LTH’s founder Michael Ball is an experienced Manager and CEO who has built and led companies in the international hospitality and travel distribution sectors. He has also served at Board level for several major multinationals in both an Executive and non Executive capacity and currently Chairs a UK based Hotel Management Company in addition to running LTH Advisors.
Michael began his career in the UK at the international hospitality and leisure consultancy Horwath & Horwath and later at Utell International helping it to develop it into one of the world’s largest pioneering hotel distribution companies. There he founded and was Managing Director at Summit International Hotels, Insignia Resorts and Golden Tulip International. The Company was later acquired by News Corporation and became part of Reed Elsevier’s travel group and REZsolutions.
Michael has since worked in the Germany, the USA and Hong Kong in a variety of senior operational and entrepreneurial leadership roles in major hotel groups and distribution technology enterprises. He went on to become Group Sales and Marketing Director for Shangri – La Hotels and Resorts, at the time, Asia’s largest and foremost luxury hotel group. Based in Hong Kong, he was responsible for the global sales and marketing of the group and its re-positioning and expansion of the group in China and beyond.
Later he relocated to Frankfurt, Germany to become CEO of SRS-Worldhotels. A series of “roll up” acquisitions and a private equity backed MBO followed that led to the creation of IHS GmbH, a global provider of marketing, CRS technology, training and distribution services to over 100 international hotel groups, with 20,000 hotels, processing over US $ 3.0 billion TTV annually. IHS comprised of Worldhotels, Trust International, IFH AG and Nexus World Service.
I.H.S. was successfully sold to a US based private equity company in 2013, Michael then returned to the UK and established LTH Advisors in 2014. He continues to advise both UK and overseas companies and participates as a speaker and presenter at various hospitality and travel forums.
He works with a group of affilates with huge experience and understanding in this market, who together form a unique resource for advice, planning and implementation,