David Kong, Former CEO of Best Western Hotels, talks Lessons and One "Failure" | By Sloan Dean

Sloan Dean interviews David Kong, former long tenured CEO of Best Western, about his post retirement focus and the leadership lessons he wants to leave behind. Kong explains that after stepping down he launched the It’s Personal Stories podcast to give back to hospitality by amplifying the career journeys of successful leaders, especially to address the persistent lack of women and diverse representation in senior leadership. He reflects candidly on his own experience as an immigrant and one of the first Asian American CEOs of a major hotel company, describing how cultural expectations and unconscious bias can limit opportunity, even when talent is widely distributed. The conversation then shifts to how Kong avoided complacency during 17+ years as CEO by continuously reinventing Best Western, driving quality upgrades, segmenting the core brand into clear tiers, and expanding into new segments and brand types. He offers a nuanced view on “too many brands,” arguing that brand proliferation is often driven by customer and developer demand, though loyalty ecosystems can also blur differentiation. Kong also shares a major strategic initiative he considers his biggest miss: an attempt to restructure Best Western’s member owned model by issuing shares and bringing in outside capital, which owners narrowly rejected. He warns that scale and capital access will become even more decisive as technology and AI reshape marketing, distribution, and back office productivity. The episode closes with Kong’s leadership philosophy: listening, empathy, sponsorship, and a progression from individual contributor to servant leader to transformative leader, anchored in gratitude and giving back.

3 key takeaways

1. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not, and leadership pipelines need intentional sponsorship
   Kong argues that unconscious bias and a lack of role models still limit who gets developed for CEO level roles. He highlights how informal mentorship networks and cultural expectations can disadvantage women and diverse candidates, and he encourages aspiring leaders to seek not only mentors but sponsors and advocates who will speak for them when they are not in the room.
2. Long term leadership requires continuous reinvention, not stability for its own sake
   Kong credits Best Western’s transformation to a deliberate pattern of annual reinvention: removing underperforming hotels to establish a quality baseline, segmenting Best Western into clearer tiers to reduce guest confusion and improve rate integrity, and expanding into boutique, economy, extended stay, new build, conversion, and luxury adjacent offerings. His core message is that brands and leaders must keep evolving or risk hubris and decline.
3. Scale and capital will determine winners in the next era, especially as AI reshapes distribution and productivity
   Kong believes consolidation will accelerate because large systems can invest more aggressively in marketing, technology, and AI. He notes that OTAs’ scale provides both data and marketing spend advantages, potentially strengthening their position in an AI mediated travel shopping world. Within hotel companies, he sees AI as a major unlock for revenue management, reporting, marketing content, and back office work, freeing teams to refocus on true hospitality.