-performing teams, and implementing strategies that boosted customer acquisition. Later, as VP of Coaching, I designed programs that empowered leaders to achieve high-performing results through improved sales alignment and leadership development.

I bring an MBA, certifications in executive coaching, and advanced training in Artificial Intelligence Strategy from MIT Sloan to every project, ensuring a forward-thinking, data-driven approach. Passionate about empowering teams and transforming organizations, I am committed to delivering strategic enablement that drives growth and lasting success.

Let’s connect to discuss how I can help elevate your business to the next level.

James Graham

Vivander Advisors LLC

Inspired by the promise of generative AI, Michael founded Vivander Advisors to drive AI adoption and integration. Michael developed frameworks to educate teams on leveraging AI for strategic and operational success, including an AI Literacy program that equips associates with practical skills to drive innovation and growth.

* AI Mindset Cultivation: 

Created the AI Literacy program to help teams understand and apply AI for business impact, fostering innovation and efficiency.

* Process Implementation: 

Designed the '5-Step AI Transformation Process,' simplifying AI adoption and positioning Vivander Advisors as a leader in AI strategy.

* Thought Leadership: 

Authored "Too Many Hats, Too Little Time," recognized as a top resource on using AI personas in business.

* Industry Impact: 

Regularly speak at national events on AI strategy, elevating Vivander Advisors' influence in the AI advisory space.

Founder & Chief Advisor

The Hotels Network

Recruited to join the executive team at The Hotels Network as the principal advocate for the customer voice, representing hotels in sales, marketing, customer success, partnerships, and product development. Tasked with the pivotal role of brand evangelist in the United States, I am responsible for articulating and amplifying the company's vision and offerings at national, regional, and local levels. 

Michael is responsible for optimizing the hotelier's experience as they grow their direct channel by using The Hotels Network's innovative solutions to attract, engage and convert visitors throughout the online booking journey.

Chief Experience Officer

HSMAI New York City

Excited to step into the role of President of HSMAI New York City, beginning January 2025, where Michael will lead the chapter in advancing its mission of empowering hospitality professionals through collaboration, education, and innovation.

This new role is a natural progression from his previous position as Vice President of Membership, where he focused on achieving ambitious growth targets. Over the past three years, he aimed to grow membership by 20% year-over-year through creative marketing blitzes, member engagement campaigns, and innovative strategies to showcase the value of HSMAI membership.

As President, Michael's focus will be on the three C’s:

* Creating Great Content that delivers actionable insights and drives professional development.

* Building a Robust Community where hospitality leaders can connect, collaborate, and thrive.

* Enabling Commerce by fostering partnerships and opportunities that translate into tangible success for our members.

Michael is thrilled to lead HSMAI New York City into this next chapter and look forward to continuing to make a meaningful impact for our members and the hospitality industry.

President

FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency

Driving AI Integration:
Spearheading efforts to embed AI into the client organization's DNA, transforming proofs of concept into scalable, impactful solutions across teams.  

AI Advocacy & Education:
Building a culture of AI literacy and experimentation, ensuring teams see AI as an enabler, not a replacement.  

Strategic Alignment:
Aligning diverse AI projects with overarching IT goals, from automation pilots to upskilling programs, to accelerate enterprise-wide adoption.  

Engaging Storytelling:
Bridging the gap between innovation and impact by showcasing tangible AI successes through storytelling, workshops, and community engagement.  

Fostering Collaboration:
Coordinating cross-functional efforts, integrating timelines, and enhancing participation to drive momentum in AI transformation.

AI Enablement Strategist

Growth Advisors International Network - GAIN

GAIN - Where Travel, Hospitality, and MICE brands and vendors come to grow - startups, scaleups, and enterprises.

GAIN is the leading global travel, hospitality, and MICE innovation and growth advisory firm. The GAIN Advisors are a global network of leading travel, food service, and hospitality technology industry C-Suite/VP level commercial, innovation, IT, finance, operations, funding, and marketing leaders.
Find out more at GainAdvisors.com.

