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Pictured left to right: Jeff Higley, ISHC, President, The BHN Group, Beth White, Chair of White Lodging, Connor White, Vice Chair and Chief Investment Officer, Steve Hennis, ISHC Chair, Hotelogy, Jonathan Jaeger, ISHC Awards Committee Chair and Senior Managing Director of LW Hospitality Advisors. – Image Credit ISHC
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) in partnership with the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) presented Bruce White posthumously, Founder of White Lodging, with the 2026 Pioneer Award.
Steve Hennis of Hotelogy and the Chair of the ISHC Board of Directors shared, “Bruce White truly exemplifies the meaning behind the Pioneer Award. He made White Lodging successful by challenging norms, listening to people, and continually seeking improvement. His influence extends well beyond the company he founded and the industry he helped advance – impacting hospitality professionals nationwide, advancing business and hospitality education at Purdue University, and transforming communities through his philanthropy.”
“It was a profound honor to celebrate the legacy of Bruce White at the ALIS Conference this year while presenting the Pioneer Award to his wife Beth and son Conner,” shared Jonathan Jaeger, ISHC Awards Committee Chair and Senior Managing Director of LW Hospitality Advisors, “Bruce wasn’t just a leader; he was a visionary who redefined the landscape of hotel development and management. His relentless pursuit of excellence remains the gold standard for our entire industry.”
“Accepting this award in recognition of my father, next to my mother and before so many people he deeply respected, was a special moment,” said Conner White, Vice Chair and Chief Investment Officer at White Lodging. “His legacy is both White Lodging’s foundation and our inspiration. Our job now is to carry it forward, building an even stronger company rooted in the same values and vision that defined him.”
“Recognizing Bruce White with the Pioneer Award was a natural decision, given the profound influence he has had on the hotel investment community—an influence that continues to shape the industry today,” said Jeff Higley, president of Northstar Travel Group’s Hotel Investment Group. “His legacy at White Lodging lives on through Beth and Conner’s ongoing commitment to community engagement and their unwavering dedication to excellence.”
The Pioneer Award, established in partnership with ALIS in 1996, recognizes an individual each year who is considered a pioneer in their field by making an outstanding contribution, achievement, or improvement in the hospitality industry.
Past recipients of the Pioneer Award include:
- Ben Weprin (2025)
- Tracy Prigmore (2024)
- Alejandro Zozaya (2023)
- Peggy Berg (2022)
- Marilyn Carlson Nelson (2020)
- Jack DeBoer (2019)
- Wing T. Chao (2018)
- Ian Schrager (2017)
- Lyndall DeMarco (2016)
- Stephen Kaufer (2015)
- Michael Bedner (2014)
- Steve Rushmore (2013)
- Chip Conley (2012)
- Kathleen Taylor (2011)
- Leland C. Pillsbury (2010)
- J.W. Marriott (2009)
- Jean Gabriel Peres (2008)
- Stanley Selengut (2008)
- Jean-Claude Baumgarten (2007)
- James E. Burba (2007)
- Stelios Haji-Ioannou (2006)
- H.P. Rama (2006)
- Costakis Loizou (2005)
- Barry Sternlicht (2005)
- Christel DeHaan (2004)
- Regis Bulot (2004)
- Bill Kimpton (2002)
- Jonathan M. Tisch (2001)
- Michael A. Leven (2000)
- Jack Vaughn (1999)
- George Johnson (1998)
- Randell A. Smith (1997)
