WaterWalk has tapped a hotel industry veteran of more than 35 years to serve as both its new chief financial officer and its first chief operating officer.
The Wichita-based flexible lodging brand said Friday that Jim Mrha, whose experience includes more than two decades at Marriott International, as well as time at Hilton Worldwide and MGM Hospitality, is filling both the CFO and chief operating officer roles effective immediately.
WaterWalk also announced the promotions of Katrina Gough (to senior director of national sales) and Stephen Armstrong (to senior vice president of brand) and the additions of Augustus Piazza as director of marketing and product and Brian Yocam as director of technology and security.
“We are excited to accelerate our evolution with some exceptional leaders in the field, as we embark upon an aggressive growth phase,” said Mimi Oliver, chief executive officer of WaterWalk, in a news release. “As a leader of this company alongside Jim Korroch, who co-founded Candlewood Suites with my grandfather Jack DeBoer in 1995, it is a great honor to advance into the future alongside such a terrific team.”
A WaterWalk spokesperson confirmed to the WBJ that the COO is a new role for the organization that is tied to its growth.
Mrha, who replaces John Exline as WaterWalk CFO, most recently served as CFO of Mint House, a hotel company that Tech Crunch said “straddles an interesting line between hotels and short-term rentals like those offered by Airbnb” in 2021. Prior to that stop, Mrha was chief financial officer and interim CEO at short-term rental operator Domio.
The moves come on the heels of WaterWalk’s September unveiling of its next-generation flexible lodging concept the company said “blends the best of an upscale extended-stay hotel and home.”
Each next-gen property will have 126 guest suites, with a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units.
WaterWalk says it plans to double its portfolio size by the close of 2024. In 2023, that growth includes planned “Gen 2.0” model property openings in Phoenix; Sandy Springs/Atlanta perimeter, Ga.; Meridian, Idaho; Tucson, Ariz.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Huntsville, Ala.
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