Bart Bender
Bart graduated from the Hotelschool The Hague (1989-1993) with a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, after which he continued his studies at Nijenrode Business University where he obtained his MSC in General Management in 1994. This strong educational foundation, combined with extensive involvement in the respective student associations of both institutions, provided him with a broad understanding of business management and hospitality and an incredibly valuable network of alumni relations.
After his studies Bart spent a few years at New York Pizza as General Manager of their distribution center Euro Pizza Products, after which he began his extensive entrepreneurial journey in South Africa in 1998. He co-founded Hospitality Professionals, a training firm that created employment opportunities in the hospitality and tourism sector for thousands of young unemployed people in South Africa through extensive vocational and management training programs. He later founded Proserv International, a hospitality services consultancy and training company and subsequently worked in various senior leadership roles at the Human Capital division of the EOH-Group in South Africa. In 2015 he also co-founded The Stack in Cape Town, an upmarket members club and networking hub.
After co-founding the Fig Group of companies in 2018 in Cape Town, Bart returned to The Hague, The Netherlands in 2020 where he is the Managing Director of Fig Distribution Europe.
Bart currently serves as the chairman of the Board of Trustees of La Confrérie, the oldest student association of the Hotelschool The Hague, working closely with its members to safeguard the essential symbiosis of educational focus and student life ensuring that the “Hotello of The Hague” remains amongst the most respected and well-sought hospitality graduates globally.
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