Thomas Westergaard

Thomas Westergaard is a partner at SAM International and the Industry Lead for Hospitality. With more than 20 years of experience in senior leadership roles across the hotel, cruise and restaurant sectors, he is one of the Nordic region’s most experienced profiles within hospitality.

Thomas has held central leadership positions in international hotel chains and complex operational organizations, where he has worked with growth, turnarounds, organizational development and commercial performance. This extensive experience provides him with a solid foundation for advising owners, boards and executive management on people, structure and strategy.

As a trusted advisor to the industry, Thomas works closely with management teams on operations, property development and business development. This gives him a strong, hands-on understanding of the industry’s challenges – and of what is truly required to deliver results.

At SAM, Thomas works across borders and offices to develop and strengthen our presence in the hospitality market. With a robust network in Denmark, Norway and Sweden – and with more relationships internationally – he serves as a key collaborative partner and ‘wingmanager’ for clients looking to professionalize their organization and strengthen their competitive edge.

Thomas’s approach is characterized by high professional standards, business acumen, and a sharp eye for the connection between leadership, culture and performance. For him, recruitment and advisory are never isolated disciplines – they are integrated components of a company’s overall strategy.

Thomas has a solid Nordic foundation, based between Oslo and Kokkedal, working in close international collaboration with colleagues across various country offices. Consequently, Thomas is always close to both clients and colleagues, actively contributing to translating SAM’s ‘Value Through People’ approach into tangible value for the hospitality industry.