David Kong retired at the end of 2021 as president and CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts, where he had served as the longest running CEO of any major global hotel chain. Starting in 2004, David led the company to unprecedented growth, transforming the company and expanding its portfolio from one brand to 18 distinct brands in every chain scale segment. The company repeatedly broke records in RevPAR Index and achieved the highest guest and hotel satisfaction scores during his tenure.
David positioned the company as a frontrunner in innovation, and Best Western was named one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the world by Fast Company in 2018. His achievements were further honored in 2019 with Hotel Interactive (USA) and GuestLab Magazine (Italy) both naming him Innovator of the Year. David has also received numerous awards and recognition for his contribution to the industry and his transformative leadership at Best Western.
Prior to Best Western Hotels & Resorts, David held leadership positions with KPMG Consulting and Hyatt Hotels. He is a University of Hawaii graduate and completed the Executive Development Program at Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. David was the 2010 chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and has served on the AHLA Executive Committee and the AHLA Foundation Board of Trustees. He also served three years on the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.
Being an immigrant and having experienced firsthand the challenges minority groups face as he built his career, starting as a dishwasher and busboy, David is dedicating his new chapter to helping companies improve their DEI initiatives and empowering individual success.
Commemorative Journal Closing Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2022
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