• Responsible for the Hotel AI Professional Service Pack: providing guidance to Hotel Groups on the transformative capabilities and potential benefits of AI. 
• Masterclass and Keynote presenter at Hospitality and Technology Conferences specialized in AI and Web3.

Strategic AI Advisor - Co-Director Global AI Practice

Kellogg Executive Education

Program Leader -  Data Strategy for Generative AI Platforms (Formerly: Data Strategy & Analytics) 

Club Quarters Hotels

Recruited into a leadership role to drive customer acquisition, retention, and revenue generation in alignment with corporate objectives of building brand equity in high-value business and leisure travel segments. Accountable for developing a full-funnel marketing program with tailored messages across the entire customer journey; challenged to improve targeting, data analytics, and campaign performance in concert with Revenue Management, Sales. Operations and Technology teams.
► Launched the first successful CRM driven drip marketing campaign in 30-years that yielded 600% revenue growth YoY
► Accelerated pace for Go-To-Market execution by championing standard marketing processes that streamlined campaign design, reporting, and data analysis.
► Beat expectations, producing a 15% uptick in bookings with a 3% reduction in spending optimizing media channel mix to target new Club Quarters customers.
► Working with partners and developers, transformed the reward program app into a touchless arrival experience.

Global Head of Marketing

Denihan Hospitality Group

Hired by SVP of Sales, Revenue, and Marketing based on success building Dolce Hotel's digital effort from ground zero to a leading player through awarding-winning social media and creative marketing campaigns. Primarily focused on ADA and GDPR compliance issues; led split testing and channel performance. Full P&L responsibility for brands, properties, and marketing department. Directed team of 12 (4 direct reports) and $3M budget.
► Harnessed power of technology to surpass $177M goal; maximized 9 partnerships to drive acquisition through personalization, multi-channel marketing automation, and loyalty programs.
► Drove double-digit conversion rate increases and played a pivotal role in rescuing the company from lawsuits by launching 10 mobile-first, 100% ADA compliant brand, property, and corporate websites in under 9 months.

Vice President - Marketing & Ecommerce

Wyndham Hotel Group

Retained post-acquisition to build a cohesive, world-class marketing team for this industry leader with 8000 hotels producing $1.5B in revenue Provided data-driven recommendations for top and bottom-line gains and ROAS optimization through A/B testing of new digital marketing initiatives across media and email channels.
► Transformed team with a single-minded focus on tracking retail website placements into a group of 10 with deep expertise in creative advertising, digital marketing, consumer experience, brand advocacy, and new digital platforms
► Introduced a data culture to promote metrics‐driven decision-making.

Senior Director - Digital Brand Marketing & Strategy, Digital PMO

Dolce Hotels & Resorts

Recruited to propel B2B & B2C growth and attain financial performance targets post-sale of a family-owned global company to a privately held REIT by leading a team of 29 with 4 direct reports in generating 50% of the company's total annual revenue through a time of change and challenge. Entrusted to articulate a clear vision and digital strategy that delivered a consistent message for 22 Hotels in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium. Managed $30M marketing budget.
► Fueled 20% growth in B2C online revenue YOY by evangelizing new brand positioning, global web/mobile eCommerce program, and prioritizing initiatives. 
► Lifted e-blast conversion rates 25% and increased ROI by introducing and integrating a new CRM solution to deliver trigger-based emails. 
► Rocketed qualified leads, enabling a 15% revenue increase by arming the sales team with a unique magazine-style CMS for iPads that showcased properties with built-in calls to action aimed at critical segments.
► Accelerated user content deployment by 60%, slashed monthly expenses by 35% through new enterprise content management and e-blast solutions.

Vice President - Marketing and Ecommerce

As a seasoned strategist in marketing and AI, I blend art, science, and technology to forge a consistent customer journey across all touchpoints, driving substantial revenue gains, including a 40% increase through leveraging my strategies and automations. My hands-on approach directly solves problems and generates value by shaping a customer-centric marketing vision. This vision, coupled with securing organizational buy-in, allows for the launch of AI transformation projects and multi-channel digital campaigns aimed at meeting and exceeding P&L objectives.

