The Gettys Group Announces Strategic Restructure and Key Leadership Promotions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Gettys Group, a leading integrated hospitality design firm, today announced a strategic organizational restructure accompanied by a series of senior leadership promotions. These changes are designed to strengthen operational integration, advance creative excellence, and position the firm for long-term growth in an increasingly complex hospitality market.
In an address to employees, Chief Executive Officer Ron Swidler underscored the firm’s legacy of transformation and its commitment to evolution in response to shifting industry needs.

“Innovation has always driven Gettys forward. We challenge ourselves to think differently, to reimagine what’s possible, and to apply the same creativity we bring to our projects to how we run our business,” said Swidler. “This restructure reflects that spirit–it strengthens our ability to serve with agility, integration, and vision.”

Strategic Leadership Promotions

The restructure formalizes new leadership roles that align resources and expertise across The Gettys Group’s studios and service lines:

• Angelica Acebedo-Frint, Chief Creative Officer
- Angelica will lead the creative direction across all Gettys studios, aligning design philosophy, client needs, and market shifts under the “One Gettys” standard of excellence. She will also lead the firm’s focus on innovation and emerging technologies, ensuring that creativity and new tools like AI are fully integrated into the design process to keep Gettys at the forefront of hospitality design.
• Chris McDonough, Senior Principal – Chris will lead Gettys’ most strategic assignments, applying more than three decades of design and architecture expertise to deliver award-winning, client-focused projects that strengthen the firm’s reputation for excellence.
• Ryan Schommer, Principal, Interiors: Bespoke – Ryan will lead the bespoke interior design practice, championing storytelling-driven design that elevates guest experiences and delivers unique, client-aligned solutions from concept through completion.
• Kara Orth, Principal, Interiors: Prototypical – Kara will lead the Prototypical Studio, translating brand standards into innovative, property-specific solutions that balance consistency with creativity across diverse markets.
• Anne Hiter, Principal, Procurement – Anne will lead procurement strategies for multimillion-dollar projects, ensuring alignment of design intent with financial efficiency and maximizing client value while preserving creativity.
• Matt Swope, Chief of Staff -
Reporting to the CEO, Matt will lead firmwide operations, including project management, staffing, and supporting AI initiatives, ensuring systems scale with client demand while driving efficiency, collaboration, and innovation across the company.
• James Kokonas, Director of AI – Reporting to the CEO, James will lead the integration of artificial intelligence into Gettys’ design and operations, advancing visualization, efficiency, and creative exploration to position the firm as an industry innovator.
• Jillian Kennedy, Director of Human Resources – Jillian will lead HR strategy and engagement initiatives, aligning people and culture with Gettys’ long-term vision and strengthening the firm’s ability to attract, develop, and retain top hospitality talent.

Together, these leaders reflect Gettys’ investment in talent, innovation, and integration,  positioning the firm to shape the next era of hospitality design and development.

“This new chapter is about more than structure –  it’s about unlocking creativity and strengthening how we work together,” added Swidler. “By aligning our leadership and embracing new tools and ideas, we’re positioning Gettys to create even greater impact for our clients, our partners, and the industry.”

About The Gettys Group

The Gettys Group is an integrated hospitality design firm that balances creativity with pragmatism to deliver meaningful hospitality experiences. For more than 35 years, we’ve guided developers, operators, and brands in creating rewarding projects.

Our services—Strategy, Branding, Full-Service Interior Design, Prototypical Interior Design, and Procurement—span the full journey from concept to completion, yielding successful spaces, satisfied clients, and inspired guests. With a collaborative spirit and a passion for hospitality, we deliver work that connects storylines to bottom lines.