Jay Shah

Chief Executive Officer

Hersha Hospitality Trust

Biography:

Jay H. Shah Bio for Urban Land Institute Jay H. Shah is the Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Trustees of Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT). Hersha is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that owns interests in 65 hotels in major urban gateway markets with high barriers to entry including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Miami and Southern California, totaling 9,616 rooms. Hersha focuses on owning and operating high quality, upscale, urban transient hotels. The company follows a highly selective investment approach and creates operational advantage by leveraging rigorous and sustainable asset management practices. Mr. Shah is involved in all areas of the business with a particular emphasis on investor relations, capital transactions and acquisitions. Prior to his role as CEO, Mr. Shah served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Hersha Hospitality, as well as the Managing Director of the Hersha Group, a private affiliate of Hersha Hospitality Trust that provides hotel management, development and construction management services to hotel owners. Before joining Hersha, Mr. Shah formed Shah & Byler, LLP, a law firm focusing on real estate and construction. Mr. Shah was also a consultant for accountancy firm Coopers & Lybrand LLP, and a legislative assistant to the late Senator John Heinz. Mr. Shah currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Temple University and the Temple University Health System, The Episcopal Academy, a co-educational college preparatory school for grades K- 12 and Cornell University Dean’s Advisory Board for the School of Hotel Administration. He is also a Fellow at the Cornell Center for Real Estate Finance. Mr. Shah is a member of Real Estate Roundtable and of both the Philadelphia and International Chapters of the Young Presidents Organization. Mr. Shah was recently named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013, for Greater Philadelphia. In addition, he joined fellow C Member Directory

Biography: Jay H. Shah Bio for Urban Land Institute Jay H. Shah is the Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Trustees of Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT). Hersha is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that owns interests in 65 hotels in major urban gateway markets with high barriers to entry including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Miami and Southern California, totaling 9,616 rooms. Hersha focuses on owning and operating high quality, upscale, urban transient hotels. The company follows a highly selective investment approach and creates operational advantage by leveraging rigorous and sustainable asset management practices. Mr. Shah is involved in all areas of the business with a particular emphasis on investor relations, capital transactions and acquisitions. Prior to his role as CEO, Mr. Shah served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Hersha Hospitality, as well as the Managing Director of the Hersha Group, a private affiliate of Hersha Hospitality Trust that provides hotel management, development and construction management services to hotel owners. Before joining Hersha, Mr. Shah formed Shah & Byler, LLP, a law firm focusing on real estate and construction. Mr. Shah was also a consultant for accountancy firm Coopers & Lybrand LLP, and a legislative assistant to the late Senator John Heinz. Mr. Shah currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Temple University and the Temple University Health System, The Episcopal Academy, a co-educational college preparatory school for grades K- 12 and Cornell University Dean’s Advisory Board for the School of Hotel Administration. He is also a Fellow at the Cornell Center for Real Estate Finance. Mr. Shah is a member of Real Estate Roundtable and of both the Philadelphia and International Chapters of the Young Presidents Organization. Mr. Shah was recently named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013, for Greater Philadelphia. In addition, he joined fellow C

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