citizenM, the Dutch-based hospitality group, has announced the appointment of Frits van Paasschen, ex-CEO of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts Group, to its advisory board.
A seasoned global executive, Van Paasschen (1961, dual Dutch and US nationalities) has deep knowledge of the FMCG and service industries; as well as having worked with Starwood Hotels and Coors Brewing Company he has also held several management positions at Nike, ultimately becoming Nike’s President of Europe, Middle East, and Africa. This year saw the publication of his book The Disruptors’ Feast: How to Avoid Being Devoured in Today’s Rapidly Changing Global Economy, a unique look into the trends that are shaping the world of the future from digital technology, and global development to urbanization, and business disruption. As well as advising citizenM on its global development strategy, Van Paasschen also advises a number of tech companies in the Netherlands and the US.
Rattan Chadha, founder and CEO of citizenM said
“We’ve enjoyed a remarkable success with the citizenM model and are now pursuing a strategy of vigorous growth in Europe, the USA and Asia. With his background and experience in hospitality and his understanding of technology trends, we know that Frits van Paaschen will prove an enormous asset to us, providing strategic advice on our future development and progress. As a disruptive brand ourselves, we like to work with those who favour innovation and change and we are delighted to have an executive of his calibre on our board.”