RALEIGH, N.C.—Mark Laport, president and CEO of Concord Hospitality Enterprises has announced the appointment of Heather Mallard as the company’s first senior vice president and general counsel. Most recently, Mallard was the general counsel and corporate secretary of a NASDAQ-listed energy technology holding company based in Wilmington, Del. She will be responsible for all strategic and tactical legal matters for the company.
“Heather’s appointment is an important milestone in Concord’s evolution, necessitated by our rapid growth in both third-party management and new development,” said Laport. “Heather brings exactly the right mix of practical business acumen and deal-making savvy to facilitate the aggressive course we have outlined for the coming years.”
Mallard is an experienced negotiator and contracts lawyer who has guided clients through more than $2 billion in transactions during her 23-year tenure with the North Carolina-founded firm, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP. She gained additional experience in her prior position with real estate, labor and employment law.
“Concord has a pronounced entrepreneurial drive and is one of the hospitality industry’s most respected and experienced players,” said Mallard. “My goal will be to marry business practicalities with carefully measured legal risk, so that we can continue building on this foundation of industry and community leadership and aggressive, strategic growth. I believe my experience with both publicly traded companies and nascent businesses will align very well with Concord’s core strengths and forward looking strategies.”
