President & Chief Executive Officer – The Leading Hotels of the World

Shannon Knapp is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. (LHW), the leading global collection of independent luxury hotels. Since taking up her position in 2019, she has led a profound transformation of the organisation, which boasts almost 100 years of history, redefining its role and positioning LHW as the undisputed global leader in independent luxury hospitality.

A results-oriented leader with over twenty years of experience in luxury travel, hospitality, brand strategy, and customer engagement, Dr. Knapp played a pivotal role in modernising LHW’s business model, accelerating growth and strengthening the competitive position of over 425 of the world’s most exceptional independent luxury hotels.

Under her leadership, LHW achieved record performance, doubling the revenue generated for member hotels within four years, whilst simultaneously driving a long-term strategic vision focused on innovation, technology, customer data analysis, and enhanced member value creation. Building on the company’s long-standing legacy in luxury hospitality, Dr. Knapp has repositioned LHW from a traditional sales and marketing organisation into a strategic growth partner for independent luxury hotels. Her targeted investments in technology, distribution, loyalty, customer and market intelligence, and commercial capabilities are transforming the company into a modern platform enabling member hotels to compete globally in an increasingly complex landscape.

Before becoming President and CEO, Dr Knapp held the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of LHW, where she led a significant evolution of the company's brand, customer strategy and loyalty ecosystem.

Before joining LHW, Dr Knapp held senior leadership positions at American Express, including Vice President of Marketing for American Express Travel. Dr Knapp earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Colgate University.