I've developed new ways for companies to leverage AI quickly for a productivity boost, including a rapid approach to identify pilot projects based on business value, risk, and feasibility. My career is marked by a dynamic ability to transition smoothly from conceptual brainstorming to precise concept ideation, spearheading the flawless execution of full-funnel marketing campaigns. My strategic prowess extends from ideation to execution, where I've successfully launched new products and services, led teams to surpass ambitious goals, and reimagined business models and strategic approaches, securing a multi-million dollar upside and competitive dominance.

The foundation of my success lies in a servant-leadership philosophy, a testament to my belief that outstanding marketing strategies are born from empowered, people-first teams ready to make bold, intelligent decisions.

Recent Endeavors:

AI Consulting & AI Transformation: At the forefront of AI transformation, I guide enterprises to harness the power of generative AI, reshaping their operational landscapes and fostering innovation.
Public Speaking: As a seasoned public speaker, I share insights and trends in the dynamic domain of AI, helping businesses understand and leverage AI's transformative capabilities.
Authorship - "Too Many Hats, Too Little Time": My latest book delves into the intricacies of generative AI and the creation of a virtual board of advisors, offering a unique perspective on navigating the complexities of modern business landscapes.
Recognized as one of the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in 2020 by senior industry executives, acknowledging my significant contributions to the industry's recovery and advancement.

Specialties:
Customer Relationship Management | Breakthrough Sales Attainment | Market Share Penetration | Revenue Generation | Digital Lead Management | Retail Sales Generation | Customer Experience | Performance Maximization | Brand Positioning | Market & Competitive Analysis

Michael J. Goldrich

As I enter the second year of my two-year term as President of HSMAI New York City, the foundation is set. 

Now the focus shifts to growth.

Growth of a welcoming community, stronger content that actually helps people, and commercial relevance that advances real careers.

Last night’s Board Appreciation Dinner reminded me why this HSMAI chapter works.

Thank you to Suzi DeAngelis for hosting us at Walker Hotels, and to Society Cafe for an outstanding dinner!! (See menu) 

A true hidden treasure in New York!

BIG thank you to Executive Chef Nicholas McCann

2025 became our most successful year as HSMAI’s largest chapter. 

Sold-out events. 

Long waitlists. 

Consistent demand.

We lead with the three C’s. 

Community. 
Content. 
Commerce.

📢 Last night, community led.

This is a fully volunteer board driven by people who show up, contribute, and care. 

Thank you to all our board members:

👉 Luis Lizarazo
👉 Derek Brewster, CRME
👉 David Arriola
👉 Dayle Nuzzolese, CHSP
👉 Steven Chrappa
👉 Candy Chen
👉 William C. Parris
👉 Debbie Johnsen, CHDM
👉 Lori O' Connell
👉 Julian Emanuel
👉 Frank Stapleton
👉 Kathie Stapleton
👉 Marcia James
👉 Consuela D. Hooblal
👉 Lucille Yokell
👉 Dayna Zeitlin, CRME
👉 Ang Tosto
👉 Nadia Jagdeo
👉 Andrea LoPiccolo
👉 Katy Rupp
👉 Alex Pensyl
👉 Jane Pearsall
👉 Benjamin Maddy
👉 Khianna P.

2026 will be a defining year for New York City. 

The World Cup. 

America’s 250th birthday. 

And a hospitality market that will demand smarter leadership, stronger collaboration, and better visibility than ever before.

Our next event is January 22 at the Hard Rock and it will sell out. 

Event Name: Inside NYC Tourism: Data, Demand & What’s Driving 2026

HSMAI NYC is ready. 

Are you?

If you want to contribute, grow, and help build something that actually matters in this industry, my DMs are open.

New perspectives are always welcome.

I feel fortunate to work alongside such passionate, dynamic people. 

I am excited about what we can build together and the difference we can make in 2026.

HSMAI NYC is just getting started.

Advisor to Boards and Executives | Author and Keynote Speaker | Expert in AI Discovery, Literacy, Scaling Strategy, and Digital Growth

3 lessons from my first week of 2026: embrace discomfort, experiment boldly, and trust the data.

