Kirk Jones

Kirk Jones is a senior hospitality finance executive and Partner at Astound Ventures with nearly four decades of experience across hospitality operations, real estate, private equity, and investment platforms. Throughout his career, Kirk has served in senior leadership roles including Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President of Finance, and President and Chief Executive Officer for luxury hotel brands, private equity backed operators, and entrepreneurial organizations. His background combines institutional financial leadership with a deep understanding of hotel operations, ownership, and the practical realities of building and scaling businesses.

Kirk's career has been defined by transformational growth, mergers and acquisitions, global expansion, and disciplined financial governance. As CFO of Benchmark, a Global Hospitality Company, he provided financial oversight for approximately $1.2 billion in annual managed revenues and played senior leadership roles in multiple acquisitions and the merger that ultimately formed Pyramid Global Hospitality. Earlier in his career, Kirk held executive finance roles with Capella Hotel Group and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, supporting luxury hospitality operations and development across the United States and international markets. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where he was recognized as the university's 2016 Distinguished Alumnus, and an MBA from Cleveland State University.

Today, Kirk serves as an independent CFO and strategic advisor to hospitality holding companies, family offices, and investment platforms while helping lead Astound Ventures. At Astound, he brings an operator's and CFO's perspective to investment evaluation, financial diligence, portfolio strategy, and helping founders build scalable businesses that serve the hospitality industry. His collaborative approach and combination of financial discipline and practical operating experience have made him a trusted advisor to founders, boards, investors, lenders, and hospitality executives. Away from spreadsheets and boardrooms, Kirk is an enthusiastic practitioner of the culinary arts and is happiest in the kitchen, where finance gives way to a different kind of creative experimentation.