Ignace Bauwens in

Ignace Bauwens

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Board Member | Group Director at Hand Picked Hotels Holdings (Guernsey) Ltd
📍 Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

An accomplished CEO with over 30 years of global hospitality experience across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. He leads Hand Picked Hotels, focusing on quality improvement and strategic growth. Colleagues describe him as a "true hotelier" and "great people leader, " with a management programme from Vlerick Business School.

A passionate and energetic Belgian hotelier, he is a multilingual leader fluent in English, French, German, and Dutch. His career began after helping his mother open a restaurant, an experience that sparked his lifelong passion for hospitality. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family.

His career in hospitality was an unexpected turn; he was originally studying mathematics before discovering his passion for the industry.

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Experience
26 Years
Current Role
Board Member | Group Director
Job Level
Mid-senior
Location
Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates
Personality Overview

How Ignace shows up

Communication Style
Decision Approach
Work Preference

Behavioral traits and communication patterns that shape how this person evaluates opportunities, builds trust, and makes decisions in professional settings.

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Priorities

Topics Ignace cares about

Guest Experience
He believes in creating "magical experiences that guests will never forget, " making it a core part of his strategy at Hand Picked Hotels.
Team Development
He publicly celebrates his colleagues' dedication and believes the real strength of any hotel is the team, aiming to be an "inspirational leader" who coaches and facilitates.
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Career

Work history

4-2025
Board Member | Group Director
Hand Picked Hotels Holdings (Guernsey) Ltd
12-2023
Chief Executive Officer
Hand Picked Hotels
1-2023 - 12-2023
Managing Director - Middle East, Asia & Africa
Corinthia Hotels Limited
11-2020 - 2-2023
Chief Operating Officer
Corinthia Hotels Limited
2016 - 2021
Regional Vice President - Middle East, Eurasia & Africa
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
In the press

Media appearances

Hand Picked Hotels appoints Ignace Bauwens. Featured in Hand Picked Hotels (official site)
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Meet the hotel expert: Ignace Bauwens, CEO of Hand Picked Hotels. Featured in Luxury Lifestyle Magazine
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Education
1987 - 1990
Bachelor's degree
VIVES Continue Business
2001 - 2002
Management Programme
Vlerick Business School
Social presence
in
Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

DISC behavioral profile

Dominance, influence, steadiness, and calculativeness scores with guidance on how this person prefers to communicate and decide.

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