Ethan Hawkes

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, PlacePass

Boston

Previously, Ethan was an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company and a leader in the global travel practice. Over the past 7 years with McKinsey, Ethan helped leading clients accelerate growth and profitability through applied expertise in customer experience, online distribution, and strategy topics. Ethan’s client base spanned Fortune 500 travel suppliers (e.g., cruise, car rental, hotel, airline clients), private equity investors, and sharing economy players.

Prior to McKinsey & Company, Ethan worked with Ministries of Tourism and the private sector in Lebanon, Zambia, and Jamaica. During this time he helped ~180 small travel suppliers enhance their livelihood through e-commerce. He also served as a volunteer for the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism.

Ethan is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration with high honors and holds an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. His family owns and operates independent hotels in Maine and Vermont. Ethan is passionate about helping others discover and create exceptional hospitality experiences. He particularly enjoys kayaking, making the most of loyalty programs, and venturing out on his motorcycle.