First full week of 2026 is done.

And honestly? It felt uncomfortable.

New systems. New priorities. New ways of thinking.

But here's what I'm learning:

Growth doesn't happen in familiar territory.

It happens when you stop avoiding the hard conversations.

When you test instead of theorize.

When you follow the data over your gut.

The old playbooks don't work anymore.

The platforms changed. The rules shifted. The signals are different.

And that's exactly where the opportunity lives.

Not in what's comfortable.

In what challenges you to think differently.

So here's to a year of being uncomfortable.

Of building new muscles.

Of experimenting systematically.

Because the alternative is standing still while everything around you moves forward.

How did your first week go?

No alternative text description for this image

What Kind of Citizen Do I Want to Be in 2026?

I spent the holidays asking myself hard questions. 

The answer surprisingly led me to my local public library system.

I spent the first week of January training librarians on AI. 

I made a choice to step outside the revenue machine and serve my community.

These librarians started the week convinced AI would replace them. 

They ended it understanding something most corporate employees still cannot grasp: 

AI makes critical thinkers more valuable. 

Not less.

Here is where the friction lives.

Your employees are using AI right now. 

Some openly. 

Many secretly. 

A recent study found that 52% of knowledge workers use generative AI but do not tell their managers. 

They are afraid of looking incompetent. 

Or lazy. 

Or replaceable.

So they fumble through prompts alone. 

They trust outputs they should question. 

They enter sensitive data into systems that have no confidentiality protections. 

And nobody in leadership knows it is happening.

The librarians I trained asked better questions by Day Two than most corporate teams ask after six months of pilot programs. 

Why? 

👉 Because skepticism is their professional training. 

👉 They verify sources. 

👉 They question authority. 

👉 They assume confident answers might be wrong.

Your employees assume confident answers are correct. 

That is the gap.

The Practical Fix

If you run a hotel, stop pretending your front desk staff will figure out AI on their own. 

⛔ They will not. 

⛔ They will use it poorly or not at all. 

Build a structured thirty-minute training that teaches one thing: 

how to verify AI output before acting on it.

If you run a business, audit what your team is actually doing with AI. 

⛔ Not what they report in surveys. 

What they actually do. 

You will find a gap between policy and practice wide enough to drive a truck through.

For both: Teach the Billboard Test. 

Would you be comfortable if the information you entered into ChatGPT appeared on a billboard with your company name attached? 

If not, that prompt should never have been typed.

Three specific actions:

1️⃣ Run anonymous surveys asking employees what AI tools they use and what concerns stop them from asking for help

2️⃣ Create a ten-minute verification framework and make it mandatory before any AI-generated content goes external

3️⃣ Identify your internal skeptics and make them AI champions. 

Skeptics ask the hard questions that prevent expensive mistakes.

💯 The librarians I trained will become lighthouses for their communities. 

They will teach seniors to spot AI-generated scam emails. 

They will help students understand the difference between using AI as a tool and depending on it as an oracle. 

They will strengthen information literacy in communities that desperately need it.

Your organization could do the same. 

But it requires admitting that the current approach is not working.

I Started 2026 By Giving Back to the Community

95% of AI pilots never reach production.

And companies keep launching new ones anyway.

I see this pattern constantly from the outside. Organizations announce AI initiatives with fanfare. Departments spin up pilots with genuine enthusiasm.
Then everything stalls. Executives grow frustrated. Competitors who figured it out pull ahead.

The technology was never the problem.

The approach was.

2026 changes things. Not because AI models got smarter. The shift comes from business leaders finally developing the precision, governance, and operational discipline that turns AI spending into actual returns.

Here is what I see breaking down across three levels:

📢 The Organization treats AI like a technology project instead of a transformation initiative. Leadership spreads investments across dozens of experiments rather than focusing resources on high-impact areas. Governance frameworks get created after problems emerge rather than before deployment.

