Michael Blake became the SVP and chief technology officer at the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) in 2021 when AHLA joined forces with the previous separate entity, Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG), who now serves as the company’s technology arm.

HTNG is dedicated to harness the collective wisdom of technology leaders across hospitality to solve common problems and unlock global business potential.

Before HTNG, Mike served as the Chief Information Officer of Commune Hotels & Resorts, a small boutique international chain, and previously was the CIO for Hyatt Hotels Corporation where he set the technology direction for their global footprint.

Mike additionally has over 20 years of experience in finance and technology in various roles. Before his CIO positions with Commune and Hyatt, Mike was SVP of IT for First Data, CFO of IT Finance at Kaiser Permanente and Director of IT Finance for Sears. Before that, Mike held multiple finance roles with United Airlines, including the controller of the IT organization.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Utah, received his MBA in Finance and Economics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and also his MS in Information Technology from Northwestern University.

In 2020, Mike was inducted into the esteemed HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame joining just 46 other individuals since 1989. Mike also maintains several credentials and licenses: CAE, CPA, CMA, CISA, CITP and is an IEEE Senior Member.