Heartfelt connections are at the core of Telesa Via’s ethos where she has two decades of hospitality commercial experience. But what makes her story truly impressive is the incredible amount that she’s given back during that same amount of time. She continues to travel the path of a well-rounded leader for whom success is as much about moving forward as it is about giving back.
Telesa oversees sales activities from coast to coast and beyond, within the Americas Region for IHG Hotels & Resorts which includes four brands: Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Regent Hotels & Resorts, and Vignette Collection. While the scope of her role is straightforward, it’s anything but simple. Tasked with helping to grow market share Telesa must synthesize and address the nuances of these widely varying markets to support broader, brand-wide objectives. One of her endeavors is co-chairing Kimpton’s internal committee, Black Lives Matter: Act to Action. Leading a diverse committee made of members throughout the Kimpton family, Telesa is taking action to create real change to promote opportunities and advancement for Black People and People of Color.
In the 15 years, she’s been part of the IHG family, Telesa has overseen sales and marketing activities crossing geographic divides and she has consistently built strong bridges between the ownership groups and IHG. Her leadership has been equally dynamic, whether employing time-tested strategies to inspire her team and drive topline, or infusing new energy into training programs and successful redeployment, she remains a focused and dedicated team player with a singular vision of IHG’s success.
However, in actuality, IHG is not the only cause that is close to Telesa’s heart. Sharing that space is the MLC Cancer Foundation, an organization she co-founded with the mission of raising ovarian and breast cancer awareness. Continuing her focus on women’s issues, Telesa also chairs the Board of Directors of the Cinderella Foundation, dedicated to empowering girls living in high-risk, low-income communities in the Washington DC metropolitan area. A passionate believer in higher education, Telesa is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Arlington Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. In recognition of her service and professional accomplishments, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants honored Telesa with the Bill Kimpton Award in 2014.
Telesa earned her BA in Communications from the University of Virginia and has had the chance to experience life in different parts of the US, such as Atlanta, Charlottesville, VA and Washington, DC. Her roots are strongest in the Washington DC metropolitan area, where she received the Top Minority Business Leaders Award from the Washington Business Journal and completed the Leadership Greater Washington program in 2015. She is a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) where she is a newly elected member of MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees, American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) where she sits on the Consumer Innovation Forum, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) among others.
