President & CEO
For nearly 30 years, Mr. Hunden has provided economic development, finance, and planning expertise and has conducted more than 1,000 feasibility and economic impact studies, including for some of the most notable transformative development projects in the U.S. He has had a hand in the development of more than $20 billion in completed or underway, transformative projects. With a background in economics, real estate and tourism development, Rob brings trusted industry expertise to guide destination development and tourism oriented projects from concept to execution. Areas of specialty include major/minor league and university sports and entertainment districts, convention centers, hotels, youth sports complexes, multi-use arenas and event centers, and innovation and entertainment districts across North America.
Distinguished by his synthesis of critical analytics with placemaking, planning, programming and design, Hunden ensures smart, supportable and transformative developments.
His expertise extends to entire districts and downtowns, including notable projects such as the KC Power & Light District, Indy Eleven Park, T-Mobile District in San Juan, the planned Gateway District on KU’s campus, the planned Dallas Convention Center downtown district, and many others across North America. Hunden’s guidance and expertise is not limited to simply completing studies; it’s about shaping projects and destinations to support thriving communities, exemplified by Fort Worth Stockyards, downtown Indianapolis, Chicago Riverwalk and Navy Pier expansion, and more.
Prior to starting Hunden in 2006, Hunden served as Vice President of Johnson Consulting in Chicago. There, he led specialized work on hotels, conference centers, urban entertainment-retail districts sports and convention centers. His work there included such projects as Fort Worth’s Omni Hotel, Erie’s Bayfront Convention Center and Sheraton, and multiple arenas. Previously, he conducted real estate finance transactions at Landauer Associates and Grubb & Ellis through their capital markets division.
Mr. Hunden’s public-private project and economic development career began at the Indianapolis Bond Bank and the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office from 1996 through 1998, where he managed more than a dozen projects, including the 1999 Indiana Convention Center expansion, the RCA Dome expansion, development of the 650-room Marriott and Conseco/Bankers Life/Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He also worked on the repurposing and conversion of Glendale Mall, Union Station, and the development of the Emmis Headquarters on Monument Circle. From 1994 to 1996, he worked in financial consulting in the Washington, DC area for clients including six presidential candidates.
Rob has written articles on downtown development and taught college-level Destination Development, Tourism and related courses at Kendall College in Chicago. He has also sat on advisory boards for the Center for Real Estate Studies at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, DePaul University’s School of Hospitality and for IAVM’s Allied Member committee. Mr. Hunden is a member of Destinations International, the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC), ULI, IEDC, IAVM, and ICMA. He has conducted IEDC panel discussions and taught numerous professional development courses for IEDC over the past 20 years. Mr. Hunden received a B.S. in Finance from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.