HELERI RANDE
PARTNER
Originally from Estonia, Heleri has lived in seven countries and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from New York University in Economics and Business, as well as an executive MBA in Hospitality Administration from École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Switzerland.
After leading Puccini Group’s growth in EMEA for two years after graduation, she has partnered with Think Hospitality to deliver on F&B strategy projects helping brands and owners assess the market, find the right concept positioning and/or operator and chef for the properties through strategic advice and review. Her focus is mostly on hotel and mixed use development projects with a portfolio that includes the likes of Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, Kempinski, