Court Williams

Experience

Court Williams is Chief Executive Officer of HVS Executive Search based in New York and has over 33 years of retained Hospitality Executive Search experience within the Hotel, Restaurant, and Travel/Leisure industries. He also leads the global growth strategy for HVS Executive Search. Court directs his team in senior hospitality executive searches across all functional areas, including Operations, Human Resources, Sales/Marketing, Finance, Real Estate, Franchise Development, Technology, and Supply Chain/Logistics, working with clients in the private equity, hotel management, restaurant, hotel investment/REITS, and leisure venue industries. Court is on the Advisory Board of Shift One and remains an active Cornell alumnus through student coaching with Cornell University’s Hospitality Leadership Development Institute. Court began his career in the restaurant industry after graduating from Cornell’s Hotel School, gaining multi-unit operational experience prior to launching a career in Human Resources/Recruiting. 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 and his wife reside in both Connecticut and Vermont and have two young adult children. He enjoys boating, skiing, fly-fishing in Vermont, traveling, and food/wine.

Press Coverage

Hotel appraisers adapt methods to COVID-19 uncertainty, 2020

How to Minimize the Cost of Emotional Labor, 2018

My Articles

Hospitality at a Crossroads: Is a Remote Work Model Essential to Retain Talent?

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated hospitality’s shift towards remote work, challenging the sector to adapt roles for remote environments, ranging from customer service to event planning. While remote work offers advantages for both employers and employees, it also presents multiple challenges for them. Companies must balance attracting younger talent with the limitations of remote work, identify roles suitable for remote settings, and invest in the infrastructure necessary to support this model.

• February 7, 2024 By Court Williams

• Hotel Operations , Human Resources , Executive Search & Recruitment , Hotel Companies , Hotel Management , United States , North America

Breakfast is King: Elevating the Guest Experience through F&B Innovations

In recent years, hotel food and beverage (F&B) services have evolved from being an afterthought to a cornerstone of the guest experience and a significant revenue generator. These services now captivate travelers with innovative concepts, enticing menus, and immersive dining experiences. Breakfast, in particular, has emerged as the king of F&B offerings, capturing the hearts and palates of guests worldwide and becoming a deciding factor for travelers seeking hotels that go above and beyond.

• August 7, 2023 By Court Williams

• Hotel Operations , Food & Beverage , Executive Search & Recruitment , North America , United States

First to the Finish Line: How to Attract Top Talent to Your Hospitality Organization

As the pandemic eases, the hospitality industry faces multiple challenges in recruiting talented employees. This situation is likely to result in some exciting hiring trends in 2022, including a stronger focus on technology use and the overall employee experience. Organizations will have to deploy innovative solutions to attract the human capital they need in this competitive environment.

• February 11, 2022 By Court Williams

• Human Resources , Executive Search & Recruitment , Hotel Companies , COVID-19 , United States

How to Resolve the Current State of Emergency in Hospitality Employment

The hospitality industry has seen a decrease in staff as many people have found alternate career paths as a result of the impacts of COVID-19. The hospitality industry needs to re-focus their efforts to meet future staffing requirements in order to see an increase in demand for hospitality industry seekers.

• July 26, 2021 By Court Williams

• Human Resources , Executive Search & Recruitment , Hotel Companies , COVID-19 , United States

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