Nikhil Bhalla serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer at RLJ Lodging Trust, a self-advised, publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns premium-branded, focused-service and compact full-service hotels. In this role, he oversees all aspects of financial planning and analysis, accounting and reporting, treasury operations, tax, investor relations, and capital markets activities. Bhalla plays a pivotal role in shaping the company's financial strategy, ensuring robust liquidity management, and driving value for shareholders through disciplined capital allocation in the dynamic hospitality sector. Prior to joining RLJ Lodging Trust in 2015, Bhalla spent five years at Starwood Capital Group, where he focused on acquisitions, asset management, and capital markets transactions for the firm's lodging and real estate investments. Earlier in his career, he worked in the real estate investment banking group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, advising on mergers, acquisitions, and financings for hospitality and real estate clients. His expertise spans debt and equity financings, portfolio optimization, and strategic initiatives, contributing significantly to over $10 billion in transaction volume. Bhalla's notable achievements at RLJ include leading key capital markets transactions, such as equity offerings and debt refinancings that strengthened the balance sheet during market volatility, including the COVID-19 pandemic. He spearheaded asset sales and liquidity preservation efforts that positioned the company for recovery and growth. Bhalla holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a B.S. in Finance from the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business.