Hans Van Der Reijden

With more than 25 years of dedicated service as an international hotelier, Hans van der Reijden is recognized as a hospitality expert and a respected leader. As founder and CEO, Hans leads Ithaka’s development initiatives and spearheads the company’s academic partnership with Auburn University’s Hospitality Management Program. A visionary leader in the world of luxury hospitality, Hans has a record of successfully launching, turning around and expanding organizations. Hans was a Partner in Capella Hotel Group from its founding in 2003 until 2018. Prior to joining Capella, he served as an Executive in The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company for 11 years, opening hotels across the globe. He was named “Hotelier of the Year” in 2007 and “Humanitarian of the Year” in 2019 by the Alabama Hospitality Association, “Tourism Executive of the Year” by the State of Alabama in 2014 and was awarded the Award of Excellence by the Alabama Travel Council in 2014. Hans is an active member and has served as Chairman of the Board for both the Alabama Hospitality & Restaurant Association as well as the Alabama Travel Council. He also serves on the advisory board for the Alabama Tourism Department, an appointment by Governor Kay Ivey.