Eric Friend

Eric focuses on supporting the company’s hospitality division through the development and acquisition of new hotels and resorts throughout North America, with a focus on expanding the CANVAS Hotel brand. 

Eric was previously vice president of asset management at Bank OZK Real Estate Specialties Group where he managed a $2 billion loan portfolio comprised of complex commercial real estate construction, development, repositioning, and renovation across various property types including mixed-use, office, hotel, multifamily, condo, retail, and industrial located throughout the United States.  

Prior to Bank OZK, Eric served as director of acquisitions and development at Omni Hotels & Resorts where he helped grow the portfolio of owned, managed and branded hotels through acquisition, ground-up development and public-private partnerships including joint-venture partnerships with the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Braves and Arizona State University, as well as convention center hotel and expansion projects across the country. 

Eric graduated from Southern Methodist University with an MBA in Finance and Financial Consulting and from Oklahoma State University with a BS in Finance.