Eco Stay Awards judges
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Lydia Tiasiri - Design Director & Chief Sustainability Officer, Fenn Designers
Lydia Tiasiri is an award-winning interior architect and sustainability expert, leading Fenn Designers Studio. With degrees from Florence and New York, and credentials including NCIDQ, LEED, WELL, and Green Globe, Lydia specialises in sustainable designs for hospitality and commercial spaces. She also oversees Fenn Designers' sustainability consultancy, guiding clients in implementing eco-friendly practices and achieving global certifications.
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Kristin Thorsteins - Partner, Portman Investment
Kristin brings 20 years of international hotel and real estate development experience, with a deep commitment to sustainability. As an active advisor and investor, she supports sustainability-linked hotels and start-ups, helping to drive eco-conscious solutions in the hospitality industry. Kristin’s career spans leadership roles at HVS, Club Med, and IWG plc, where she has consistently championed innovative approaches to reducing environmental impact.
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Maitri Fischer - Co-founder & Principal ESD Engineer, Eco Mantra
Maitri co-founded Eco Mantra, a sustainable design and engineering consultancy based in Bali. His work integrates environmentally sustainable design (ESD) principles across hospitality and real estate projects, collaborating with top brands like Potato Head, COMO, and Alila Hotels. With a commitment to eco-friendly development, Maitri has become a key figure in guiding projects toward sustainable innovation, helping transform destinations into model examples of responsible tourism.
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Jayne MacDougall - Executive Director, Phuket Hotels Association
Jayne is the Executive Director of the Phuket Hotels Association, with over 20 years of experience in hospitality and environmental initiatives. She has spearheaded efforts to reduce plastic waste and implement sustainable practices within Phuket’s hospitality sector. Jayne fosters collaboration between hotels, NGOs, and local governments, ensuring that the island’s tourism industry moves towards a greener, more sustainable future.
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Bill Barnett - Managing Director, C9 Hotelworks
Bill is a hospitality and real estate advisor with over 35 years of experience in Asia Pacific. As Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks, he has helped shape sustainable practices in the region’s tourism and hotel sectors. Bill regularly speaks at industry events, promoting eco-friendly development and responsible tourism, positioning himself as a key voice in the shift towards sustainability in the hospitality industry.
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Cyndy Tan Jarabat - CEO, TAJARA Hospitality Group
Cyndy Tan Jarabata is the CEO of TAJARA Hospitality Group, with over 25 years of experience in hospitality, tourism, and real estate development. She leads consulting projects across Asia, focusing on sustainable growth and development strategies. Cyndy is passionate about integrating eco-conscious practices into hotel development, working closely with owners, developers, and investment funds to create greener, more resilient hospitality projects.
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Steve Carroll - Head of Hotels & Hospitality, Capital Markets Asia Pacific, CBRE
Steve leads CBRE’s Hotels & Hospitality division for Asia Pacific, specialising in hotel investment and sustainable development. With extensive experience across investment, asset management, and advisory services, Steve works closely with clients to integrate eco-friendly solutions into hospitality projects. His leadership has positioned CBRE as a key player in advancing sustainability within the region’s tourism and real estate industries.
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Jessica Wiseman - International heritage law and policy specialist
Jessica specialises in international heritage law, focusing on sustainable, community-centred stewardship models. With a background in archaeology and heritage, she advocates for preserving cultural heritage through collaborative efforts between communities, businesses, and governments. Her work emphasises the importance of sustainability in protecting Southeast Asia’s cultural legacy, promoting responsible tourism and business practices that benefit both local populations and their environments.
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Charles Blocker - Founder & CEO, IC Partners Limited
Charles is the founder of IC Partners Ltd., a capital management firm focused on real estate and hospitality investments in ASEAN. With extensive experience in driving investment strategies for sustainable growth, he advocates for the integration of eco-friendly practices in hospitality projects. Charles actively supports start-ups and technologies that promote sustainability, helping to scale innovative solutions that address environmental challenges in the built environment.
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Nicholas Cocks - Founder, Velocity Ventures Singapore
Nicholas is the founder of Velocity Ventures, Southeast Asia’s leading travel and hospitality-focused venture capital firm. An entrepreneur and investor, Nicholas focuses on supporting start-ups that drive sustainable innovation in the hospitality industry. His background in real estate and construction informs his investment strategies, ensuring that eco-friendly technologies and business models are at the forefront of hospitality’s future growth.
