Robert S. DeVries

Biography

Bob DeVries is Spencer Stuart’s chief commercial and capabilities officer and leads the firm’s global advisory services businesses. He is a core member of the Board and CEO and Private Equity practices. DeVries has held several leadership roles at the firm, including global head of Spencer Stuart’s industry and functional practices and co-head of North America. He also founded and led the firm’s global Hospitality & Leisure Practice. He is a multi-year recipient of the Lou Rieger Quality Award.

DeVries has deep experience in hospitality, leisure and restaurants. His clients include global lodging, restaurant, cruise line, theme park, gaming and other leisure-based hospitality organizations. He serves on the advisory board for the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and previously served on the Urban Land Institute’s Hotel Development Council.

He brings more than 20 years of general management and strategy experience to his client work. Before joining Spencer Stuart, he was president and chief executive officer of Grand Expeditions, a private equity-backed global luxury and adventure tour operator, now part of the Travelopia portfolio.

Earlier in his career, DeVries was vice president of brand management and special events and served on the executive committee for The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. His team developed marketing strategies and plans for Walt Disney World’s leading brands, including theme parks, water parks, retail, dining, entertainment, recreation and sports. He also worked for The Disney Development Company, part of Disney Imagineering, where he served as director of marketing for the Disney Vacation Club.

DeVries began his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble, where he led brands in the paper products and commercial services divisions. He graduated from Albion College with a bachelor’s degree in economics and management and earned an MBA in marketing and finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.