Douglas Rice Email & Phone Number

I primarily provide board-level and strategic services to small to midsized technology providers in the hospitality industry, and to promising startups. Extensive industry and technical knowledge; global base of top-level contacts in the hospitality industry and technology community; and deep business management skills. Assist with strategy formulation; identifying and closing partnership opportunities; talent acquisition; and M&A transactions. Open to paid board positions and ongoing advisory roles; high-impact strategic project work; temporary or transitional leadership roles; business or technology strategy reviews; assisting companies in expanding into new geographic or product markets (including developing commercial partnerships to facilitate); company evaluations for investors; assisting companies in finding funding or merger/acquisition partners; and similar assignments. Deeply interested in discovering innovative technologies (blockchain evangelist) and promising young companies -- which I can help to navigate the often-complex customer, partner, distributor and competitive landscapes in hospitality.

Schaumburg, Il, Us

Co-founded this not-for-profit trade association in 2002, dedicated to improving technology in the hospitality industry through collaboration, best practices, and standards. Became first employee, and served as CEO from 2004-2015, during which time it grew from 20 to more than 4500 members worldwide, a $2.5 million operating budget, six global conferences per year, and a staff of 10. Since retiring from this role, I retain the CEO Emeritus title, and have remained an active supporter, participating in several workgroups, co-chairing the Blockchain workgroup, and speaking at numerous conferences. In 2021, HTNG merged with the American Hotel & Lodging Association, retaining its mission and global presence while tightening the communication link with C-suite lodging industry executives.

Schaumburg, Il, Us

Co-founder and, for 11 years, executive leader of this trade association, which facilitates the creation of technology solution sets for the hospitality industry. HTNG provides a forum in which buyers and producers of technology work together to devise and implement solutions to business and technical challenges that cross multiple disciplines, and that have for various structural reasons eluded solution by existing technology vendors.This position, reporting to a board of directors consisting of senior technology executives (primarily CIOs) from major hotel companies, was responsible for day-to-day operation, administration, and development of the organization. Key roles include membership solicitation, operations (development of standards, best practices, and educational materials by members), publicity, relationships with other industry organizations, membership administration, and finance.I took on this role after co-founding the organization and serving as volunteer champion for two years. I successfully grew the organization from startup to 4500 members, an annual revenue base of $2.5 million, and eleven years of consistent growth, not even interrupted by the major industry recession of 2009-10.I developed highly trusted relationships with hospitality and technology industry leaders from around the world, and a deep and wide knowledge of virtually all technologies used within the hospitality industry, and of all major industry providers. I successfully recruited more than 50 CIO-level executives over more than 12 years to actively participate on the association’s board of directors. I was a frequent keynote speaker at industry conferences around the world. I authored numerous articles published in trade journals.

Dubai, Ae

Board chairman for global company offering rooms-control systems designed specifically to meet the needs of hotel guest rooms, including environmental control, lighting control, occupancy detection, water management and other capabilities, connected seamlessly and wirelessly for ease of use and low cost of deployment.

Dubai, Ae

Melbourne, Victoria, Au

Non-executive director of midmarket company that owns, distributes, and supports various core technology products to the hospitality industry, including a high-end point-of-sale system, a rental property management platform, a third-party property management system from partner protel Hotelsystems GmbH, and a third-party activity management system from TAC GmbH. I also serve as chair of the board's Remuneration Committee, which oversees executive compensation for the company.

Roswell, Ga, Us

I write a hospitality technology blog focusing primarily on emerging technologies relevant to hotels, twice a month as part of the Siegel Sez blog in Hospitality Upgrade online and in the Hotel Online newsletter. It is circulated to 15,000+ hospitality technology subscribers, and you can view past articles at https://www.hospitalityupgrade.com/_siegel_sez/archive.asp; for any article, just scroll down to the second section, "Definitely Doug." Please reach out to me if you know of a new technology you would like me to consider covering!

Sunnyvale, Ca, Us

Serve as a mentor / advisor to multiple start-ups in the Plug and Play accelerator's travel and hospitality program. Work with primarily SaaS and enterprise software companies entering or scaling in the hospitality space on market analysis/dynamics/strategy, partnerships, global scaling, and pricing models,.

Strategic advisor to CEO and staff of 2020 startup, soon to exit stealth mode. Watch this space!

Olomouc, Cz

RobosizeME™ is a process automation specialist for the global hospitality industry, helping companies automate operational processes. RobosizeME virtual robots automate hospitality’s administrative processes by updating systems for essential business data to optimise human effort in all areas of hotel operations.

Advisor to the company that seeks to be the "Red Hat" for decentralized travel distribution technology pioneered by the nonprofit Winding Tree organization, providing products and services to help travel suppliers and their distribution partners leverage the opportunity of frictionless, peer-to-peer, low-cost travel distibution.

Gibraltar, Gi

Advisory role to CEO, COO, and key staff for blockchain startup that is active in the travel distribution space, providing expertise, contacts, and advice relative to the hospitality market.

Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, Au

iVvy is a leading service technology provider delivering Event Management, Venue Management and Distribution Solutions to the meetings, functions and events market whilst providing a platform for real time search, book and pay functionality for organisers and consumers.

Chicago, Il, Us

Rock Hill, South Carolina, Us

Mba, With High Distinction

Ab, Economics, Math