SharePublished March 20, 2026
This year’s Top 25 were recognized in NYC last month for leadership, innovation, and measurable commercial impact. As HSMAI CEO Brian Hicks said, “Their success stories showcase the importance of cultivating commercial talent and reflect the very best of hospitality’s ability to adapt, evolve, and thrive.”
We’ll be profiling the full Top 25 over the next month — here are the next five.
Janette Roush, Senior Vice President, Innovation & Chief AI Officer — Brand USA
Janette leads enterprise AI strategy and innovation designed to advance consumer marketing, trade engagement, and partner promotion for the United States as a premier travel destination. She is widely recognized for turning emerging technology into practical, scalable solutions that elevate destination marketing and traveler engagement. Janette launched Brand USA’s first AI‑powered trip‑planning tool.
Advice to younger self: The rooms you speak in change the opportunities you get — don’t wait for permission to build a platform or take the microphone.
What keeps you inspired: Hospitality professionals bringing incredible ideas to life with AI.
Travis Rank, Senior Director, Worldwide Sales — BWH Hotels
With more than 20 years of experience spanning property‑level, regional, and corporate sales leadership, Travis is recognized for building strong commercial partnerships, driving enterprise‑wide sales performance, and elevating the sales discipline across global hotel portfolios.
Travis is admired for being a hands-on leader, the kind that empowers his team and drives meaningful change at BWH and the industry at large.
Tanya Pratt, Global Vice President, Strategy & Product Management — Oracle Hospitality
Tanya is a globally recognized hospitality technology and product strategy executive, currently serving as Global Vice President, Strategy and Product Management at Oracle Hospitality. Based in Toronto, Canada, she leads global strategy and product management for OPERA Cloud, Oracle’s flagship hospitality platform, supporting hotels worldwide through digital transformation and cloud‑based innovation.
With a career that bridges hotel operations, revenue management, and enterprise technology, Tanya is known for translating real‑world hospitality needs into scalable, future‑ready technology solutions.
Charles Pollard, CHDM, Director, Performance Analytics & Reporting — Marriott Digital Services
Charles is a senior hospitality analytics and digital performance leader. He spearheaded the redesign of Marriott’s Digital Dashboard to give thousands of hotels a clearer, deeper view of their performance and he developed training to give them the confidence to use it. But ask anyone he works with, and they’ll tell you they admire his approachability, positive attitude, and willingness to always help.
Crystal Pernici, Global Director, New Ventures — IDeaS
Crystal is a connector of ideas, teams, and clients. She’s inspired by curiosity, by solving meaningful problems, and by the people she gets to do it with. Crystal launched the world’s first cruise specific revenue management system, as well as a tool for hotels to connect revenue management and marketing efforts.
Advice to younger self: Your curiosity is not a problem to fix — it’s a gift to protect.
What keeps you inspired: Curiosity, solving meaningful problems, and watching ideas turn into impact.