Latest news with #BenCampbell
Otago Daily Times
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Campbell taking time out to let wrist injury heal
Ben Campbell is confident a minor hiccup will not derail his plan to settle in for a long spell with LIV Golf. The Queenstown golfer is having an unexpected rest at home as he nurses a niggling wrist injury. He played the opening round at the LIV tournament in Mexico last month before withdrawing, and had to skip the following tournament in Korea. ''I just sort of strained a tendon and had a bit of fluid in my wrist joint,'' Campbell told the Otago Daily Times yesterday. ''So I'm home for a few weeks and just sort of getting that under control. It's nothing too serious, but just niggly enough.'' Campbell, 33, has not had a club in his hand since sustaining the injury, but is hoping to do a little putting this weekend then put his back into a full swing a week later. The injury to his right wrist came out of nowhere when he was warming up for the Mexico tournament. ''I hit a shot on the range and just really sort of grabbed a bit of turf. ''I didn't really think too much of it. I felt my wrist click a little bit but it felt fine. ''But it got worse and worse as the day went on, and I lost quite a bit of range in my wrist, which made it tricky on my backswing. ''I had an MRI the next day, and talked to the LIV doctor and our team physio, and we thought it was best to pull out and just have a couple of weeks off, because the end of the year gets quite busy and they were worried I could do more damage. ''It was a good call, I think. I've pushed things in the past and been out for a long time, so this is the right move.'' Recuperation time has given Campbell a chance to reflect on the first half of his inaugural year as a fully carded LIV golfer after a season as a reserve. Things have gone well for the humble ex-Masterton golfer. He sits 25th on the LIV money list - the top 24 are guaranteed full tour status next year - with earnings of US$2.19 million (NZ$3.64m), powered by a sizzling third place, and a cheque for NZ$2.6m, in the fourth tournament of the season in Singapore. ''It's been busy but good,'' Campbell said. ''It was nice to get off to a good start, and the third in Singapore was great. ''One more decent result would be nice because one of my main goals this year was to get that top 24 and guarantee a spot for the following year, and I've put myself in a good position.'' The next LIV tournament is the Washington, DC stop at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Then it is off to Dallas, Spain, the United Kingdom, Chicago and Indianapolis before the Team Championship - Campbell's RangeGoats, captained by Bubba Watson, are presently eighth - in Michigan. Campbell is particularly looking forward to playing the Valderrama course at the Spanish stop, and the JCB Country Club in England. ''Some of those American courses are pretty long for my length, so those two should be ideal.'' After the LIV season, Campbell will return to the Asian Tour in October-November for several International Series tournaments.
Hospitality Net
07-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Hospitality America Taps the Talents of Paul Isaacson as Chief Financial Officer
GREENVILLE, S.C – As Hospitality America accelerates its growth and prepares for the opening of multiple new hotel developments, the appointment of Paul Isaacson as Chief Financial Officer marks a critical strategic investment in the company's future. His arrival comes at a pivotal time, as the organization sharpens its focus on scalable financial systems, enhanced forecasting, and investment discipline to support expansion. Initially I was introduced to Paul through a professional connection, and his financial acumen, data-driven decision-making, and deep understanding of hotel asset management were distinguishable. With impressive credentials — including a master's degree in finance and a successful track record in technology-enabled financial leadership — Paul is well positioned to help guide Hospitality America through its next phase of growth with confidence and precision. Ben Campbell, Hospitality America President and CEO As a trusted business advisor, Isaacson brings to Hospitality America a strong reputation for delivering results through customer-centric and financially strategic leadership. He has created value across the full real estate investment lifecycle, including financial planning and reporting, asset management, transactions, debt financing, and mergers & acquisitions. With a proven ability to turn vision into execution, Isaacson has led high-performing teams, negotiated complex deals, and implemented investment strategies that consistently drive stakeholder returns and long-term profitability. Industry Experience Prior to joining Hospitality America, Isaacson served as Senior Vice President for CBRE Hotels Advisory in Atlanta. There he leveraged his network and relationships to provide consulting, valuation, and advisory services to a diverse list of clients to meet their business, strategic and real estate investment needs. He also served as President and Principal for Stillwater Real Estate Consulting; Assistant Vice President, Asset Management, for Watermark Capital Partners; Director, Global Corporate Finance, Acquisitions and Mergers for IHG Hotels & Resorts; Senior Consultant, Real Estate Valuation Services for Arthur Andersen; and Consultant at Keystone Consulting Group. Isaacson holds a Master of Science in Finance degree from Georgia State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate from Florida State University. To stay current with industry trends and foster a strong network, Isaacson regularly attends hospitality industry events and is a member of multiple hospitality professional organizations. Everyone I spoke with, from management companies to brands to third-party operators, had high praise for the leadership team at Hospitality America leadership team. After seeing Ben's vision firsthand and evaluating the tools and resources in place, I was confident this was the right fit for me. Over the next 30 to 60 days, Isaacson said he will spend time familiarizing himself with the Sage accounting system and overseeing its integration with the company's business intelligence solution. Next, working with a strong team, he plans to leverage forecasting and business analytics to help communicate risks and opportunities in forecasts to better manage