Melissa Melissa

CEO & Founder of Pinnacle Enterprises Group

A little bit about Melissa…

Melissa S. Maher is the Founder of Pinnacle Enterprises Group, an executive coaching and consulting firm supporting high-level individuals, business owners, and organizational leaders in strengthening their personal and professional performance. She is known for her deep belief in people’s potential, inspiring growth, development, and measurable success. Clients value her honesty, forward-thinking perspective, and ability to help them achieve—and often surpass—their goals.

Melissa is recognized as a trusted advisor with a strong foundation in global marketing, public relations, industry engagement, and diversity and inclusion. She has been celebrated for creating policy, executing brand and operational strategies, and delivering impactful results across the business community.

Most recently, Melissa served as Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Marketing and Industry Engagement at Expedia Group, where she focused on partner loyalty, owner relations, and industry partnerships. She was also the company’s first Chief Inclusion Officer, where she led initiatives to foster a culture of diversity and belonging. Earlier, as Senior Vice President of the Global Partner Group, Melissa developed strategic roadmaps and led commercial teams to drive global growth.

Melissa is an active voice in the hospitality industry and regularly participates in industry events and initiatives. She serves as an Advisory Board Member for Women in Travel Thrive, a movement advancing gender equity in travel careers. She was recently appointed as a Strategic Advisor to both Thayer Ventures and StayBoutique, and she is also a Managing Director with Horwath HTL, the global leader in hotel, tourism, and leisure consulting.

She has received numerous accolades, including:

Top 40 Women in Travel by WINiT

30 Influential Women in Hospitality by Hotel Management

100 Inspirational People in the Travel Industry 2023 by the International Hospitality Institute

Melissa holds both a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her professional certifications include:

Life Coach Mastery Certification, Brave Thinking Institute

Sentinel Negotiation Training

Design for Inclusion, Fearless Futures

Inclusion Leadership Training, PDT Global

She is also on track to complete her National Association of Certified Directors Directorship Certification in 2025.