- Tony Ressler will headline the Bharat Shah Leadership Series.
- It takes place March 17 at the 2026 Hunter Conference.
- Ressler co-founded Ares Management.
TONY RESSLER, CO-FOUNDER, executive chairman and director of Ares Management Corp., will speak at the Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series at the 2026 Hunter Conference on March 17. The series, honoring Bharat Shah, is presented in partnership with Noble Investment Group and Georgia State University's Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration.
Mit Shah, Noble’s CEO and host of the series, will join Ressler on the stage.
The discussion will explore leadership, purpose and the responsibility of stewardship across business, sports and community, the companies said in a statement. The conference will take place March 16 to 18 at Signia by Hilton Atlanta.
“Tony’s life and career fully embody the belief that lives of meaning and enduring institutions are built through discipline, humility and long-term vision,” said Shah. “I am proud to call him both a friend and a partner. Across business, education, philanthropy and professional sports, Tony exemplifies the values this series was created to celebrate.”
The Bharat Shah series highlights leaders whose journeys reflect faith, perseverance and the pursuit of the American Dream. The series offers a look at the leadership philosophies and defining moments of those who have shaped industries and institutions. It also reflects Shah’s belief that leadership is shaped by origin and defined by service over time.
Leadership beyond finance
Ressler co-founded Ares Management in 1997 and has grown the firm into a global alternative investment platform with nearly $623 billion in assets under management as of Dec. 31. Over a four-decade career that includes co-founding Apollo Global Management, he has focused on risk management, institutional governance and building lasting institutions.
He serves on multiple investment committees across private equity, credit and sports, media and entertainment, supporting a governance-driven approach to capital allocation. He is also the principal owner of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.
“One of the most powerful aspects of the Hunter Conference is the opportunity to bring attendees closer to the personal stories behind extraordinary success,” said Lee Hunter, Hunter Conference chairman. “This session reflects Mit’s conviction that leadership is not inherited or accidental, but earned through stewardship, responsibility and service over time. Tony Ressler’s journey — spanning global finance, long-term ownership in professional sports and community impact — exemplifies that philosophy and will resonate deeply across our audience.”
Ressler is also active in education, philanthropy and professional sports. He works with the Ressler Gertz Family Foundation; serves as principal owner and board governor of the Atlanta Hawks; advises the Hawks Foundation; co-chairs the Los Angeles County Museum of Art board and supports Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, where more than 90 percent of graduates attend college. His work reflects the immigrant-driven ambition and belief in opportunity central to the Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series.
Previous Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series honorees include Arne Sorenson, Marriott International’s former president and CEO; Chris Nassetta, Hilton Worldwide Holdings’ president and CEO; Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt Hotels Corp.’s president and CEO; Mark Elliott, Hodges Ward Elliott’s president; Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ president and CEO; Leslie Hale, RLJ Lodging Trust’s president and CEO and Jim Risoleo, Host Hotels & Resorts’ president and CEO.
Risoleo headlined the 2025 Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series.
