My name is Grace Leonard, I’m originally from Maralal in Samburu County, Kenya, which is a vibrant tourist town. I joined the Elewana Collection during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was fortunate to start at Elewana Tortilis in Amboseli and later moved to Elewana Elsa’s Kopje when a vacancy arose. I am now the General Manager at Elewana Elsa’s Kopje Meru, where I have the privilege of overseeing one of Kenya’s first luxury camps.
My name is Colleen Logan, and I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. I moved to Calgary, Alberta, after getting married and have called it home for almost thirty years. I am a fun-loving person, so the hospitality/tourism industry has been a good fit for me. I have been in the industry for close to 25 years in various roles.
Hi, I’m Mohamed Benzakour, a former professional athlete who transitioned from the soccer field to the world of hospitality with the same passion, resilience, and drive. My journey has been about pushing boundaries, embracing challenges, and creating experiences that leave a lasting impact. Today, I’m the co-founder and CEO of Stay Here Group.
Regional Director, Sustainability, Canada‘s Western Mountain Collection
Patrick’s career in luxury hospitality has crossed nearly every operational
department at five iconic properties in Western Canada. In his current capacity as Regional Director of Sustainability, Patrick oversees all sustainability initiatives at Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, and The Rimrock Resort, and proudly continues to build upon the region’s legacy in environmental stewardship spanning over three decades. In 2022, Patrick was honoured to be nnamed one of Canada’s Top 30 Under 30 Leaders in Hospitality by KML
Hello, I am Austin Eaton, Head of Marketing at Clean the World Europe and UK.
Have you ever asked yourself where the little bar of soap in your hotel bathroom goes after you leave?
I actually did, but I was not the first one. Back in 2009, Founder and CEO of Clean the World, Shawn Seipler asked himself this very question, after countless nights spent in hotel rooms for work. Little did he know that this question would catalyze the birth of Clean the World. Shocked by the revelation that the hospitality industry was discarding millions of soap bars each year and driven by a deep sense of responsibility, Shawn, transformed a humble one-car garage in Orlando, Florida, into the epicenter of soap recycling. Setting in motion a movement that would change lives and communities around the world.
Hello, my name is Djony Jaegers and I am a member of the ROOM FOR CHANGE program by entrepreneurs’ collective The Present Movement. I have been working there as a Relations Manager for a year now. ROOM FOR CHANGE is a social responsibility program for hotels in which we use the power of the hospitality world to make a positive impact in the lives of people who are temporarily unhoused. This group is often also called “economically homeless people”. These are people like you and me, without any addictions or psychiatric indications, but without housing. Sometimes life just goes wrong – you lost your job, or you get a divorce and have to move out of your house.
Hello, my name is Vladimir Domin and I am from Slovakia. I currently live and work in Thailand as the Food & Beverage Director at Movenpick Hotel Siam Na Jomtien Pattaya.
I graduated from the Hotel Academy of Ludovit Winter in Piestany, Slovakia in 2005 and
have been working in the hospitality industry ever since. This has allowed me to travel and work in various countries such as England, Malta, India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Azerbaijan.
Hello, my name is Thomas Goval, I am the Acting General Manager at Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort.
Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort in a nutshell … it’s more than a hotel. It’s a destination. Officially composed of four hotel buildings, 10 restaurants and bars, two spas, three tennis courts, one golf course, about 30 conference rooms, the highest outdoor lift in Europe, and a funicular that allows you to reach the hotels. It’s 60 hectares of land between Lake Lucerne and the Alps, 383 rooms plus 67 residences and villas, and about 700 team members. The Bürgenstock Resort is very unique. That’s how I would describe it.
Hi, I am Robin Hagedoorn, the founder and owner of Bunk.
Currently, I’m working on a new project in Rotterdam, where we are in the process of converting a new church into a Bunk hotel. I am also involved in two projects in Curacao and some other consultancy “schemes,” helping other real estate developers. I love giving new purpose to old, monumental buildings. It runs in the family.
Hi, my name is Patricia Plesner. I am the CEO of EcoHotels.com.
I’ve always been fascinated by how tech and the environment can go hand in hand. I have an aunt and uncle who work in the hotel industry. They run a small hotel chain of eco-certified boutique hotels, Guldsmeden Hotels, primarily based in Copenhagen. I’ve heard all these stories, about guest experiences and how to sell the rooms, but it wasn’t until 2020 I really got into the industry. That was when we started Ecohotels.com.
Let’s make something happen together!
SMACK Hospitality Media
Lindower Straße 18, 13347 Berlin, Germany
+49 (0) 30 767373 160
stories@smack.media
SMACK Hospitality Media
Lindower Straße 18, 13347 Berlin, Germany
+49 (0) 30 767373 160
stories@smack.media
