After previous conversations with Maud Bailly and Karin Sheppard, The Insider was delighted to sit down with another of hospitality’s most powerful women: Shannon Knapp, President and CEO of The Leading Hotels of the World.
Founded by hoteliers for hoteliers, The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) is today a collection of more than 400 distinctive, independent luxury hotels spread across the globe. Member-owned, the organization has been led by President and CEO Shannon Knapp since 2019.
Having steered the organization through the Covid period, since that time Shannon’s results-driven leadership has seen LHW achieve historic revenue milestones, exceeding $1 billion in both 2022 and 2023.
Prior to taking the reins, Shannon had held the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at LHW for more than five years. In the role she created breakthrough brand and data-driven marketing strategies, transformed the customer experience, and accelerated brand loyalty for the more than 90-year-old company.
She joined LHW from American Express, where she spent 15 years working across a number of senior roles including Vice President of Marketing for American Express Travel and Director of Premium Cardmember Marketing.
It was thus a privilege to catch up with Shannon for a conversation that we reproduce here:
The Insider (TI): How would you define your leadership style; in what ways has it evolved over the years and are there any specific individuals you would credit for influencing you as a leader?
Shannon Knapp (SK): I consider myself to be a results-driven, purpose-oriented and collaborative leader who seeks diverse perspectives to achieve shared goals. This can, at times, be challenging in an organization spanning 20 markets globally, so it is critical to consider all decisions through the lens of our company’s mission and the impact of those decisions on the critical stakeholders in our ecosystem.
I never charted too narrow of a course for my career. I personally do not believe that success always follows a linear path; it doesn’t only go up the ladder. Some of the most vital lessons I learned in my career were because I chose to take lateral roles that diversified my experience, exposed me to different kinds of business challenges and customers and opened doors that may never have been options otherwise. My varied experiences helped me refine my career aspirations and my leadership style. I continue to approach every new challenge as an opportunity to learn something to improve my capabilities.
A factor critical in my development as a leader was the invaluable counsel of several outstanding mentors I have had throughout the various phases of my career. It is hard to overstate the impact of authentic, constructive relationships with mentors who will be honest with you, will challenge you and who are invested in your success in the long term. My mentors changed the trajectory of my career, and it would be one of the greatest accomplishments of my career if I could impact someone else’s life the way that mine has been so positively impacted.
TI: A feature of your career has been the association with travel and hospitality – first at AmEx and now in the purest sense with LHW. What is it about this sector which especially appeals to you, and why?
SK: There were two pivotal experiences in my life that shaped my career in hospitality. The first occurred during my university years when I had the opportunity to study abroad in Geneva, Switzerland. This experience inspired my passion for travel, enabling me to immerse myself in new cultures and broaden my perspective on the world at an early age. The second formative experience came during my time at American Express, where I had the great fortune to work for several years in the Travel division and discover that it is possible to turn your passion for travel into a career.
The hospitality industry appeals to me because of the extraordinary people who are drawn to this industry. Our hoteliers are artisans of hospitality whose expertise, commitment to excellence, and individual flair allows them to create unmatched experiences for their guests. At LHW, preserving our hotel members’ independence is critical to our success – their connection to specific places and traditions cannot be replicated.
TI: You have a very strong background in marketing as a specialism. How useful has this been to you in your current role, and how important do you feel it is for a CEO to bring with them other specialized skills alongside those that come under the umbrella of ‘leadership skills’?
SK: The increasing trend of CMOs moving into CEO roles highlights the growing value of marketing skills in leadership positions. As a marketer, you have the chance to bring purpose to life for a brand and the ability to impact the entire customer experience with that brand – it’s powerful. What I learned from my years in marketing continues to impact my daily focus as CEO–understanding the dynamic needs of our customers and creating solutions that accelerate brand loyalty, applying analytics and customer insights to shift and inform strategy and revenue generation, being agile, the list goes on.
TI: The Covid pandemic was an extremely tough time for the hospitality business; albeit one from which it has thankfully bounced back very strongly. Now you can look back at this period from a reasonable distance, how did that experience change you as a leader and what did you take away that remains an enduring part of your leadership ethos today?
SK: Weathering the upheaval of Covid and shepherding our business into record-setting growth post pandemic has been by far the most challenging and rewarding experience in my career. That period changed us all. During that moment I got very comfortable making critically important decisions quickly and with imperfect information. I learned how effective the discipline of true prioritization and clarity of focus is. I also learned to be grateful for, and celebrate, the small wins as much as the big ones.
I also found that building a team who believes in your mission and is passionate about what you do can achieve extraordinary outcomes in seemingly impossible circumstances. And some of my most important learnings – transparency, authenticity, and empathy for each other – are incredibly powerful forces that can bind a community and a company together. These are some of the lessons I carry forth today as I lead LHW.
TI: Turning to one of the hottest topics in hospitality, sustainability, how does LHW support its members in this area today, and how much influence can you have on them to operate as sustainably as possible?
SK: As a collection of more than 400 independently owned hotels across more than 80 countries, we elevate the remarkable work each property does to protect their community, culture, and environment. To ensure we are holding ourselves and hotels to the right standards, we have partnered with GSTC, the leading authorities on sustainability in tourism to propel our industry into a better future.
In October 2023, LHW launched our Sustainability Leaders collection, which currently consists of nearly 100 hotels. It was created to recognize Leading Hotels that are committed to sustainable business standards, like community connections, preserving local cultures, and environmental conservation. The designation signifies that the hotel has achieved a sustainable certification aligned to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Industry Criteria. LHW is a member of the GSTC, the premier global authority in setting and managing standards for sustainable tourism worldwide since 2010.
By engaging established leaders in the field of sustainable tourism and celebrating the efforts of individual properties who go above and beyond to protect their piece of the planet, we offer travelers the opportunity to positively impact the world through their stays.
TI: Lastly, what do you foresee at the next big trend in luxury hospitality, and how will you ensure that LHW and its member hotels are prepared for it?
SK: Luxury is about crafting unforgettable memories through uncommon experiences. Since the pandemic, we have seen the trend of wellness accelerate, with guests drawn to holistic programs that go well-beyond the traditional spa treatment.
We’ve found that Gen Z prioritizes expansive approaches to wellness, which makes LHW offerings such as Forest Bathing at The Datai Langkawi, Art Therapy at Royal Mansour Marrakech or the Spa Sommelier Experience (pictured) at Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine alluring experiences. In fact, more than 70% of LHW’s 400+ hotels offer spa and wellness experiences, and we have witnessed a 30% increase in revenue for hotels in our Spa-Inclusive program, and about a 10% longer stay.
TI: Shannon Knapp, thank you so much for your insightful answers!
- To discover more about LHW, visit the website
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