Bob founded Apertor Hospitality in 2009 and is a hospitality and real estate industry veteran with over 40 years of experience. Currently, Bob serves on the board of RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE: RLJ) and is chairman of the audit committee and a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee. Additionally, Bob serves on the board of advisors of Keystone National Group, a private markets investment management firm specializing in private credit and income-producing real estate. He also serves on the board of LivAway Suites^TM, a nationwide economy extended stay hotel brand. Bob was previously a member of the board of advisors of Sundance Bay, a real estate private equity firm specializing in multifamily, debt and net lease investments. Bob has also served on the board of directors of the Park City Community Foundation and chaired its audit committee.

In March 2008, Mr. La Forgia joined The Atalon Group, a boutique turnaround management and advisory firm specializing in troubled real estate situations and served as Executive Vice President—Finance of certain subsidiaries acquired in restructuring engagements, until July 2010. During this period, Bob and his partners successfully deleveraged and restructured Lake Las Vegas, a 3600-acre master plan community in Henderson, NV.

Prior to this, Bob held a number of leadership positions throughout his 26-year tenure with Hilton Hotels Corporation (currently Hilton Worldwide Holdings, NYSE: HLT), a global hospitality firm. Bob served as the Chief Financial Officer (and Chief Accounting Officer) of Hilton Hotels Corporation from 2004 through 2008, first as Senior Vice President and subsequently as Executive Vice President. He directed or played a key role in more than $40 billion of corporate M&A transactions, $50 billion of public and private financings and $5 billion of single and multi-asset transactions. Bob’s arsenal of large corporate M&A deals includes the acquisition of Bally Entertainment in 1996, the simultaneous spin off of Caesars Entertainment Corporation (formally Park Place Entertainment Corporation) and acquisition of Grand Casinos, Inc. in 1998, the acquisition of Promus Hotel Corporation in 1999 and the acquisition of Hilton International, a subsidiary of London-based Hilton Group, plc, in 2006. Additionally, Bob was instrumental in the $27 billion sale of Hilton to Blackstone in 2007, the largest single LBO transaction in the hospitality industry to date.

As CFO, Bob was responsible for the global financial activities of Hilton, including M&A, project finance, feasibility and investment analysis, risk management, tax, treasury, asset management, accounting, budgeting, financial reporting and investor relations. From 1996 through 2004, Bob was Senior Vice President and Controller of Hilton, and prior to this, he held a number of management positions within Hilton’s corporate finance function.

Bob received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Providence College, where he graduated summa cum laude, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles.