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Starwood Capital Group Appoints Steven Hankin as Managing Director, Portfolio Operations

GREENWICH, Conn., March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Starwood Capital Group Global, LLC, a leading private investment firm, today named Steven Hankin as Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, giving him oversight over Starwood's portfolio of corporate investments. He will be based in Starwood Capital's headquarters in Greenwich, Connecticut and be part of the senior management team that reports directly to Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht.

"I am personally very excited to welcome Steve Hankin back to work with me," said Mr. Sternlicht. "Steve is a gifted executive who combines insightful strategic thought with rigorous discipline and execution skills. As a former McKinsey partner, major business unit head and an active CEO, Steve will make unique contributions to our team. At SCG, Steve will focus on acquisition transitions, helping our management teams set strategic direction and executing on those plans."

"I am excited to be joining such a well respected company and thrilled to be working for Barry Sternlicht again," said Mr. Hankin.

For the past six years, Mr. Hankin has been CEO of Sentient Jet, a privately held company. Launched in 1999, Sentient Jet is one of the leading private aviation companies in the country. Sentient has over 4,000 clients and its membership program remains the leading non-fractional program renowned for its service and its innovative safety program.

Before joining Sentient, Mr. Hankin joined Starwood Hotels and Resorts, working first as the head of strategic planning. He was promoted to President of Starwood Technology & Revenue Systems (STARS) with leadership of the hotel company's loyalty program (SPG), internet and distribution strategy. Starwood Preferred Guest, the loyalty program developed from scratch, became the industry's #1 loyalty program for six years in a row. After several years, Mr. Hankin was promoted to become the company's Chief Marketing Officer, adding to his role the areas of brand marketing, brand operations and creative services.

Prior to Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Mr. Hankin was a partner at McKinsey & Company, Inc., the international management-consulting firm, where he specialized in travel and transportation and organizational behavior. Mr. Hankin began his work with McKinsey & Company in the firm's New York office and then moved to Washington, D.C. to support the firm's efforts to expand in the Mid-Atlantic market. In 1996, Mr. Hankin moved to Charlotte, NC to open and lead a new office for the firm. In his thirteen years with the firm, Mr. Hankin served clients in parcel, rail, air as well as the travel agency business.

Mr. Hankin holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters in Business Administration degree from the Darden School of the University of Virginia. Mr. Hankin also serves on the board of advisors of ClubCorp and on the board of trustees of the United States Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation.

About Starwood Capital Group Global, LLC

Starwood Capital is a private, U.S.-based investment firm with a core focus on global real estate. Since the group's inception in 1991, the firm, through its various funds, has invested more than $6 billion of equity capital, representing $21 billion in assets. Starwood currently has approximately $13 billion of assets under management. Starwood maintains offices in Greenwich, Atlanta, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., London, Mumbai and Tokyo. Starwood has invested in nearly every class of real estate on a global basis, including office, retail, residential, senior housing, golf, hotels, resorts and industrial assets. Starwood and its affiliates have successfully executed an investment strategy that includes building enterprises around core real estate portfolios in both the private and public markets.

SOURCE Starwood Capital Group Global, LLC