The fund has an experienced Management Team and Advisory Board from Trans Pacific and its investment bank. Their decades of combined experience in the global property and hospitality businesses is a commitment to doing business on both sides of the Pacific and is key to the future success of the fund.
With offices in the US, Europe, and Hong Kong, Trans Pacific USA is well positioned to leverage our deep network of relationships to acquire off-market and under market value properties across the Pacific Rim, as well as to leverage these opportunities to channel capital sources across the Pacific.
FUND MANAGEMENT
JOHN C. HARPER, III – CHAIRMAN
Pursuing his long-held interests in international business, John explores new global markets, facilitates expansion possibilities and business development opportunities, working with and on behalf of Fund investors. With primary bases in Hong Kong and Southern California, John brings his experience in consulting, global leadership, cross cultural relationships, team and organization building, public relations and project management. John’s business contacts have seen him traveling extensively through the past two decades, specifically in Asia. He has been actively engaged in a variety of business development projects in Asia, notably in Hong Kong/Macau, China, India and Japan, as well as other areas in the Pacific Rim region. With a long-time interest in the region, including PhD studies in Asian religions, and extensive working experience in and cultural and business knowledge of the region, John has established a network of relationships in the Asia Pacific market. John has been actively engaged in the North America and Asia Pacific hospitality sector since 2004.
LARRY KIMBALL – CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER
Larry brings with him a broad background encompassing over 30 years in hospitality operations and real estate investment. Mr. Kimball’s extensive experience in hospitality, finance and commercial real estate will be a tremendous asset to the Fund. His CFO experience ranges from a NYSE subsidiary with 1,100 employees to information technology start-ups. Mr. Kimball’s real estate development responsibilities have included theentitlement, design, financing, and asset management of several large public-private hotel and mixed-use projects totaling ~1,200 keys with combined development costs of $600+ million. He has been CFO of a real estate platform company. Kimball received his Certified Hotel Administrator designation at the inaugural CHA awards ceremony in Honolulu.
EXECUTIVE ADVISORY BOARD
JOSEPH WONG, FAIA – JOSEPH WONG DESIGN ASSOCIATES
With over 36 years of award-winning international experience and as a Fellow, American Institute of Architects, Joe’s counsel is invaluable. He has offices in San Diego, California and Shenzhen and he is aware of real estate trends globally. JWDA received the 2015 Gold Nugget Grand Award for the Beijing Hutong Courtyard Villages, the highest honor awarded for an International On-the-Boards project in the Commercial and Residential category. The Hutong Courtyard Villages transform the 2000-year old traditional home of Beijing, known as the hutong or quadrangle, into a reimagined place. The use of modern materials and a play on its social and physical relationship to the surrounding context converts the historic icon into a desirable, modern and culturally relevant way of life. He is a Registered Architect in five US states, and his degrees are M. Landscape Arch. Harvard University, M. Arch., University of California, Berkeley, and B.A. (Hon.), University of California, Berkeley.
JOHN E. SMALL – HOSPITALITY
Mr. Small, currently Chairman of Blue Mountain Resorts, has worked on six continents and has held key management positions at some of the world’s leading properties, with perhaps the broadest and most extensive background in the hospitality industry. He has operated hotels, resorts, safari game lodges and cruise ships. Mr. Small’s most notable accomplishment was transforming the Shangri La Hotel Singapore into the number one hotel in the world, a title held for multiple years. He recently held positions as the Chairman of ResortCom International and Vice Chairman of LaTour Hotels and Resorts. Previously, Mr. Small was Senior Vice President of RCI and Chief Operating Officer of RCI Management, the most highly awarded and regarded management group in the timeshare and vacation ownership industry.
CRAIG R. TAYLOR – MARKETING & CORPORATE LEADERSHIP
Craig R. Taylor is an experienced corporate executive and global consultant. He spent many years as a marketing and business development executive at The Walt Disney Company, based at one of the world’s top tourist destinations, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. His financial services experience includes American Express Company, focused on a wide range of talent management strategies, and as Vice President of Marketing at M2 Systems, a global transaction management and payments processing firm. Craig’s consulting experience includes over a decade at Wilson Learning Corporation, one of the world’s preeminent sales performance and leadership development firms, and Talent Keepers, where he was Vice President of Client Services. His consulting clients include Accenture, DreamWorks, Fidelity, Hilton, Marriott, PWC, Amoco, Denver Water, AT&T, General Motors, Ford, and many more throughout North America and Europe. Craig is an award-winning author and speaker at national conferences and events. His new book, Talent Keepers: How Top Leaders Engage and Retain Their Best Performers, was released by Wiley in April 2019.