Court Williams

Qualifications

Court Williams is Chief Executive Officer of HVS Executive Search based in New York and has over 30 years of retained Hospitality Executive Search experience within the Hotel, Restaurant,Real Estate and Travel/Leisure industries. He began his career in the restaurant industry after graduating from Cornell’s Hotel School gaining operational experience prior to launching a career track in Human Resources with an international restaurant company. Having gained experience in executive recruitment from the brand side, the desire to work with a broader range of hospitality clients led Court to a career in retained executive search beginning in 1990. Court has expertise in leading senior hospitality executive searches across all functional areas including Board Director, CEO, Operations, Human Resources, Marketing, Finance, Development, Real Estate,Culinary and Supply Chain. His client base includes private equity firms, hotel management companies, restaurant companies, travel technology brands and leisure venues. Court also leads the global growth strategy for HVS Executive Search and is on the Advisory Board of Shift One. He remains an active Cornell alumnus and is a student coach with Cornell University’s Hospitality Leadership Development Institute, as well as The Samuel Curtis Johnson School of Management’s MBA Marketing program. Court earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.

Press Coverage

Hotel appraisers adapt methods to COVID-19 uncertainty, 2020

How to Minimize the Cost of Emotional Labor, 2018

My Articles

COVID-19 Recovery HVS Global Hospitality Employer Survey

HVS Executive Search executives reached out to hospitality employers across US, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa to understand the current employer sentiment as the industry embarks the recovery zone. The objective of the survey was to “check the pulse” and address the unified response that is critical for the hospitality industry at this stage.

• June 4, 2021 By Court Williams , Bhavna Bhatia

• Travel & Tourism , Executive Search & Recruitment , COVID-19 , Middle East , South America , North America , Europe , Asia , Africa

How Hotel F&B Pivoted in Response to COVID-19, and What the Future Holds

COVID-19 has affected the hospitality and tourism industries in a number of ways, and hotel food and beverage operations is one of the most affected areas. A decline in travel, low occupancy rates, and guests shifting to either cooking at home or preferring drive-thru, curbside, and delivery over eating out has led to hotel F&B rapidly evolving and adjusting their models. Hotels are marketing their eateries to locals, offering contactless food delivery, and enhancing gift card sales.

• August 12, 2020 By Court Williams

• Human Resources , Food & Beverage , Executive Search & Recruitment , Hotel Companies , COVID-19 , North America , United States

Organizational Restructuring in the Restaurant Industry Post COVID-19

In an ideal world, the restaurant industry would reopen after the Covid-19 pandemic to hordes of diners hungry to make up for lost time. The reality, however, is that a large percentage of former customers simply won’t have money to spend dining out.

• May 13, 2020 By Court Williams

• Human Resources , Food & Beverage , Executive Search & Recruitment , COVID-19 , United States , Canada , North America

Generation Z: What Do They Want from their Hotel Stay Experience?

Generation Z currently comprises more than a quarter of the U.S. population and delivers a hefty contribution to the economy. They may not be booking hotel rooms yet, but they already have a significant impact on their parents’ choices of accommodation.

• June 26, 2019 By Court Williams

• Travel & Tourism , Executive Search & Recruitment , North America

The Impact of Technology on Hotel Sales and Marketing

Hotel sales and marketing has evolved vastly in recent years, mainly as a result of technological advancements. With the proliferation of new brands leading to stiffer industry competition, hotels are increasingly adding technology to their marketing strategies in an effort to stay abreast.

• June 26, 2019 By Court Williams , Rachel H Levitt

Understanding the Resistance to Change Within the Hospitality Industry

What can change leaders do to overcome the resistance to change? Sheetal Singh, Ph.D. and Court Williams, CEO at HVS Executive Search address this question in their latest article in Hotel Business Review.

• April 3, 2019 By Sheetal Singh , Court Williams

Technology in the Hospitality Industry – Have We Gone Too Far?

With the advent of technology, many activities previously performed by live humans have been replaced by automated methods. Is it really an improvement, or has the industry gone too far?

• March 20, 2019 By Court Williams , Paul Savage

• Executive Search & Recruitment , North America

How to Minimize the Cost of Emotional Labor

This article highlights the costs of hotel employees managing their emotions for work or emotional labor. We share practical advice on what hotel managers can do to reduce the emotional exhaustion and burnout resulting from emotional labor.

• May 2, 2018 By Sheetal Singh , Court Williams

F&B: Which Is More Profitable – Outsourcing or In-House?

Hotel Food and Beverage (F&B) operations increased in revenue value by 4.9% during 2017, according to a report from STR.

• April 9, 2018 By Court Williams

• Executive Search & Recruitment , North America , North America

The Growing Use of Technology and Robotics in Food Service

The food service industry continues to have growing concerns over rising labor costs and food safety. Robotics technology in the food service industry has never been more relevant to address both issues.

• April 3, 2018 By Court Williams

• Executive Search & Recruitment , North America

Differentiating Lifestyle Hotel Brands in an Increasingly Competitive Category

Lifestyle hotel brands have realized that local experiences is a key factor in the popularity of Lifestyle Hotels. So, what is the future for the lifestyle hotel concept? I believe it’s a mix of personalization, with a healthy dose of technology.

• December 5, 2017 By Court Williams

• Hotel Operations , Travel & Tourism , Architecture & Interior Design , Hotel Brands , Europe , South America , North America

The Future of Casual Dining: What to Expect

The casual dining industry is losing market share as the popularity of Fast Casual, Quick Service and Fine Dining restaurant continue to grow revenue and consumer interest.

• November 7, 2017 By Court Williams

• Executive Search & Recruitment , United States