Former Hyatt SVP of global hotel technology brings proven technology experience from a leading brand as in-person meetings and events ramp up
Today, Knowland, the leader in AI-powered meetings and events data for the hospitality industry, announced it has appointed Jeff Bzdawka, former SVP of global hotel technology for Hyatt Hotels, as its chief executive officer.
Lance Fenton, partner at Serent Capital, said: “Jeff is an exceptional technology leader, and we’re excited to bring his knowledge and leadership to Knowland. His track record of building customer-focused solutions, scaling teams, and driving growth will be essential as Knowland continues to grow and advance.”
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Meeting volume is growing and hotels, conference centers, and other event venues are eagerly emerging from the pandemic. Knowland will be critical in helping the industry quickly rebuild group business and regain profitability and will leverage Bzdawka’s hotel perspective to lead the company through its next phase of growth.
- Advancing the leader in group business data – As the tide for in-person meetings and events turns, hoteliers require deeper insight to identify the right business fit for their property and smaller sales teams. Coming from a global hotel brand, Bzdawka understands all too well the resource limitations at the property level and the demands for productivity and performance improvement that Knowland’s tools can address.
- Leveraging global hotel technology experience – Bzdawka brings a lifetime of hospitality experience to the Knowland team. His career at Hyatt has spanned over 20 years on and off in technology and operations roles. Most recently, he served as SVP of global hotel technology where he was responsible for establishing and executing the portfolio roadmap of technology deployed at Hyatt’s hotels. Prior to his last Hyatt role, he was chief operating officer at TravelClick, leading a cross-functional team serving 30,000 customers across 140 countries. He also held executive roles with Pegasus Solutions, managing diverse organizations including Financial Services and Global Service Delivery.
- Empowering employee development and growth – His proven leadership background and business philosophy will guide the establishment of solid relationships between customer and colleague care as well as accelerated delivery against a strong product roadmap. Bzdawka is committed to tapping into the resilience and enthusiasm of the Knowland team as they work together to take the company into its next stage of accelerated growth and technological advancement.
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Jeff Bzdawka, CEO, Knowland: “I am thrilled to join the Knowland team as its CEO. Knowland has a solid foundation on which to grow, and our value proposition is even stronger today as we exit the pandemic. Full recovery for the industry will not occur until hotels can realize the profitability impact from the return of meetings and events at a substantial level. Knowland is positioned to enable that recovery and I am excited to take the company forward into a new era.”
