Jonathan D. Gray

Since joining Blackstone in 1992, Mr. Gray has led the privatization of eleven public real estate companies valued at more than $100 billion including Extended Stay America, Wyndham International, Carr America, Equity Office Properties, and Hilton Hotels. Mr. Gray has been responsible for executing a number of ... significant transactions in the hotel sector, including the acquisition of The Savoy Group in London, and Homestead Studio Suites, and the contribution of 13 luxury hotels to Host Marriott Corporation. In addition, he has overseen the acquisition of five million sq. ft. of various commercial properties, including Rincon Center in San Francisco and 609 Fifth Avenue in New York City. Among the notable transactions Mr. Gray worked on were acquisitions, public offerings, and financings for Hospitality Franchise Systems, PepsiCo., and Transtar. Previously, he worked in the M&A and Corporate Advisory Services group and the Private Equity group at Blackstone. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Extended Stay Hotels and as a Board Member of the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA), NAREIT, and Harlem Village Academies and Trinity School. Mr. Gray currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Savoy Group and Homestead Studio Suites. Since 2012, he and his wife, Mindy, have donated more than $100 million to cancer research following the death of Mindy’s sister, Faith Basser, from ovarian cancer at age 44. Gray was born in Highland Park, a Chicago suburb. His father owned a small auto parts manufacturer (named Blackstone Manufacturing, ironically). His mother ran a catering business, where the teenage Gray worked as a busboy. He received a B.S. degree in Economics from the Wharton School, as well as a B.A. degree in English from the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated magna cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.