Apr 18, 2012

Pedro Zapata Named Chief Operating Officer of International Market Centers

High Point, NC and Las Vegas, NV — Officials with International Market Centers, L.P. (IMC), the world’s largest operator of premium home furnishings, gift and home décor showroom and exhibition space, announced that Pedro Zapata has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Zapata will be responsible for integrating multiple functions, people and processes across 18 properties in Las Vegas, Nev. and High Point, N.C. This new leadership position will define and enable the delivery of the IMC experience for partners, buyers and employees.

With almost 20 years of large scale real estate and hospitality operational management expertise, Zapata’s career has focused on providing exceptional customer experience, along with unique experience scaling operations in rapid growth environments.

“Pedro has a stellar background in the high-end hospitality industry guided by his early experiences at Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons. He has broad-based experiences running a vast array of geographically diverse properties and is a proven and skilled operations and facilities management leader. He has also directed the successful implementation of key business intelligence technology initiatives, which will be a critical underpinning of our newly integrated organization. Throughout his entire career, the consistency of Pedro’s efforts has always been with a focus on providing guests exceptional experience, and we are fortunate to have these strengths at IMC,” said Bob Maricich, CEO of IMC.

Zapata joins IMC from Prometheus Group, where he served as the Vice President of Operations and was responsible for the financial, operational, and overall business results of the company’s portfolio of high-end multifamily properties. He was tasked with focusing all customer channels to maximize customer service, retention, and loyalty. He was responsible for supporting a total of 18,000 units in 70 communities, with a total of 10,000 leases per year. Prior to Prometheus Group, Zapata was the Vice President of Operations for Exclusive Resorts, which grew its portfolio from 60 properties to 400 luxury vacation homes around the world in just over five years. Charged with overseeing the operation and service standards across 37 destinations—and the customer experience of 3,500 Exclusive Resorts members—Zapata oversaw 1,000-person ground staff and the leadership team of more than 300 managers and directors.

Earlier in his career, Zapata held operations and management positions at Trump International, Bentley Group, Four Seasons Hotels and Ritz-Carlton. He holds a Bachelors degree in business administration from Universidad Catolica in Lima, Peru.

“I am honored to join IMC and I am very much looking forward in working together with all the ladies and gentlemen who make up this great company. I am confident we will strive to align our daily efforts to exceed our customer’s expectations and achieve our Company’s goals,” said Zapata.

Immersed in the REIT industry, Zapata is a member of the Board for California Apartment Association (CAA) and Housing Industry Foundation (HIF) in California.

Zapata reports to Maricich and will be based in Las Vegas. Michelle Monteferrante, Vice President of Operations of World Market Center Las Vegas and Mike Snider, Vice President of Operations in High Point, will report to Zapata.

International Market Center’s portfolio consists of 11.5 million square feet in 18 showroom venues in High Point N.C. and Las Vegas, Nev. Through a series of transactions announced in May of 2011, all assets in the portfolio have been recapitalized with significant equity investments, providing for long-term stability and creating a growth platform for the industry.

About International Market Centers, L.P.
International Market Centers, L.P. (IMC) is the world’s largest operator of premier showroom space for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries. IMC owns and operate 11.5 million square feet of world-class exhibition space in High Point, N.C. and Las Vegas. In addition, IMC operates the Las Vegas Design Center, a year-round resource open to both the design trade and consumers which is comprised of more than 40 showrooms and hundreds of designer brands. IMC’s mission is to build and operate an innovative, sustainable, profitable and scalable platform for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries. For more information on IMC, visit imcenters.com.