📢 The Employee gets caught in the middle. Only 7% of AI spending goes toward training and culture change. Meanwhile, workers lack the tools and confidence to use AI effectively. Many turn to personal AI accounts, uploading company data to consumer platforms their organizations cannot track.

📢 The Technology works fine. Agents can handle routine decisions and tasks. The infrastructure to manage them at scale does not exist yet in most companies. Deloitte found 38% of organizations are piloting agentic solutions while only 11% have systems actually running in production.

All three must be addressed together. Problems in one area cascade into the others.

Here is what to do about it:

1️⃣ Pick fewer, bigger bets. Stop spreading AI investments across everything. If you run a hotel, focus AI on one high-impact area like revenue management or guest communication before expanding. If you run another type of business, identify the single process where AI could reshape your economics most dramatically.

2️⃣ Build governance before you deploy. Define success metrics, security protocols, and human oversight requirements during pilots. Not after problems emerge.

3️⃣ Train your people now. Forrester predicts 30% of large enterprises will make AI fluency training mandatory by 2026. The organizations that wait will find their teams working around official systems rather than with them.

👉 At Vivander Advisors, our AI Scaling practice helps organizations escape pilot purgatory. We address the governance, workflow redesign, and change management gaps that separate expensive experiments from revenue-generating AI operations.

What is stopping your AI pilots from reaching production? 👇

Follow me for more on AI implementation that actually works.

The AI ROI Turning Point

Most AI pilots never make it to production.

The reason has nothing to do with technology.

I keep seeing the same pattern in organizations I advise. 

➡️ They buy the best tools. 

➡️ Hire sharp technical talent. 

➡️ Launch pilots that generate impressive demos.

Eighteen months later, nothing has scaled.

The culprit? 

IT and HR operated in parallel. 

➡️ Never in concert.

Research from Wharton and GBK Collective tells the story. 

Fifty-eight percent of enterprise IT decision-makers are piloting AI agents. 

Note that word. 

Piloting. 

⛔ Not deploying. 

⛔ Not generating returns.

⛔ The stuck zone.

Here is what happens when IT deploys AI agents without HR involvement:

The system works technically. 

Dashboard lights turn green. 

Requests process accurately.

Then reality hits.

⛔ Employees do not understand how to work alongside their new digital colleagues. 

Team structures stay optimized for human-only workflows. 

Training programs keep teaching skills that autonomous systems will soon handle.

The pilot limps along forever.

👉 The Organization: 

Leadership launches AI initiatives without mandating cross-functional alignment. 

IT builds. 

HR trains. 

Nobody bridges the gap.

👉 The Employee: 

Workers hear about AI through rumors or sudden workflow disruptions. 

Anxiety rises. 

Adoption stalls. 

The person whose daily work transforms fundamentally learns about changes last.

👉 The Technology: 

Capable systems sit underutilized because the organizational infrastructure never caught up. 

Great tools. 

Wrong deployment model.

🧐 McKinsey senior partner Klemens Hjartar puts it directly: "All of us in different functional domains need to up our game in intent-setting, boundary-setting, and measurement. That's going to take many years."

Years. 

Not quarters.

Three steps to fix this:

1️⃣ If you run a hotel, create a joint task force between your operations technology team and HR before your next AI pilot. 

Have them map which roles interact with the system and what training those employees need. 

If you run another type of business, apply the same principle to your IT and HR leadership.

2️⃣ Define checkpoint architecture together. 

Some AI agents should make decisions independently. 

Others need human approval. 

IT knows the technical parameters. 

HR knows workforce capability. 

Neither perspective works alone.

3️⃣ Treat AI competency like spreadsheet skills. 

Tony Young at Sophos frames it well: "Understanding how to use an LLM is like mastering Excel. That's a new baseline skill." 

Build training programs that deliver this at scale.

This is the work I do at Vivander Advisors through AI Scaling. 

Helping organizations move from perpetual pilot mode to enterprise-wide systems that generate returns. 

The technology is ready. 

The question is whether your organization is structured to use it.

Is your IT team building AI solutions without HR at the table?

Follow me for more on AI in business. 🔗

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Michael J. Goldrich

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