Turner named CEO of OTO Development

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Todd Turner has been named CEO of OTO Development, taking over the role from fellow co-founder Corry Oakes, who died unexpectedly on Aug. 7.

Oakes and Turner, along with Jim Ovenden, founded their namesake hotel development and hospitality management company in May 2004 alongside George Dean Johnson Jr. and the late H. Wayne Huizenga.

OTO Development is a Spartanburg-based hotel development and management group with a portfolio that includes hotels across the country, most of them on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, including the AC Hotel in Spartanburg.

“Corry and Todd worked side by side for 18 years to take OTO Development from an idea into a premier lodging company,” Geordy Johnson, president of The Johnson Group, said in a news release announcing Turner’s appointment. “Todd is a seasoned, inspiring leader who will carry their shared vision forward.”

Turner previously served as vice president for real estate at OTO Development, which is part of The Johnson Group. He began his career developing real estate at WJB Blockbuster Video and then held positions of increasing responsibility at Extended Stay America. As vice president of real estate at the NYSE-listed company, he helped turn the company into the fastest-growing owner-operated hotel chain in lodging history prior to its sale to Blackstone.

“I will forever mourn the loss of my dear friend Corry,” Turner said in the news release. “I have had the tremendous honor and privilege of working alongside the finest man and greatest leader I know. OTO’s experienced leadership team embodies a culture that reflects Corry’s incredible qualities, and we are well-positioned to carry forward the legacy he set in motion.”

A graduate of The University of the South, Turner has a bachelor’s degree in English. He has spent his career with The Johnson Group’s various companies.

“Todd is one of the most gifted real estate professionals I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing,” George Dean Johnson Jr., chairman of The Johnson Group, said in the release. “His keen intuition, natural ability to connect and build relationships, and unparalleled work ethic have played an integral role in creating the company OTO is today. Corry’s legacy will live on through Todd’s thoughtful and humble leadership of the company they founded and built together.”