the business from a financial standpoint. His goal is to reduce reporting times, improve communication at the investment level, build on true opportunities, mitigate risks, and protect the company's investments. Finally, he plans to visit all hotels and give one-on-one support to each property's finance team. There is a lot to do , Isaacson said. Working with existing owners, I plan to build out new investments and ensure that the hotels coming online ramp up as fast as possible and perform as well as possible. As new opportunities present themselves, we will be cautiously optimistic that we can capitalize on that growth. We'll stay ready for the unexpected and confidently navigate whatever challenges come our way. What really excites me about this opportunity is working alongside some really great people, Isaacson added. The team has worked extremely hard to position Hospitality America for growth, and the investment in technology – namely business intelligence and data analytics platforms – will enable us to think more strategically across the portfolio. The foundation of the team and its use of technology in a strategic way has positioned Hospitality America as a leader in the market. I anticipate 2025 to be quite an exciting year. When he is not working, Isaacson is a fun-loving family man who enjoys spending time with family and friends. He stays active running, playing golf and taking his two Labrador Retrievers for long walks. He enjoys attending sporting events and live concerts, as well as traveling to new places. About Hospitality America Hospitality America is a leading third-party hotel development and management company as a preferred partner of Hilton and Marriott. The company optimizes the hospitality experience through proprietary methodologies that align people, processes, and results, driving exceptional performance for guests, team members, and partners. Hospitality America's clients include REITs, private equity firms and major developers. Hospitality America is recognized as a winner of USA Today's Top Workplaces 2024 & 2025 award. For more information, please visit or connect with Hospitality America on LinkedIn. Barb Worcester Owner, President at PRPRO 14409305770 Hospitality America
Otago Daily Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Chch United end Royals' four-game winning run
The Dunedin City Royals were unable to make it five on the trot when they lost 2-0 to Christchurch United at Tahuna Park on Saturday. Christchurch United threatened early in the Southern League clash, but just as the Royals looked to be settling, they were caught napping and Ben Campbell brought down his opponent on the edge of the box. He was red carded in the 17th minute, a pivotal moment in the game. The Royals continued to probe and threaten with attacks that troubled Christchurch United. Daniel Meyn broke the deadlock in the 40th minute for the visitors. The Royals came out of the break strong and continued to frustrate Christchurch United. Replacements Will Turner, Rhys Christie, Luke Salisbury, Max Davidson and Luis Deaker tilted the balance in favour of the Royals, who had multiple attacks — including Turner coming close with a curled shot. They were unlucky to concede with the final kick of the match — Waisea Henry's in the fifth minute of added time, which ensured the visitors remained at the top of the table. Coach Blair Scoullar was disappointed not to walk away with a point, but praised his side's attitude, intensity and resilience after playing nearly 80 minutes with 10 players. Wanaka also suffered to a home defeat, going down 3-2 to Nomads United to lose their unbeaten home run. Wānaka enjoyed most of the possession in the first half and took a deserved 1-0 lead into halftime thanks to Ronan Dillow's 11th minute goal. Nomads equalised when Caleb Cotton scored from a penalty in the 63rd minute, and further goals to Guy Reeves and Cooper Goldsmith gave them a 3-1 lead with five minutes to go. Dillow reduced the deficit in injury time by scoring his second for Wanaka. Cashmere Technical beat Ferrymead Bays 3-2, Selwyn United and Universities of Canterbury had a 2-2 draw and Coastal Spirit won 3-0 against Nelson Suburbs. — In the men's Southern Premier League, both Northern and University continued their unbeaten records. University are top on goal difference after thumping Northern Hearts 9-1. Ashton Hodson opened the scoring on 11 minutes, and it was 3-0 to the students before Bailey Chambers pulled one back just after the half hour mark. Simba Muwunganirwa grabbed a hat-trick, and Blake Allison and Oscar Crowe both scored braces. Sam Clegg rounded out the scoring. Northern had a much tougher task against the previously unbeaten Royals, but prevailed 2-1. After dominating early in wet and windy conditions, Northern found themselves 1-0 down after George Barker buried a penalty in the 16th minute. Toby Orchiston headed home the equaliser in first half stoppage time. The second half continued to be a fierce battle, with both teams sharing possession. Northern created better chances and the Royals looked likely on the counterattack. Northern's winner came in the 60th minute, when Asti Wallace whipped a free kick 30m out from goal into the top corner. Queens Park left it late to record their first win of the season, with two goals in injury time helping to overcome Green Island 3-1. Sebastian Castillo Viveros' eighth minute opener was cancelled out by Harrison Mclean's 60th minute penalty for Green Island. The game look to be heading for a draw until Zac Owen-Gear pounced on a loose ball to rifle an unstoppable shot into the back of the net in the first minute of added time. Ryo Okuyama added another in the 95th minute. Roslyn Wakari recorded a 4-2 victory against Mosgiel. The game was evenly poised 1-1 until the stroke of halftime, when Roslyn's George Holland pounced from close range to make it 2-1. Reese Burtenshaw had earlier levelled for Mosgiel after Hamish Mair's 25th minute opener for Roslyn. Two near identical breakaway goals to Ben William-Davies midway through the second half gave Roslyn a 4-1 lead. Harvey Stevens pulled one back for the home side but Roslyn claimed the three points. — In the women's South Island League, Roslyn captain Amelie East-Giles scored a hattrick to lead her side to a 6-3 win against Halswell United at home. University had a 4-0 win against Coastal Spirit and the Royals had a 2-0 victory against Universities of Canterbury. — Neville Watson
