Presently, James Robison Hays is Senior Managing Director at Ashford, Inc. and Co-President & Chief Strategy Officer at Ashford OAINC, Inc., Chief Investment Officer of Ashford Investment Management LLC and Senior Vice President-Finance & Strategy at Ashford Hospitality Advisors LLC (which are all subsidiaries of Ashford, Inc.). Mr. Hays is also President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. and Senior Vice President-Finance & Strategy at Ashford Hospitality Advisors LLC.

Mr. Hays previously held the position of Chief Strategy Officer of Braemar Hotels & Resorts, Inc., Member of Merrill Lynch Global Power & Energy Investment Banking Group, Head-Corporate Development office at Dresser, Inc. (Instruments Division) and Senior Vice President Corporate-Finance & Strategy at Ashford LLC.

James Robison Hays received an undergraduate degree from Princeton University.