Steve Kleinschmidt is the Co-Founder and a Director at Good Insights Strategy Inc. The Company provides advisory services across a wide range of industries in North America and the Asia/Pacific region with a focus on the improvement of operational efficiency and maximization of value. Steve is strategically focused with exceptional leadership skills. He has a track record of building high-performance teams and consistent success in maximizing business performance. As a Corporate CEO and Strategic Advisor, Steve has extensive business transaction experience at both the multi-national brand and single asset levels.
Steve was the Vice Chairman – Asset Management for Marco Polo Hotels Management Ltd (a subsidiary of Wharf Holdings – one of Hong Kong’s largest public companies) from 2012 to 2014 providing advice and leadership in relation to growth and acquisition strategies, new product development, capitalization strategies and the performance of all owned hotels.
Steve was the President of Marco Polo Hotels (headquartered in Hong Kong) from 2007 to 2012 and was responsible for the overall management of the group and its 12 luxury hotels as well as the expansion of the “Marco Polo” brand in the Asia/ Pacific region.
Steve was the Director of the Hospitality and Leisure advisory practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Vancouver from 1999 to 2007. He has advised multi-national hotel, travel industry and real estate clients in Canada, Asia/Pacific, Mexico and the Caribbean. From 1992-1999 Steve was the Managing Director and CEO Asia Pacific for the hospitality industry advisory firm Pannell Kerr Forster and was based in Hong Kong. From 1987 to 1992, Steve was a Consultant and Senior Manager with Pannell Kerr Forster in Vancouver. Throughout his career, Steve has advised many of the world’s leading hotel companies and travel industry organizations including Four Seasons Hotels, Cathay Pacific Airways, Hilton International Hotels, Hyatt, Peninsula Group, Dusit Thani, Fairmont and Mandarin Oriental amongst many others. Most of Steve’s strategic advisory work has been in support of multi-property transactions, brand acquisitions, performance improvement planning, valuations and litigation support.
Steve’s experience covers a wide range of operations involved with the hospitality, tourism and leisure and real estate development industries including hotels, resorts, food & beverage, golf, ski resorts, attractions, convention & exhibition centers, entertainment, gaming, marinas, spas, retail, private clubs and a wide range of residential product as part of integrated destination resorts.
Steve spent 15 years based in the Asia/Pacific region and developed extensive knowledge of the primary hospitality investor markets of China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and South Korea. He has advised hotel and broader real estate investors regarding hotel and resort business transactions in the Asia/Pacific region and outbound investment in Canada, the US and Europe.
Steve also has extensive volunteer experience and served on the Boards of Business Alliances, Academic Advisory Boards and Community Organizations including; the Global Hotel Alliance, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Victoria, The Horticulture Center of the Pacific, and the Khowutzun Development Corporation.