Look to this seasoned “5-star” executive for a proven, leading-edge approach to Change Leadership
Bio
André van Hall, Professional Speaker & Curiosity Instigator, challenges leaders and teams to wake up their curiosity! An engaging keynote speaker and corporate consultant, André specializes in Change Leadership (aka change management).
Beyond simply “embracing” change, business leaders and teams must learn how to instigate change, innovate, and adapt. Why? Because change is a constant in the business world. “Change” challenges every organization, in every industry.
Backed by 40 years of “5-star” leadership experience as an executive in the hospitality industry, André presents a fresh, proven message to audiences: “Curiosity is the key to instigate change.” As the Curiosity Instigator, he challenges business executives and teams to adopt an attitude of curiosity in order to be innovative, to experience breakthrough thinking, and to be on the forefront of change.
André knows, first hand, that curiosity leads to breakthrough thinking. It propels every person in the organization to be innovative – to be Change Leaders at the forefront of change.
In fact, André van Hall’s innate curiosity guided him to quickly adapt to blindness, which began with sight loss in one eye in 2011 and has progressed to near-total blindness. André’s inquisitive nature led him to quickly adjust to an entirely new lifestyle, which included purchasing a home with access to urban transportation, learning voice-based technology, discovering how to use a cane for mobility and independence, and much more. Best of all, André’s active search for solutions led him to Pelham, his guide dog. Learn more about André’s story and meet Pelham.
A Certified Hotel Executive, André has served as CEO & General Manager of the historic Denver Athletic Club and the flagship Adam’s Mark Hotel in Denver, Colorado. As a “5-star” executive, André has held extensive positions at luxury hotels and resorts worldwide:
- Hyatt Regency Hotel (Atlanta, GA, and Louisville, KY)
- New York Sheraton Hotel & Towers, (New York, NY)
- The St. Regis Sheraton (New York, NY)
- Pavillon Hotel (now Miami InterContinental Hotel in Miami, FL) [Note: spelling of Pavillon is correct]
- Radisson Hotels (Miami, FL; Alexandria, VA; and Burlington, VT)
- Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten (Hamburg, Germany)
- The Historic Ritz Paris (Paris, France)
- Hotel Internacional at Iguazú Falls (on the rim of Iguazú Falls, Argentina)
André holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. Career highlights include orchestrating the opening of several new, flagship hotels.
A respected leader with strong business acumen and outstanding communication skills, André has earned many awards and recognitions. Highlights include General Manager of the Year Award from Hotel Sales & Marketing International, Radisson’s Esprit Award, Volunteer of the Year Award from Denver Chamber Foundation, and United Way of Tri-State (CT, NJ, NY) Top Fundraiser in the Hospitality Division.
Throughout his career, André van Hall has been an active volunteer and community leader in the many cities he has lived in. Most recently, he has served on boards for the Colorado Lodging Association, Denver Chamber Foundation, Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, Denver Rotary Club, Denver Urban League, Downtown Partnership, Metro Denver Hotel Association, Metro State Hospitality Program, and Visit Denver Foundation. He has also served as Chairman of the Denver Metro Convention and Visitor Bureau’s Foundation and President of Skal International Colorado, a travel industry group.
André and his wife Nancy reside in Denver, Colorado, with their newest family member, Pelham. Still an avid skier, André also enjoys tandem bicycling, cooking, and enjoying the great outdoors with Nancy and Pelham.
Born and raised in Argentina, André is a citizen of the U.S., Argentina, and the Netherlands. (On September 9, 2004, André became a proud citizen of the United States of America.) He speaks English, Dutch, French, German, and Spanish.
