Jim Anhut
REIM Director | Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI, UNITED STATES
Jim Anhut has been a popular and frequent guest speaker at Emory University and Michigan State University throughout his career.
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Biography
Jim joined the faculty of the School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University in August 2019 as director of the Hospitality Business Real Estate minor. He retained his position as operating partner with Passionality Group, an investment firm focused on accelerating the growth of early stage hospitality concepts. He is also a board member of Ceterus, Inc., a SaaS enabled accounting and financial reporting services enterprise providing support for small business enterprises, accounting firms and franchisees.
Jim grew up in the hospitality business beside his grandfather and father. Throughout his successful 35-year career he has held numerous executive leadership positions and diverse operating roles including: General Manager, VP Real Estate, SVP Brand Management, SVP Design, Architecture and Construction, SVP Franchise Development and Chief Development Officer. He has led teams across some of the world’s leading hospitality and restaurant companies namely: The Residence Inn Company (prior to its acquisition by Marriott International), Choice Hotels International, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Dine Brands Global.
Jim was mentored by some of the industry’s most inspiring and imaginative leaders and educators, honing his abilities to assess trends, develop strategies, attract talent, build teams, and execute complex initiatives. Jim is recognized as a serial “intrapreneur” having orchestrated the creation and growth of five innovative hospitality brands, led the acquisition or development of real estate assets exceeding $1.0 billion total investment, built service-focused franchisee support systems, successfully completed the delivery of complex renovation and remodel programs and overseen the sale of over 1,000 franchises.
Jim received a bachelor's degree in marketing from Emory University and a master’s degree in hospitality business from Michigan State University. He has been a popular and frequent guest speaker at both universities throughout his career. He is a member of the of the board of directors of the Michigan State University School of Hospitality Business Alumni Association and one of the founding alumni of the Real Estate and Investment Management program at Michigan State University. Jim was recently asked to join the industry advisory council at Georgia State University’s Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality.
Industry Expertise (3)
Research
Education/Learning
Hospitality
Areas of Expertise (5)
Real Estate
Restaurant Management
Franchising
Entrepreneurship
Hospitality Leadership
Education (2)
Emory University: B.B.A., Marketing 1980
Michigan State University: M.B.A., Hospitality Management 1985
Affiliations (4)
- Ceterus, Inc : Board Member
- Michigan State University School of Hospitality Business Alumni Association : Board Member
- American Hotel and Lodging Association : Extended Stay Lodging Council founding member
- Atlanta Hospitality Alliance : Founding member
Links (1)
News (5)
Jim Anhut has been appointed Interim President and Chief Development Officer at WaterWalk
Hospitality Net online
2023-08-22
Thenation's most innovative flexible lodging brand, WaterWalk, today announced the appointment of Jim Anhut to interim president and chief development officer to support the strategic expansion of its next-generation product.
Hotel Technology: Crossing Another Rubicon
HotelExecutive.com online
2023-01-23
If you think back to one of your World History classes, you may remember reading about Julius Caesar crossing the river Rubicon in 49 BC.
Affordable housing a problem as demand continues to outstrip supply
City Pulse online
2023-01-19
Jim Anhut spent 35 years in commercial real estate and now directs the real estate minor at Michigan State University. He said there are already signs that inflation in building materials has significantly cooled, and even feels optimistic about the housing market’s future in 2023 and 2024.
People On The Move: Virgin, Hilton, Zadún
Hotels magazine online
2022-03-08
WaterWalk, Wichita, Kansas, has expanded its leadership team with the addition of Lili Tomovich, David Grissenand Jim Anhut to its board of directors. Tomovich currently serves as the chief marketing officer of Barclays U.S. Consumer Bank. Grissen previously acted as group president for Marriott International until his retirement in April 2021. Anhut most recently served as director of the hospitality business real estate minor at Michigan State University.
Technology: Virtuoso or Vampire?
HotelExecutive.com online
2022-01-02
The view that hospitality is in the eye of the beholder has been around for years in one form or another. Versions of the idea were floated by writers such as Confucius, Benjamin Franklin, and David Hume.
