Kelly Sawdon has built her career at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and business. A seasoned hospitality veteran, she played a pivotal role in transforming Ace Hotel Group from a single 28-room property in the Pacific Northwest into a globally recognized multi-brand hospitality group with properties across the U.S., UK, Central America, Asia, and Australia. As a Partner at Ace Hotel Group and Atelier Ace, she served as Executive Vice President, Director of Development, and Chief Brand Officer from 2007 to 2020, shaping Ace’s identity as a global leader in culturally driven hospitality.

Kelly’s career began at the Ace-affiliated experiential marketing firm Neverstop, where she served as Global Head of Production, leading groundbreaking brand strategy, events, and multimedia campaigns. She later joined Ace, working alongside co-founder Alex Calderwood to expand the brand beyond hotels into bars, restaurants, music venues, and a 1,600-seated theater. She also co-founded and led Atelier Ace, the award-winning in-house creative studio responsible for branding, marketing, retail, food & beverage, programming, interior design, architecture, and operations—elevating Ace from a boutique concept to an internationally recognized brand.

After stepping down as an operating partner at Ace, Kelly embarked on new ventures, including a partnership with hotelier Liz Lambert at The Mothership. With deep expertise in building purpose-driven brands, she has led teams in all aspects of brand creation.