About the Hotel Investment Conference

Thomas Laakso

Thomas Laakso joined CapMan in 2021 and is responsible for CapMan´s hotel investments.

Before CapMan, he worked at Marriott International since 2010, most recently as Vice President, International Hotel Development where he was responsible for hotel development efforts for all 30 brands in Central and Northern Europe. Before his time in hotel development, he was a senior associate at the hotel consulting and valuation practice of HVS in London where he provided financial advice, conducting feasibility studies, valuations, and return on investment analyses for hotels and mixed-use developments in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in addition to providing strategic and hands-on asset management support to hotels and restaurants.

Prior to HVS, Thomas worked in hotel operations, lastly as Director of Operations and Hotel Manager of the award winning Nine Zero Hotel in Boston. His 10-year hotel operations career include city and resort hotel experience across various disciplines with Seiler Hotels, Destination Hotels & Resorts and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in Europe, the Middle East and the USA.

Thomas divides his time between CapMan’s Helsinki office and Zurich.

Torgeir Silseth

Silseth’s first hotel related work experience was as a chef at Union Hotel in Geiranger, an effort that led to a prestigious trainee position at the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg. Torgeir started his career in Strawberry as Managing Director at Quality Hotel Hafjell in 1991. In 1996, he was employed as Operations Director for Scandinavia until he took up the position of Deputy CEO of Strawberry in 1999. 

In 2006 he was named CEO.

 Torgeir is chairman of the Nordic Leisure Travel Group, which includes the tour operators Ving, Globetrotter, Spies, Tjäreborg and the airline Sunclass Airlines. 

Torgeir Silseth has his education from the Norwegian Hotel Univerity College in Stavanger.

Gonzalo Aguilar

Gonzalo joined Minor Hotels in October 2024 and assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of
Minor Hotels, Europe and Americas, in January 2025. In this role, he oversees the company’s
operations and growth strategy across Europe and the Americas, leveraging his extensive industry
expertise to drive performance and innovation.
Gonzalo began his career with Marriott in 1994, advancing through Food and Beverage roles and
leadership positions in the Americas, including General Manager roles in Miami, Costa Rica, the US
Virgin Islands, and Brazil, where he also served as Country General Manager.

In 2010, he transitioned to Europe as Vice President of Operations for AC Hotels by Marriott,
successfully leading the integration of AC Hotels into Marriott’s global systems, including sales
and marketing platforms, eCommerce, and loyalty programs. He later held prominent leadership roles
as Area Vice President for Southern Europe and Eastern Europe, overseeing operations in diverse markets and driving significant growth in both regions.
Before joining Minor Hotels, Gonzalo served as Chief Operations Officer for Europe at Marriott
International from 2020, where he was responsible for overseeing a diverse portfolio of hotels and
ensuring operational excellence across the region. Under his
leadership, the European portfolio achieved significant growth and profitability, even during
challenging times for the industry.
Gonzalo’s career reflects a consistent track record of delivering operational excellence, achieving
strong financial results, and inspiring teams in complex, multicultural environments. His broad
expertise across regions, brands, and strategic initiatives positions him as a visionary leader in
the global hospitality industry.

Heleri Rande

Originally from Estonia, Heleri has lived in seven countries and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from New York University in Economics and Business, as well as an executive MBA in Hospitality Administration from École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Switzerland.

After leading Puccini Group’s growth in EMEA for two years after graduation, she has partnered with Think Hospitality to deliver on F&B strategy projects helping brands and owners assess the market, find the right concept positioning for the properties through strategic advice and review. Her focus is mostly on hotel and mall development projects with a portfolio that includes the likes of Accor, Hilton, Kempinski, Puro Hotels and Peel Holdings.

She is the Consulting Editor of Supper Magazine and programme director at various major hospitality events around the world. She co-founded Ideas-Flavours-Experiences, the leading gastronomy event in the Baltics and the New Baltic Hospitality Forum, the first hotel focused event in the region. Heleri also sits on the board of the Global Restaurant Investment Forum and is the Stammvater of the UK Chapter of EHL Alumni Network.

Christian Kielgast

Christian Kielgast is a partner and has been an integral part of building up and expanding NHC since joining the company in 2008.  The main area of activity is advising investors on hotel transactions, development projects including operator searches and contract negotiations as well as M&A advisory. Over the years, Christian has advised on hotel transactions and development projects with a combined aggregate value in excess of 3 billion EUR. Christian is based on NHC’s Copenhagen office but is active across the Nordics and coordinate cross-border clients and projects.

Christian is a honors graduate from the prestigious hotel management school Ecôle Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Switzerland.

Edvard Øverlier

Edvard Øverlier is an Associate Partner in Nordic Hotel Consulting, focusing on advising real-estate investors and developers. Edvard joined NHC in August 2021 and has since worked on numerous assignments across the Nordics, e.g. hotel transactions, operators searches, property valuations, and development projects.

Edvard holds an BBA with Distinction Honours from the leading hotel management school, Glion Insititute of Higher Education in Switzerland. Edvard specialised in International Hotel Development & Finance, and during his studies he actively participated in the student life, e.g., as President of the Networking Committee.