LD: What career path did you want to take when you were in college?
VB: I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur and start a business some day (it was the heyday of Internet 1.0 after all!), however, there was no particular industry that grabbed my attention. I was just attracted to the idea of “doing deals”, creating something, and learning a lot. As a result, I decided to focus on investment banking or law so that I could get exposure to transactions and different industries, and ultimately elected to go to law school.
LD: What events in your career path brought you to your current position as CEO of Arbor Lodging Partners?
VB: Prior to starting Arbor Lodging, I was a real estate and private equity attorney with large law firms in New York. I worked with very talented colleagues and driven clients while getting exposure to complicated transactions, but that side of the business was not for me. Continue reading Spotlight Interview: Vamsi Bonthala, CEO Arbor Lodging Partners