Mr. Bedsole, who has 22 years of industry experience, will be a practice leader in our Dallas office and add depth to PricewaterhouseCoopers advisory initiatives in Latin America and the Southwestern United States. His appointment comes at a time of improving operating results in Latin America, specifically in Mexico.

Prior to joining PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mr. Bedsole was a leading consultant serving Latin America and served as the practice leader for Latin America in Ernst & Young LLP's Real Estate Advisory Services Group for seven years. Prior to his tenure at Ernst & Young, he served as director of development for Jack Tar Village Resorts, Inc. and was responsible for new resort development and acquisitions in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Mr. Bedsole is a member of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and the Urban Land Institute's Mexico Council.  He is a frequent speaker at key industry conferences on lodging development and operations in Latin America.  He has authored numerous articles for industry publications, including Globe St.com, The Wall Street Journal, National Hotel Executive, and Hotels magazine. Mr. Bedsole received a degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1982.

"We are delighted to welcome Chuck to the team," said Bjorn Hanson, Ph.D., global industry leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Chuck is a seasoned professional, with over 22 years of experience providing advisory services and counsel to a variety of clients. Chuck will be a tremendous resource to our team and our clients."