THE TEAM
ALAIN PIALLAT
Alain Piallat, a 35-year veteran of the Hotel and Hospitality Industry, is the Managing Director and Founder of Valley of the Moon Partners. In this role, Alain uses his extensive network and business acumen to match corporations and individuals with strategic opportunities and partnerships. As President of Marriott Hotels of Canada and Senior Vice President of Marriott Lodging in the Midwestern part of the US, Alain was responsible for the management of some 350 hotels under different brand names. He guided the development of the Revenue, Sales & Marketing strategies required to maximize sales and profits in each of these various businesses. Alain was CEO of Beverage Metrics, a high-tech company whose wireless inventory solutions are working to solve the endemic problem of “shrinkage” in the beverage area of the hospitality industry. Most recently, Alain served as the President of Juvenal Mozart overseeing the management of the Marriott Renaissance Hotel in Aix-en-Provence, France. During his career, Alain has served as Chairman of the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, was on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement International and for the Hotel School of Management at Michigan State University, and was a member of the Advisory Board of the School of Hospitality at Guelph University in Ontario, Canada. alain@valleyofthemoonpartners.com | (707) 236-2677 |
Zach Lawrence
Zach Lawrence is the Managing Director and co-founder of Valley of the Moon Partners. Zach has held senior operations and management positions in technology and direct-to-consumer e-commerce, and has provided consulting services across many more industries including property management, sponsorship, and throughout the energy sector. Most recently, Zach served as the Director of Operations at Level Sleep, a direct to consumer mattress company, where he led the company from early stage start-up through acquisition. Prior to the operational role in e-commerce, Zach guided product development and led the sales to install process for a hospitality technology company selling to Fortune 500 companies including Hyatt, Disney, and MGM. Zach understands the unique operational and marketing strategies required for businesses to succeed in their specific market niche, and he excels at bringing those strategies to fruition. Expertise in Operations, Product, and Project Management, Process Design and Automation, Financial and Business Management. zach@valleyofthemoonpartners.com | (707) 343-8588 |
LEIF LENDROP
Leif became a partner with VOMP in October 2020. In his role, Leif is focused on business development and uses his network and sales experience in a consultative manner to match corporations and individuals with strategic opportunities and partnerships. Leif was born and raised in Sweden. After completing military cadet school and serving in the Army Leif moved to England and worked for the Savoy Hotel Group, followed by an assignment with Steigenberger Hotels in Germany. From there Leif spent time at famed winery Bouchard & Fils in Beaune, France. After graduating with a BSBA in Hotel Management from University of Denver Leif joined Marriott International. With the exception of a few sales leadership assignments with other hotel companies, Leif spent 26 successful years with Marriott in the sales & marketing discipline. leif@valleyofthemoonpartners.com | (415) 602-4687 |
Paul Somogyi
Paul spent 30 successful years with Marriott International serving in multiple property, regional and corporate sales & marketing leadership roles based in London, Paris, Warsaw, Brussels, San Francisco and Washington D.C. Paul lead Marriott’s sales and customer engagement strategies for Mid-Market (Corporate), Government and Affinity (Amateur Youth Sports, Religious, Fraternal & Multi-Cultural) segments, representing over $1B in annual sales. Paul served as co-chair of the General Services Administration’s Governmentwide Travel Advisory Committee and was named one of the 25 Most Influential People In The Meetings Industry by “Successful Meetings” in July 2014. Paul also has expertise in strategic global account management leading B2B relationships with Fortune 500 companies, including ExxonMobil, Lockheed Martin and many others. Prior to joining VOMP, Paul acquired valuable knowledge of the leisure travel industry and distribution channels, as Director of Sales & Business Development with a luxury tour operator and also developed his own personal travel site: PlaceEnvy Paul is an innovative results driven sales & business development executive adept in building solid relationships. He uses his vast network and business acumen to create successful opportunities for all parties. paul@valleyofthemoonpartners.com | (703) 395-7783 | Linkedin |
OUR STORY
THE SAN FRANCISCO MARRIOTT MARQUIS
The story of Valley of the Moon Partners begins on October 17, 1989, the opening day of the San Francisco Marriott Marquis and the same day of the Loma Prieta earthquake. Alain Piallat was the presiding General Manager, and Leif Lendrop and Paul Somogyi were activating the sales effort at the hotel. The new hotel stood firm through the earthquake with relatively minor scrapes. Through Alain’s leadership in the immediate aftermath and years following the earthquake, the hotel quickly established its international reputation as a highly successful convention hotel.*
Some would read into this origin story as one that began on shaky ground (literally and figuratively). However, the experience gained in managing through challenging times developed leadership qualities and provided insights still applicable in hospitality today.
