EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL COUNSEL AND SECRETARY

Jim Plohg has served as the Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Ashford Inc., Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc., and Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. since December 2025. He leads the legal and compliance functions across a portfolio of public real estate investment trusts, an alternative asset manager, real estate private equity funds and multiple operating companies in the U.S. and internationally. Mr. Plohg fosters strong relationships and collaboration across the organization and utilizes his expertise in securities, capital markets, financing, mergers and acquisitions, governance, and risk management to protect the organization, develop business strategies and deliver practical executable solutions that support the organization’s innovation, growth and profitability.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Plohg held progressively senior legal positions at Ashford since 2014, and earlier served in leadership roles at multi-billion dollar investment firms and family offices including MeehanCombs, LP, Alden Global Capital, Smith Family Office LLC, and Highland Capital Management, L.P., where he managed legal, operations, compliance, and strategic and financial investment transactions. He began his career as a corporate and litigation associate at the international law firm of Norton Rose Fulbright.

Mr. Plohg serves on the Advisory Board of Brighter Children and various private business boards. He holds a J.D. from Baylor University School of Law and a B.B.A. from Texas A&M University and is admitted to practice law in the Great State of Texas. Mr. Plohg has been featured in several industry publications and writes and speaks frequently at industry, professional and community publications and events.