Bruce White, hospitality industry icon and Founder and Chairman of White Lodging, has died at the age of 70 after a nearly year-long battle with cancer.
White founded White Lodging in 1985 with a single hotel in Northwest Indiana, ultimately growing the business into one of the industry’s largest privately held development, ownership and management companies.
“Bruce was a visionary, a leader, and a hospitality icon like no other,” said White Lodging Chief Executive Officer Jean-Luc Barone. “I have learned more from Bruce about hard work, leadership, and family, than any other person in my life. And while he maintained a low public profile and was humble in his impact on the industry, there’s no question that Bruce White helped transform the modern hospitality industry by having a long-term vision, challenging existing norms, and executing at the highest levels—all from a smalltown in Northwest Indiana.”
“From the first time I met him when I was a line cook in the 1980s and throughout the 20+ years I spent by his side helping White Lodging develop hundreds of hotels across the country, Bruce’s thirst and ability to be a life-long learner and leader was unmatched,” said Deno Yiankes, Senior Advisor and Board Member at White Lodging.
White Lodging’s portfolio includes approximately 60 hotels (14,600 rooms), more than 50 restaurants and 10 rooftops bars, and a collection of luxury ranches. Throughout his career, White developed, owned, and managed more than 225 new hotels over the last 35 years on behalf of White Lodging and with the support of other valued partners.
With hotels in some of the country’s most coveted urban destinations, White Lodging remains family-owned and headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana – where Bruce White’s legacy began.
White is a graduate of Purdue University, the Harvard Graduate School of Business O.P.M. Program and is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration in Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales. Together with his wife, Beth, of 35 years, Bruce White has three adult children and welcomed their first grandchild in 2021.
Photo Courtesy of White Lodging
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