As often happens, Alain, Leif, and Paul’s career paths diverged, but they stayed in touch with an occasional telephone call, email, or lunch in the wine country.
Alain finished his career as the President for Marriott Hotels in Canada. After retiring from Marriott in 2005, Alain led a hospitality technology company, where he hired Zach Lawrence as VP of Operations. Alain and Zach would later create VMSA (Valley of the Moon Sponsorship Agency), a management consulting firm specializing in high-end corporate sponsorship, in 2012 and have worked together since.
Paul worked in leadership positions at Marriott, including 20 years in Global Sales, until 2018, when he entered the international luxury travel industry and continued to deliver exceptional business development strategies with successful results. Leif remained with Marriott for 26 years, completing his tenure in 2020, working for 11-years as a Regional Sales Leader for Marriott International.
Then came the pandemic. Alain and Zach were approached about a new business opportunity and needed support with a challenging project. Over a glass of wine, Alain, Zach, and Leif agreed to join forces, and through a creative rebranding process, VMSA became VOMP, or Valley of the Moon Partners.
Leif needed access to a decision-maker in an industry affiliated with the project and knew the person that could deliver on this was Paul Somogyi. As Leif and Paul discussed the project, Paul quickly became committed to the work VOMP was doing, and shortly after that, Paul joined forces as a Partner.
Our combined strengths and networks deliver exceptional value to our clients, and we look forward to doing so for you.
Our history is the prelude to the future… We want to take you to the moon and back!
Some would read into this origin story as one that began on shaky ground (literally and figuratively). However, the experience gained in managing through challenging times developed leadership qualities and provided insights still applicable in hospitality today.
As often happens, Alain, Leif, and Paul’s career paths diverged, but they stayed in touch with an occasional telephone call, email, or lunch in the wine country.
Alain finished his career as the President for Marriott Hotels in Canada. After retiring from Marriott in 2005, Alain led a hospitality technology company, where he hired Zach Lawrence as VP of Operations. Alain and Zach would later create VMSA (Valley of the Moon Sponsorship Agency), a management consulting firm specializing in high-end corporate sponsorship, in 2012 and have worked together since.
Paul worked in leadership positions at Marriott, including 20 years in Global Sales, until 2018, when he entered the international luxury travel industry and continued to deliver exceptional business development strategies with successful results. Leif remained with Marriott for 26 years, completing his tenure in 2020, working for 11-years as a Regional Sales Leader for Marriott International.
Then came the pandemic. Alain and Zach were approached about a new business opportunity and needed support with a challenging project. Over a glass of wine, Alain, Zach, and Leif agreed to join forces, and through a creative rebranding process, VMSA became VOMP, or Valley of the Moon Partners.
Leif needed access to a decision-maker in an industry affiliated with the project and knew the person that could deliver on this was Paul Somogyi. As Leif and Paul discussed the project, Paul quickly became committed to the work VOMP was doing, and shortly after that, Paul joined forces as a Partner.
Our combined strengths and networks deliver exceptional value to our clients, and we look forward to doing so for you.
Our history is the prelude to the future… We want to take you to the moon and back!
*Published on the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Hotel in 2019, Alain chronicled the event, the characters, and the effects of the earthquake in his book “We Rocked…We Rolled…and We Opened.”