Team

Shoham Amin | Founder & Principal

Shoham Amin, the Founder of Excel Group, is a tenured real estate investor with over 15 years of real estate investment experience, having overseen over $3.0 billion in principal real estate transactions.

Since launching Excel, Shoham Amin has led the acquisition of more than $700 million of hotel and debt instruments. Shoham oversees all facets of the firm including portfolio growth, strategy and capital execution.

Prior to Excel, Shoham served as Vice President at Delshah Capital, a real estate private equity firm where he was responsible for the acquisition of real estate investments, distressed loans purchases, and the development of real estate.

Education

• University of Pennsylvania - MBA

• New York University - MS Real Estate Finance

• George Washington University - BS Finance & International Business

Dana English | Chief Financial Officer

Dana English leads all financial and accounting responsibility for Excel Group including oversight over the firm’s data and analytics platform.  She has over 25 years of experience as a veteran finance and accounting executive with oversight over $3 billion of assets.

Over the past 15 years Dana has focused on leading finance and accounting functions through process improvement through an analytical and technology focused approach.  Prior to joining Excel Group Dana held CFO responsibility at two top-ranked hotel companies and leading the hospitality advisory practice at a Top 20 largest accounting firm. 

Most recently Dana served as the CFO for Donohoe Hospitality an owner, developer and operator with a ~$1 billion hotel portfolio.  Prior to Donohoe Hospitality she was the CFO of Real Hospitality, a firm with a portfolio of over 100 hotels ($2.5 billion) and 3,000 employees.  In her earlier years she oversaw the development of a hospitality focused practice at CohnReznick, a top accounting firm, with a focus on technology integration, consulting, and outsourcing. 

Education

• Certified Public Accountant

• Salisbury University - BS Accounting

Dan Lin | Vice President - Asset Management

Dan Lin co-leads the asset management of Excel Group’s portfolio. He is an accomplished hotel asset manager with over 25 years of experience, having asset managed over $3.0 billion of hotel assets.

Over the course of his career, Dan has developed extensive experience in value enhancement, market positioning, valuation and due diligence. He has worked with a broad spectrum of hotel assets ranging from select service to luxury in locations throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

Prior to joining Excel Group, Dan served as Vice President of Asset Management at HotelAVE, where he was responsible for asset managing a $1.0+ billion hotel portfolio. Prior to HotelAVE, Dan was an asset manager at Host Hotels & Resorts and a consultant at HVS International.

Education 

• Cornell University - BS Hotel Administration

• Certified Hotel Asset Manager (CHAM)

Matt Wexler | Principal - Investments

Matt Wexler, Principal, leads Excel Group’s structured capital strategy, which builds on Excel’s institutional hospitality investment platform. He also oversees the firm’s portfolio strategy and growth. 

Matt most recently founded Cascadilla Partners, a sponsor and consultancy specializing in hotel assets and nonperforming / subperforming loans across the United States. Prior to that, he served as managing partner at Foxhall Partners, a Washington, DC-based commercial real estate development and investment firm. He also has worked as a vice president at CIM Group and as a senior investment analyst for the company now known as JBG Smith.

Matt has more than two decades of commercial real estate, development and hospitality investment experience. He has led the acquisition, renovation and asset management of hotels and loans backed by hotel totaling nearly 3,000 guestrooms. 

Education 

• MIT Sloan School of Management - MBA

• Cornell University - BA Government

Robert Brewer | Principal - Investments

Robert Brewer co-leads Excel Group's equity platform, overseeing all hotel acquisitions and dispositions. With over twelve years of hotel real estate experience, Robert has facilitated over $2.0 billion in hotel transactions in both ownership and consulting roles.

Over the course of his career, Robert has obtained experience across various facets of the hospitality industry including acquisitions, development, third-party management and hotel franchising.

Most recently, Robert was a Director at HHM Hotels, overseeing the growth of its equity and management platform, facilitating the acquisition of over $250 million in hotels. Robert also has held roles at Choice Hotels, GFI Hospitality and Ernst & Young.

Education 

• Cornell University - BS Hotel Administration

Chanelle Maddox | Vice President - Finance and Accounting

Chanelle Maddox is responsible for finance and accounting practices across Excel Group’s portfolio. She has over 13 years experience as a finance professional working in FP&A and accounting, including SEC Reporting and external audit.

Prior to Excel Group, Chanelle was a Director at Park Hotels & Resorts, where she led a team of analysts focused on preparing and analyzing monthly and annual projections. Additionally, she provided data and assistance for presentations for investors, lenders and the Board of Directors. Her responsibilities also included the creation of performance reports and review of both quantitative and qualitative factors to evaluate portfolio performance.

Prior to Park Hotels & Resorts, Chanelle was a manager with The Siegfried Group, Senior Analyst with Hilton and Senior Assurance with Ernst & Young

Education 

• University of Pittsburgh - BS Business Administration, Accounting

TJ McDermott | Vice President - Asset Management

TJ McDermott co-leads the asset management of Excel Group’s portfolio. With over eight years of industry experience, TJ has asset managed over $1.3 billion of hotel assets.

Prior to Excel Group, TJ was an Associate at CWCapital, where he asset managed hospitality assets under receivership and foreclosure. Additionally, he underwrote over $750 million in hotel loans across numerous CMBS securitizations. Prior to CWCapital, TJ was an analyst in the asset management department at White Lodging.

Education

• Michigan State University - BA Hotel Business

Meesha Patel | Senior Associate - Finance

Meesha Patel is responsible for finance, accounting, cash management, treasury and human resources functions at Excel Group. Meesha has attained more than six years of hotel finance and accounting experience.

Over the course of her career, Meesha has coordinated the finance and accounting functions of over 30 hotels with a total capitalization in excess of $500 million. 

Education

• Pennsylvania State University - BA

Axelle Villefailleau | Senior Associate - Investments

Axelle Villefailleau is responsible for assisting with Excel Group’s acquisition and development activities. In her five years of industry experience, she has conducted valuations on more than 400 individual assets, ranging from budget hotels to luxury properties.

Prior to joining Excel Group, Axelle was a Senior Analyst at CBRE Hotels Valuation and Advisory in Paris, where she conducted single assets and portfolio valuations in excess of $1.5B in 2020.

Education

• Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne - BS International
  Hospitality Management

Somu Gowda | Senior Associate - Investments

Somu Gowda is responsible for assisting with Excel Group’s acquisition and development activities.

Prior to joining Excel Group, Somu was an Associate with Schulte Hospitality Group, where he underwrote purchase and management takeover opportunities for single assets as well as portfolios in excess of $1B. Somu also holds prior engineering and construction industry experience with reputable heavy-civil contractors including Traylor Bros, Swinerton and Balfour Beatty.

Education

• Stanford University - MS Civil & Environmental Engineering

• Indian Institute of Technology Madras - B.Tech Civil Engineering

Troy Marrero | Analyst - Asset Management

Troy Marrero is responsible for assisting with Excel Group’s asset management activities.

Prior to joining Excel Group, Troy graduated from Cornell University’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration with a BS in Hotel Administration. He has previously completed internships with BLADE Urban Air Mobility, Rove Ventures, and North Shore Hospitality Group.

Education

• Cornell University - BS Hotel Administration