John Lam

John Lam is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Lam Group, one of New York’s most influential real estate and hospitality development firms. With over 40 years of experience, he has endured five real estate cycles in New York—expanding with foresight and resilience through each. Over nearly three decades, he has built more than 50 major properties totaling over 8 million square feet, making Lam Group one of the city’s largest hotel developers with an asset portfolio exceeding $4 billion. Under Mr. Lam’s leadership, the group has partnered with global hotel brands such as Marriott, Starwood, and Hilton, developing 30+ landmark projects including the Virgin Hotel in NoMad and the Renaissance Harlem Complex. In 1985, he co-founded Great Eastern Bank, gaining four decades of experience in banking and loan management. Beyond business, Mr. Lam serves as Chairman of the American Hotel & Real Estate Chamber of Commerce, Trustee of the NYC College of Technology, and Chairman of the Sino-American Cultural & Arts Promotion Association. Arriving in the U.S. as a teenager, he rose from the garment industry to become a real estate magnate—recognized with the U.S. Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, New York State Legislative Commendation, and features in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times as a true “Legend of New York.”