SPS Stories
Alumni Spotlight
Steen Petri
Class of 2003
MS in Global Hospitality Management
How an SPS Degree can Kickstart a Career Change
Fast Facts
- Earned an MS in Hospitality Industry Studies from NYU SPS in 2003
- Has worked as senior vice-president of investments for HEI Hotels & Resorts since 2008
- Served as president of the NYU SPS Tisch Center Alumni Society
<p><span class="p-body">Steen Petri graduated from SPS in 2003 with an MS in Hospitality Industry Studies, focusing on hotel development and asset management. He is now the senior vice president of investments at HEI Hotels and Resort (HEI), where he has worked since 2008. As the SVP of investments, he is responsible for the firm's business development team and the growth of the company's portfolio. </span></p>
Vital Roles in Global Organizations
<p><span class="p-body">HEI is a third party hotel management company that raises capital for acquisitions on a deal-by-deal basis, and co-invests with our institutional capital partners. Petri shared that he spearheads the firm's deal sourcing for acquisitions and third party management agreements through an extensive network of institutional capital groups, brokers, consultants, and other stakeholders.</span></p>
<p><span class="p-body">"With a focus on full-service hotels, we source deals, underwrite and then pitch our business plan to capital partners. As part of that, I oversee all aspects of HEI's transactional underwriting, financing, contract negotiations, due diligence, and deal execution," explained Petri. Prior to HEI, Petri was the director of acquisitions and development at the Waterford Hotel Group, where his responsibilities included land acquisition sourcing, securing entitlements and underwriting for ground-up hotel development projects and capital transactions.</span></p>
<p><span class="p-body">"Formerly, I spent over 10 years in hospitality operations, leading management teams at assets including the W Hotel Union Square NYC, The Lotos Club in NYC, and the Hotel Jerome in Aspen, CO," he continued.</span></p>
Why an SPS MS Can Jumpstart a Transition
<p><span class="p-body">Petri has been passionate about the hotel real estate industry for many years. "The combination of real estate and operations makes what we do so much more complex than other types of real estate, and hence so exciting," he explained. "On a more tangible level, I am passionate about creating great teams. Putting together a dynamic and diverse group of people—from young junior analysts up to fellow SVP's—and getting those teams to perform is a very rewarding experience."</span></p>
<p><span class="p-body">"Going back to school after having been on the hospitality operations side for six or seven years offered me the opportunity to move from an operating career to an investments career," he mused. "I can't see how I would have been able to do that without getting a master's from NYU."</span></p>
Petri's Advice: Make the Most of Opportunities
<p><span class="p-body">Petri's biggest takeaway from attending the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality is the sheer volume of opportunities not found at other universities. "With professors and guest lecturers directly from the hotel industry at your fingertips, a unique opportunity is offered to interact with industry icons, and to start building relationships that will contribute to a valuable professional network," he said.</span></p>
<p><span class="p-body">To a large extent, what you take away from the program depends upon what you put into it, according to Petri, and how much you recognize the unique opportunities the school offers you to kick start your career.</span></p>
<p><span class="p-body">When asked what advice he would give to current SPS students studying hospitality, he offered some direction. "Don't think of your career path as a straight line that you must map out from early on and follow strictly—you have to be somewhat opportunistic when you take your first job after graduation," he urged.</span></p>
While you should seek to work for organizations that you respect and people from whom you can learn the most, you should remain open minded to take advantage of what opportunities come along that will take you towards your end goal. Essentially, don't think of it as a straight narrow line from A to Z."
<p><span class="p-body">Earning a <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-global-hospitality-management.html" title="Master's (MS) in Global Hospitality Management">Master's (MS) in Global Hospitality Management</a> at NYU SPS can open doors that you may have never imagined were possible. See where you can start the next chapter of your career with a degree from the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. <span class="p-body"></span><br>
</span></p>
Accessibility
Digital Privacy Statement
University Policies
Web Policy
Academic Accreditation
New York University
New York University
New York University
Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination at NYU - New York University is committed to maintaining an environment that encourages and fosters respect for individual values and appropriate conduct among all persons. In all University spaces—physical and digital—programming, activities, and events are carried out in accordance with applicable law as well as University policy, which includes but is not limited to its Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy.