New York, N.Y., USA - May 21, 2015, New York, N.Y., USA - Morgans Hotel Group Co. announced that Jason T. Kalisman has resigned as interim chief executive officer of the company, and will remain a member of the board.
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Mr. Kalisman was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors in June 2013. He also served as a member of the group Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee from July 2011 through March 2013 and has been one of the Directors since April 2011.
Mr. Kalisman is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Talisman Group, an investment firm. He is also founding member of OTK Associates, LLC.
Prior to founding The Talisman Group in 2012, Mr. Kalisman was a Vice President of GEM Realty Capital, Inc. from 2010 to 2012, a Financial Analyst in 2009, and an Associate in both the Real Estate and Structured Products Groups at Goldman Sachs from 2001 to 2007.
From 2008 to 2010, Mr. Kalisman attended Stanford Graduate School of Business where he earned his Master of Business Administration and was also a recipient of their Certificate in Global Management. Mr. Kalisman was awarded his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Harvard College. He has also earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Howard M. Lorber, veteran real estate investor and member of Morgans Board, has been named Chairman.
Mr. Lorber is President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Vector Group Ltd. and Chairman of Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC, a majority-owned subsidiary of Vector Group, which operates the largest residential brokerage company in the New York City metropolitan area and the fourth-largest in the United States.
Mr. Lorber has been with Vector Group and its diversified interests since 1994. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nathan’s Famous, Inc., a chain of fast food restaurants, a director of United Capital Corp., a real estate investment and diversified manufacturing company, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services.
Mr. Lorber holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Master of Science degree in Taxation and an Honorary Doctorate from Long Island University, where he is also a trustee.
The Board intends to continue its CEO search and in the interim, Richard Szymanski, Chief Financial Officer, will temporarily assume the duties of the principal executive officer for securities law reporting purposes.
Mr. Szymanski is the group's Chief Financial Officer. Before joining the company in 2005, Mr. Szymanski was the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Prime Hospitality LLC. From 2003 to 2004, Mr. Szymanski was the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Prime Hospitality Corp. ■