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Charlotte Piffard - Leader, EXO Foundation
Charlotte leads the EXO Foundation with a focus on embedding responsible tourism into the core of EXO Travel's operations. With over eight years of experience in the tourism sector, particularly with Destination Management Companies, she specialises in sustainability certifications like Travelife and the GSTC. Charlotte is dedicated to building partnerships with local communities and global stakeholders to drive impactful sustainability initiatives across Asia, including Nepal, Cambodia, and Thailand, ensuring that tourism contributes positively to communities and the environment.
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Vojtech Vegh - Founder of Surplus
Vojtech Vegh is a zero-waste, plant-based chef and author of Surplus: The Food Waste Guide for Chefs. In 2018, he founded the world’s first zero-waste vegan restaurant in Cambodia. Today, Vojtech helps chefs worldwide reduce food waste and implement sustainable kitchen practices. His guide is widely read by hospitality professionals, solidifying his role as a thought leader in reducing food waste and promoting sustainability within the global food and beverage industry.
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Marc Bichet - Partner, YouMakeMe Agency
Marc is a strategic thinker with over 15 years of experience in marketing and product development for the hospitality industry. As Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at YouMakeMe Agency, he connects businesses with sustainable solutions, helping brands in Asia, Europe, and the US innovate and grow responsibly. Marc excels in aligning business objectives with eco-conscious branding and development strategies.
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Jan Hollister - Founder, STAMBYTESSPECIALISTEN
Jan has over 20 years of experience in hospitality and construction, specialising in sustainable design and renovations. Based in Stockholm, his start-up focuses on apartment block renovations with an emphasis on eco-friendly materials and practices. Jan is committed to community engagement and sustainable development, believing that collaborative business models and local insights are key to creating lasting environmental and social impact in the built environment.
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Mauro Gasparotti - Director, Savills Hotels
Mauro leads Savills Hotels' Southeast Asia operations, focusing on hotel investment, consultancy, and sustainable development. With extensive experience in valuation and asset management, he is known for fostering sustainability within the hospitality sector. Mauro also founded WeHub Vietnam, hosting hospitality events that highlight sustainable practices and innovations, ensuring that eco-friendly solutions are at the forefront of industry discussions and developments.
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Patrick Keane - Director, Enter Projects Asia
Patrick, an award-winning architect, leads Enter Projects Asia, a firm specialising in sustainable design and natural materials. His projects span hospitality and wellness, including eco-conscious developments that integrate innovative technologies and environmental design. With a focus on rebuilding the world with sustainable solutions, Patrick’s work has earned international recognition for advancing green architecture in the global hospitality industry.
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Louis Thompson - Founder & CEO, Nomadic Resorts
Louis is the founder of Nomadic Resorts, an award-winning architectural and landscape design firm focused on experiential and sustainable hospitality projects. His notable work includes the Playa Viva treehouses in Mexico and Wild Coast Tented Lodge in Sri Lanka. Louis is dedicated to eco-conscious design, with his projects recognised globally for innovation in sustainable tourism and conservation, setting new standards for eco-friendly luxury experiences in natural environments.
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Claudio Cerquetti - President CONTINEWM® Overseas
Claudio has been a developer for CONTINEWM® Asia’s energy-saving technologies across 23 countries since 2001. As Sustainability & Environment Director for SKAL Koh Samui, he champions eco-conscious practices in the local hospitality sector. His work focuses on energy efficiency and environmental stewardship, with a passion for promoting Koh Samui as a sustainable travel destination, ensuring that global travellers experience the island in the most eco-friendly way possible.
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Paul Ashburn - Partner, HLB Thailand, Supervising Partner of the Tuu Eco Stay Awards
Paul has over 30 years of experience in professional services across Asia, supporting Tuu’s mission since its inception. As Partner at HLB Thailand, he oversees the Tuu Eco Stay Awards, drawing on his expertise in supervising high-profile awards, such as the Asia Property Awards. Paul advocates for sustainable design and construction in the region, playing a pivotal role in recognising and advancing eco-friendly practices within the real estate and hospitality industries.
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Emma Gray - Vice President of Marketing and Strategy, Delivering Asia
Emma brings over a decade of marketing expertise, leading campaigns for top hospitality and real estate brands. As Vice President at Delivering Asia, she drives sustainability-focused strategies that promote eco-friendly practices across Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore. Emma’s dedication to social responsibility extends beyond her professional achievements, including founding the Mini Heart Project, an initiative supporting communities in Thailand through sustainable development efforts.
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Ian Hally
With over 30 years in global real estate capital markets, Ian Hally serves as CEO of GreenPlace, focusing on data-driven solutions to expedite decarbonisation in the built environment. Ian has successfully launched and grown businesses across the UK, Europe, and Asia, contributing to innovations in the built environment.
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