Speaker profile

Frits van Paaschen

Advisor
BigSpring

Board Member
Sonder Inc.

Chairperson Convene Speaker

Author
The Disruptors' Feast

Frits van Paasschen is a seasoned global executive and the author of The Disruptors’ Feast, an Amazon bestseller. His thirty years of experience inside global companies affords him a unique perspective on the trends that are reshaping the global economy. Frits shares his deep understanding of the forces of disruption in order to help businesses thrive in times of accelerating change. Frits spent more than a decade as a Fortune 500 CEO, first at The Coors Brewing Company and then at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. He also held several management positions at Nike, ultimately becoming Nike’s President of Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Prior to joining Nike, he worked in finance in Disney's Consumer Products Division. His career began at The Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey & Company, where he primarily served retail and consumer clients. Frits is a frequent keynote speaker and advisor with a focus on disruption and strategy. He is a Senior Advisor at the private equity firm TPG Capital. He also serves on the Board of Directors for two public companies, Williams-Sonoma and Royal DSM, as well as two private companies, Apollo Hotels and Convene. He is an investor and advisor for citizenM Hotels. He has also been a Non-Executive Director at Barclays, Jones Apparel, and Oakley. Frits has also served numerous other boards: The EuropeanAmerican Industrial Council (as Chairman), The U.S.-India and U.S.-China business councils, and The Center for Environmental Leadership in Business at Conservation International. He is currently a member of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Authority advisory board. Frits holds a BA in Economics and Biology from Amherst College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. At Harvard, he was a Teaching Fellow in Economics. Originally from the Netherlands, Frits holds dual U.S. and Dutch citizenship. A passionate traveler, he speaks five languages and has visited 115 countries. In his free time, he enjoys endurance sports, including marathons and triathlons. He has been married since 1990 and has three children.