BU SHA Announces Jenny Holaday as the Featured Speaker for the Dean’s Distinguished Speakers Series
[January 5, 2025] BOSTON, MA — Boston University School of Hospitality (BU SHA) is proud to welcome Jenny Holaday, President of Encore Boston Harbor, as the featured speaker for the spring semester edition of the Dean’s Distinguished Speakers Series. Arun Upneja, Ph.D., Dean of SHA, engages in these fireside chat-style conversations with prominent executives and trailblazers across various sectors of the global hospitality industry. The talks offer a special opportunity for an up-close view of the experiences, decisions, and values that shaped these leaders’ career and life journeys.
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, followed by a reception with light refreshments
Location: BU School of Hospitality Administration
928 Commonwealth Ave., Stamas Lounge, 1st Floor
The talk is free and open to the public.
Advance registration is required. Registration link.
“We are delighted to welcome Jenny Holaday to the Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series,” said Arun Upneja, Ph.D., Dean of Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration. “Her leadership at Encore Boston Harbor underscores how casinos encompass multiple facets of hospitality — from hotels and fine dining to entertainment and luxury experiences — providing a rich opportunity for our students and community to gain valuable insights into this exciting sector.”
“I am honored to join the Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series at Boston University School of Hospitality Administration,” said Jenny Holaday, President of Encore Boston Harbor. “Casinos are at the intersection of many aspects of hospitality — creating memorable guest experiences in our resort, spa, and food and beverage outlets, nurturing genuine employee engagement, while identifying and developing high-potential talent. I also enjoy sharing lessons from my career journey and look forward to meeting BU School of Hospitality’s next generation of hospitality leaders.”
Jenny Holaday, President of Encore Boston Harbor, brings her extensive background in the casino industry to her role of President of Encore Boston Harbor, which she assumed in August 2021. Previously the Executive Vice President of operations, Jenny oversees all aspects of the $2.6 billion resort’s operations and leads a team of nearly 3,300 employees. Jenny has lived and worked in gaming regions from the East Coast to Nevada and many places in between. She has held executive positions for companies including Harrah’s, Caesars Entertainment, and Mandalay Resort Group and has successfully launched two enterprise-wide casino player programs. A proud mom of two grown children, when Jenny’s not at the resort, she can be found with her three Beagles — Snoopy, Frank, and Beans.
For more information on the Dean’s Distinguished Speakers Series, visit https://www.bu.edu/hospitality/events/conferences/deans-distinguished-speakers-series/
About Boston University School of Hospitality
For more than 40 years, Boston University’s School of Hospitality has been cultivating the next generation of leaders of the multibillion-dollar hospitality industry. The Boston University School of Hospitality, in collaboration with hospitality industry leaders is redefining hospitality as Experience Innovation. Our focus is on optimizing human interaction by innovating experiences that are employee, customer, investor, and business driven. Boston University School of Hospitality offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs (several of which are STEM-designated). From experience management to hospitality real estate and beyond, our academic programs challenge students to become Experience Innovators for hotels, restaurants, travel and tourism, healthcare enterprises, retail and luxury brands, sports and entertainment venues, and any organization where hospitality can be strategically applied to help establish lasting and meaningful relationships. Learn more about Boston University’s School of Hospitality and Experience Innovation by visiting bu.edu/hospitality.