The Travel Industry Management School invites you to the Ambassador L.W. “Bill” Lane Jr. Lecture on Sustainable Tourism featuring David Kong:

November 17, 2022
6-7:30 p.m.
Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i
2454 S Beretania St. | 5th Floor

"Innovation, Performance and Sustainability"

What drives innovation, performance, and sustainability? The hospitality industry provides tremendous career opportunities and clear paths for advancement, but even with the many progressions, women and minorities continue to face a broken rung at the upper levels of management and leadership. Several studies, including those from McKinsey & Company and Harvard Business Review, show how diverse leadership magnifies corporate success. Not only is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) the right thing to do, it is good for business and drives sustainability.

David Kong is founder and principal of DEI Advisors, an Arizona nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering personal success. When Kong retired as president and chief executive officer of BWH Hotel Group – comprised of Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Sure Stay Hotels and WorldHotels – in 2021, he was the longest-running CEO of any major hotel company. His leadership and legacy, characterized by a genuine care for people and a passion for hospitality, attracted praise and respect from leading voices across the industry. Kong led Best Western Hotels and Resorts to unprecedented growth, transforming the company and expanding its portfolio from one brand to 18 distinct brands and achieving new records in revenue and growth. Previously, Kong held leadership positions with KPMG Consulting, Hyatt, Omni and Hilton.Kong has received numerous accolades including the Lifetime Achievement Awards from Business Travel News, International Hotel Investment Forum andUnited Jewish Appeal Federation in 2022. He was the recipient of the inaugural Arne Sorenson Social Impact Award in 2022 and was recognized by Hotel Interactive with the Innovator of the Year award and Innovation Award from Guest Lab (Italy). In 2021, Global Business Travel Association presented him with the WINiT Best Mentor/Male Coach award. He served as the chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association in 2010 and was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. He completed the Executive Development Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Travel Industry Management School, Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

For more information, please contact Amanda Rease, TIM events and marketing manager at (808) 956-6926 or email arrease@hawaii.edu.