Today, Mike serves as President of Walton Hotels LLC in Atlanta, which operates hotels in the southeast and also owns businesses in hotel software and real estate development.

Mike was instrumental in the founding of AAHOA in 1989 and then served in numerous leadership roles. During his term as chairman, he authored and implemented AAHOA's 12 Points of Fair Franchising, which remain a benchmark for reform in all franchise-based industries.

Other “first’s” of Mike’s chairmanship were introducing the life membership program and holding the first-ever conference for women, for young hoteliers, and for a legislative summit in Washington, D.C.

In May of 2000, Mike was appointed by then-President Bill Clinton to serve on the White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. He has served on the advisory committee for the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality at Georgia State University.

Mike was instrumental in the founding of the American India Foundation (AIF) in 2001 after traveling to Gujarat with a delegation led by former President Clinton and raising more than $19 million for use by local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in earthquake relief and rebuilding.

In June of 2007, then British Prime Minister Tony Blair presented Mike with the Award for International Cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom, which saluted his “commitment and contributions to improving relations between ethnic communities around the world, notably the U.S., the U.K., and India.”

Mike was further recognized in 2008 with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his immigrant legacy.

He has two grown children -- son Rishi and daughter Ayesha.