Meet the Team - Hilton Atlanta Downtown Hotel

Meet our Hilton Atlanta event professionals

Jillian Koah

Director of Sales & Marketing

Jillian Koah

Jillian has been with Hilton Worldwide for the past 15 years. She began her hospitality career as an Executive Assistant & Marketing Coordinator at what is now the Omni Oceanfront Resort on Hilton Head Island. She then moved to Charlotte, NC to try her hand at Catering Sales and Event Management with a Doubletree in the heart of downtown. She was then promoted to Senior Sales Manager in Chicago at the Embassy Suites Chicago Lakefront and also the iconic Drake Hotel. Once tired of those Chicago winters she moved down to Atlanta to join the team at the Hilton Atlanta. She moved up the ranks from Senior Sales to Assistant Director of Sales, Director of Group Sales and most recently Director of Sales & Marketing leading a team responsible for booking $37M in Room Revenue and $12M F&B annually.

She has a great passion for spreading the light and warmth of hospitality along with creating memorable experiences for guests and clients alike.

EDUCATION

Clemson University, BS in Marketing with Minor in Communication

FAMILY

Husband, Dan and two children, Harper (4) and Maddox (2) and their two dogs, Cooper and Callie

FREE TIME

When not working, you will find her spending time with her family, boating on Lake Allatoona or using her travel perks to enjoy traveling to new destinations. Oh and of course cheering on her Clemson Tigers!

Benjamin Fireman

Director of Catering & Events

Read Full Biography >

Benjamin Fireman

Benjamin started his hospitality career as a kid when he worked in his family small motel on Clearwater Beach, Florida. During college he worked for both Hilton and Marriott learning the operations of hotels. After college he got his first real job with Continental Airlines as a Customer Service Manager in Reservations. From there he spent the next five years traveling the world. Missing the hotel business, he moved to Atlanta for the 1996 Olympics and never left.

He restarted his career in Atlanta as a concierge at the Swissotel Buckhead during the Olympics where he found his true passion for Events. Wanting larger and more complex groups he then moved to the Omni Hotel at CNN Center as a Senior Event Manager, where he detailed events such as SuperCom, Super Bowl XXXIV and the Trumpet Awards. He then moved to the Atlanta Marriott Marquis where he again planned the NCAA Men’s Final Four, many Chick-fil-A Bowls, Dragon Con and countless conferences. He then turned his attention to training and took his first leadership role at the JW Marriott Buckhead.

In 2008, missing the action of large conferences, Benjamin came full circle and returned downtown to Hilton Atlanta.

Andreas Georgakopoulos

Executive Chef

Read Full Biography >

Andreas Georgakopoulos

Andreas Georgakopoulos, a Greek native, began working in the culinary industry at the young age of 18. As the grandson of a cheesemaker from Lesvos, Greece, he grew up in a culinary world full of flavors and aromas, and to be able to appreciate traditionally prepared ingredients, that not too many kids of his age were exposed to. Throughout high school years he stayed active in the industry, traveling and cooking in Greece and Italy.

After graduating, he spent 4 years at the Greek military navy as a Petty Officer. His passion for food brought him to the United States to broaden his culinary experience. After graduating from California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena CA, he worked as a sous chef at the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel as well as other fine establishments in the Los Angeles area.

He eventually came on board with Hilton Hotels and for 10 years he has travelled the continental US opening fine restaurants and hotels such as Hilton Executive Tower in Portland, OR, Embassy Suites Convention Center in Washington, DC, and Finn & Porter in Austin, TX, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC. Since he moved to Atlanta in 2006, Chef Andreas served as the Executive Chef of the prestigious Hyatt Regency Atlanta Perimeter at Villa Christina and the Woodruff Arts Center. In his role as the Executive Chef at Hilton Atlanta, Chef Andreas brings culinary operations to the next level.