Ken Greene to step down from AAHOA

AAHOA President & CEO Ken Greene is set to leave the organization in February. Greene was brought on as interim president & CEO in June 2021 and dropped the interim title in September. Greene is leaving AAHOA for another career opportunity with IBF Hospitality and his last day at AAHOA will be Feb. 11, 2022.

The AAHOA Board of Directors will immediately begin its search for his replacement. 

“Ken has been instrumental in carrying AAHOA through the past several months, which brought on a lot of change both at AAHOA and in our industry,” said AAHOA Chair Vinay Patel. “We’re grateful for the time he’s spent at AAHOA and wish him nothing but continued success as he transitions to another opportunity.”

Related: AAHOA's Staton, Humphrey leaving; interim CEO named

Before joining AAHOA, Greene served as a global leader of a number of hotel brands, including president, Americas for Radisson Hotel Group, president and CEO for Delta Hotels and Resorts and in various roles at Cendant Corp., Wyndham Worldwide and many of its divisions. Greene also recently founded Greenehouse Consulting, which focuses on acquisitions, management and advisory services to the hospitality industry. 

“When I made the decision to come on board at AAHOA, I came with every intention of helping carry the great tradition of the association,” Greene said. “If it weren’t for this career-changing opportunity with IBF Hospitality, I would not be leaving this great organization. At IBF, I will be focused on potential acquisitions and building out a hospitality REIT.”

During his interim period as president and CEO, Greene oversaw the association’s return to in-person events with the 2021 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show in Dallas. The convention, which drew more than 6,000 attendees, was the first such event in the city since the start of the pandemic. He also oversaw the launch of the American Hospitality Alliance with the American Hotel & Lodging Association in June, a coordinated effort to support the industry through collaboration. 

Since June 2021, Greene has been working on restaffing the organization. “We now have an incredibly strong and capable leadership team in place at AAHOA, and I know they’ll all continue to lead the organization through this transitional time,” Patel said. “I want to thank Ken for all he has done for the association and our members during what has been a period of transition at AAHOA. Because of his efforts in building out our new Executive Leadership Team, AAHOA will not miss a beat as we continue to prepare for another record-breaking year, including our 2022 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show in Baltimore.” 

Related: New AAHOA CEO looks to build relationships with partners

“I’ve found my time spent at AAHOA invaluable, and I’m grateful to our incredible team, Officers, Board, members, and vendor partners for their support,” Greene said. “I would like to thank Vinay Patel, Chairman of AAHOA, for his leadership. I look forward to continuing to work with the AAHOA community in my new role with IBF, very much similar to my last 20 years spent in this great industry.”