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Distinguished

Distinguished

Written by: BU School of Hospitality Administration
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About this listen

Welcome to the Distinguished podcast with Dean Arun Upneja of Boston University School of Hospitality Administration.

We skip the small talk and get right into the top-of-mind topics in the world of hospitality, including, but certainly not limited to, inflation, recruiting and retaining talent, the wellness and wellbeing of our team and our guests, climate action, and the impact of robotics and AI on the future of Hospitality. And that’s just to name a few.


On this show, you’ll hear from executives, general managers, founders, and investors who live and breathe Hospitality. The “distinguished” guests on this podcast represent all areas of our industry, from hotels and restaurants to entertainment and sporting venues, travel and tourism, and of course, a favorite pastime for many of us —shopping — because, to put it simply, Hospitality is at play in most parts of our lives and livelihoods.


© 2026 Distinguished
Careers Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership Personal Success
Episodes
  • The Cycles Are the Opportunity: Ian Livingstone on Crises, Capital, and Long-Game Real Estate
    Jan 5 2026

    What do you do when the real estate market collapses?
    If you’re Ian Livingstone, you buy.

    In this episode of Distinguished, Dean Arun Upneja speaks with Ian Livingstone, the co-founder of London & Regional Properties, one of the UK’s largest private real estate groups, about what it really takes to build a £30 billion global empire, through booms, crashes, and everything in between.

    Livingstone shares how he went from running 170 optician stores to reshaping urban skylines; why crisis moments create once-in-a-generation opportunities; and how he’s built cities like Panama Pacifico, where 20,000+ homes, schools, and commercial districts grew from a single idea and decades of patience.

    A candid, behind-the-curtain conversation on timing, conviction, distressed assets, hospitality real estate, and why the future of leisure and experience-driven travel still holds unmatched potential, even in the age of AI.

    Email us at shadean@bu.edu

    The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration.

    Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
    Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
    Marketing: Rachel Hamlin, Senior Marketing Manager
    Research: Lu Lan


    Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

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    38 mins
  • The Heart of Hospitality: Bashar Wali on Emotion, Belonging, and What AI Can’t Replace
    Nov 21 2025

    Most leaders talk about transforming hospitality. Bashar Wali actually walked away from a $150 million hotel portfolio to do it. The founder of This Assembly, Wali is building a new kind of hospitality ecosystem, one centered on emotion, belonging, and human connection rather than automation and efficiency. In this episode, Dean Arun Upneja speaks with Wali about why the future of hospitality isn’t just digital, but deeply human. From challenging the idea that loyalty can be bought with points to exploring how AI should enhance emotional intelligence, Wali urges leaders to rethink what makes hotels truly memorable.

    A celebrated thought leader and frequent speaker at BU SHA, Wali is known for his powerful TED Talk on why “humanity matters more than material luxuries” and for his keynote at the 2024 BU Hospitality Leadership Summit. With more than 20 years of leadership experience at companies like Wyndham International, Starwood, and Provenance Hotels, he continues to inspire the industry with his conviction that hospitality isn’t a transaction; it’s a feeling. And in an AI-driven world, that feeling may be the most valuable asset of all.

    Email us at shadean@bu.edu

    The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration.

    Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
    Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
    Marketing: Rachel Hamlin, Senior Marketing Manager
    Research: Lu Lan


    Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • The Four-Pillar Framework for Talent Management in Hospitality: Sarah Diehl on Culture, Values & Leadership
    Oct 6 2025

    When Sarah Diehl’s corporate HR role was eliminated, she called it “the best thing that could have happened.” Out of that setback came Empowered Hospitality, a consulting firm dedicated to helping restaurants and hotels build resilient, people-first teams.

    In this conversation with Dean Arun Upneja, Sarah shares her four-pillar framework for talent management and explains why culture, onboarding, and employee experience are the true engines of success, whether you’re leading a small neighborhood restaurant or a billion-dollar resort. Her insights remind us that in hospitality, strategy isn’t just about operations or service standards, it’s about how you lead, how you listen, and how you create workplaces where people want to stay and grow.

    Email us at shadean@bu.edu

    The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration.

    Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
    Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
    Marketing: Rachel Hamlin, Senior Marketing Manager
    Research: Lu Lan


    Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
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