Laura Kessler Van Til started her first business venture at the young age of 10. She liked collecting gem stones, so she started a jewelry business. She handcrafted imported beads and traveled to festivals to sell them. "It was something I did for fun," said Kessler Van Til, 33. "I made enough to pay back the loans I used to start it."
Now, as the new president and chief operating officer of eastern operations for The Kessler Collection. Kessler Van Til oversees seven East Coast hotels. She was promoted from senior vice president of operations. She was promoted from senior vice president of operations.
Her brother, Mark Kessler, was promoted from senior vice president of marketing and business relations to president and COO of western operations.
The Kessler Collection's portfolio includes 10 luxury boutique hotels-- including the Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando and the Bohemian Hotel Celebration-- in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Colorado and New Mexico.
In the months ahead, Kessler Van Til plans to reach out to the local community. "Essentially, we want to reestablish those connections, so we can be a part of the central community in which we operate. We can continue to tell our story and invite the locals to be a part of what we are doing."
Personal
Birthplace: Atlanta
Education: Bachelor's in hotel administration, Cornell University; master's in business administration, Emory University.
First job: At Skanska construction company
Motto: Stay true to your beliefs. When you plan according to what you know is right, in the end it all works out. There really are no shortcuts.
Business Philosophy
Basic philosophy: Treat others the way you would like them to treat you.
Best way to stay competitive: It's in the details. We are diligent in maintaining our hotels and assets, whereas a lot of people cut back on expenses on their properties.
Judgment Calls
Best business decision made: Investing in the right people to make the experience happen. We also invest in them in terms of training and communicating our expectations.
Best advice received: Learn to listen.
My advice for success: Communicating clearly what you're trying to do and why. Get people emotionally invested in what you're trying to accomplish.
Most important lesson learned: You can't take yourself too seriously. You have to enjoy what you are doing.
True Confessions
In a moment of weakness, I: Tend to go with my gut reaction.
Phase I use too much: Let's try it.
A common misconception of me: That I am unapproachable.
My most annoying habit: I am disorganized.
If I could pick up any other job: I'd be a cheese maker or own a lavender farm.
Et Cetera
Favorite movie: Shawshank Redemption
Best part of central Florida: It's the blending of a lot of different cultures. It also has potential in arts and culture.
I'm most interested in meeting: Anyone in the entertainment industry who has leveraged their name to do something good.
Favorite place I have traveled to: Austria
Favorite indulgence: Staying home and playing with the kids.
Fondest childhood memory: When I lived abroad in France as a child.
