Tony Ressler to Headline Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series at the 2026 Hunter Conference

Atlanta, Georgia (February 10, 2026) – Tony Ressler, Co-Founder, Executive Chairman and Director of Ares Management Corporation and Principal Owner and Governor of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, will headline the Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series at the 2026 Hunter Conference. Presented in partnership with Noble Investment Group and the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration at Georgia State University, the series will feature Ressler in an in-depth conversation with Mit Shah, Founder and CEO of Noble Investment Group. Drawing on their shared experience building institutions designed to endure, the discussion will explore leadership, purpose, and the responsibility of stewardship across business, sports, and community impact.

Honoring Visionary Leadership and the American Dream

Established in honor of Mit’s immigrant father, the Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series has become a hallmark of the Hunter Conference and celebrates visionary leaders whose journeys reflect faith, perseverance, and the pursuit of the American Dream. The series offers a rare, candid look into the leadership philosophies and defining moments of those who have shaped industries and institutions at the highest levels. It also reflects Shah’s belief that leadership is shaped by where we come from and defined by how we serve over time.

“Tony’s life and career fully embody the belief that lives of meaning and enduring institutions are built through discipline, humility, and long-term vision,” said Mit Shah. “I am deeply proud to call him both a friend and a partner. Across business, education, philanthropy, and professional sports, he exemplifies the values this series was created to celebrate.”

From Finance to Philanthropy

Ressler co-founded Ares Management in 1997 and has been instrumental in building the firm into one of the world’s preeminent global alternative investment platforms, entrusted with nearly $623 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Over a four-decade career that also includes co-founding Apollo Global Management, Ressler has exemplified disciplined risk-taking, institutional stewardship, and the ability to build enduring institutions across cycles. As Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Ares, he serves on multiple investment committees spanning private equity, credit, and sports, media and entertainment, reinforcing a governance-driven approach to capital allocation.

Beyond global finance, Ressler applies the same long-term ownership and stewardship mindset through education, philanthropy, and professional sports - including through the Ressler Gertz Family Foundation; as Principal Owner and Governor of the Board of the Atlanta Hawks; as Senior Advisor to the Hawks Foundation and a Founding Member of the NBA Foundation; as Co-Chair of the Board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); and through his support of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, where more than 90% of graduates advance to college. His career and life’s work embody the immigrant-driven ambition, resilience, and belief in opportunity at the heart of the Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series.

A Distinguished Lineup of Industry Icons

Previous Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series honorees include Arne Sorenson, Chris Nassetta, Mark Hoplamazian, Mark Elliott, Vince Carter, Grant Hill, Sara Blakely, Jesse Itzler, Geoff Ballotti, Leslie Hale, and Jim Risoleo.

“One of the most powerful aspects of the Hunter Conference is the opportunity to bring attendees closer to the personal stories behind extraordinary success,” said Lee Hunter, Chairman of Hunter Conference. “This session reflects Mit’s conviction that leadership is not inherited or accidental, but earned through stewardship, responsibility, and service over time. Tony Ressler’s journey - spanning global finance, long-term ownership in professional sports, and community impact - exemplifies that philosophy and will resonate deeply across our audience.”

Join Us at HUNTER 2026

The 2026 Hunter Conference will take place March 16–18, 2026, at Signia by Hilton Atlanta, once again convening the hospitality industry’s top leaders, investors, and innovators for two full days of thought leadership, networking, and deal-making.

About Hunter Conference

The Hunter Conference is our industry-leading event tailored to education and networking for hotel owners, developers and investors. More than 2,000 hospitality professionals gather annually in Atlanta to learn, connect and build their businesses, creating a unique opportunity for industry professionals to forge new partnerships and expand their horizons. With presentations from leaders and luminaries, the Hunter Conference is the hotel industry’s can’t miss event of the year. For more information, visit www.hunterconference.co or contact the Atlanta headquarters at 770-916-0300. 

About Noble Investment Group

With more than $5 billion in assets under management and a three-decade track record of cycle-tested performance, Noble brings scale, consistency, and disciplined execution to real estate investment management in the travel and hospitality sector. As a fiduciary to globally recognized institutional investors, including pension plans, endowments, foundations, wealth managers, and insurance companies, Noble is entrusted to preserve and compound capital across market cycles by focusing on durable, risk-adjusted outcomes. Recognized over multiple years among PERE’s Top 200 Global Investment Managers and named a Best Place to Work by Pensions & Investments and the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Noble’s investment philosophy centers on enduring performance, partnership, and purpose.

For more information, please visit www.nobleinvestment.com.

About Georgia State University

The Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration within the J. Mack Robinson College of Business is a co-founder of the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference. Georgia State University provides its world-class faculty and more than 52,000 students from over 130 nations and territories with unsurpassed connections to opportunities in one of the 21st century’s great global cities. A national leader in graduating students from diverse backgrounds, including more than 3,000 international students, more African American students graduate each year from Georgia State than any other public or nonprofit higher education institution in the United States. Georgia State is the #1 public or nonprofit university in Georgia to confer undergraduate and graduate degrees to African Americans, Asians, and Latinos. It is ranked the #2 most innovative and #1 public university for its strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.