Jonathan Worsley

Chairman
The Bench

Jonathan Worsley, a visionary leader with a rich history of shaping the hospitality and events industry, is one of the founders and organisers of multiple leading international conferences including AHIC-Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (now part of the FHS-Future Hospitality Summit), FHS Saudi Arabia, AHIF-Africa Hospitality Investment Forum, IDEEA Hospitality Investment Summit and South America’s SAHIC where he sits as a partner. He branched out into aviation and F&B, through AviaDev and GRIF-Global Restaurant Investment Forum. In 2020, as circumstances evolved, Jonathan, along with The Bench team, pivoted swiftly toward pioneering virtual and hybrid conferences showcasing his unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of industry engagement. This strategic shift led to the launch of the Hospitality Tomorrow series and the Future Hospitality Summit for the G20 Saudi Secretariat. Jonathan's impact in the industry dates back to 1997 when he co-founded the annual IHIF-International Hotel Investment Forum (Berlin), now attracting over 2,500 delegates annually. Earlier in his career, he worked for real estate consultants CBRE & Hotel Partners, hotel advisors PKF and before that Forte & Holiday Inns. Jonathan’s legacy is not only marked by the conferences he has organised, but also by his relentless commitment to driving industry evolution, promoting fresh thinking and providing a launchpad for groundbreaking concepts that can reshape the hospitality landscape. This approach to ‘change’ is exemplified by his role as co-founder of STR Global, launching initiatives such as the FHS Startup Den, Lead the Change and embracing the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge either as a judge or hosting the finals. He also sits on the boards of Fresh on Table, inHovate, Envi Lodges and other startups that he believes have the potential to drive transformative change within the industry. Jonathan is a member of Women in Hospitality (WiH), a trustee of Future Talent - a charity that provides financial support to gifted young musicians, sits on the Emirates Academy Hospitality Management Advisory Board and recently completed a 5-year term on the board of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.