Willem van der Zee

Willem van der Zee has a diverse and extensive work experience in the hotel industry. Willem recently joined Pandox as the Director of Operations Belgium, overseeing operations at The Hotel Brussels. Willem'sfocus is on building sustainable practices and providing a unique hotel experience for guests. Before that, Willem founded their own company, Willem&Too, in 2020. Willem also served as a Non Executive Board Member at YUST, a company that combines different hospitality offerings in creative neighborhoods. Prior to their entrepreneurial ventures, Willem worked as the Group COO at Event Hotels and as a Strategic Advisor at InterContinental Hotels Group. Willem took a sabbatical and educational period in 2017 before becoming the Managing Director at Lapithus, where they managed a portfolio of 18 hotels across Europe. Willem also held various leadership positions at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and Radisson Hotel Group, including General Manager, Regional Director, and Area Vice President. Willem has a strong background in hotel management, operations, and strategic planning.

Willem van der Zee has a diverse education history. In 1982, they completed their high school education at St. Jansenius College in Hulst, The Netherlands, with a focus on general studies. Following this, from 1986 to 1988, they attended P.IV.A Antwerp Belgium, where they studied food preparation, professional cooking, and kitchen assistant skills. In 1988, they furthered their education at Artesis Hogeschool Antwerpen, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management, which they completed in 1990. Later, in 2005, van der Zee studied Hospitality Administration/Management at Cornell University for a year. Lastly, in 2017, they attended INSEAD for their Advanced Management Program.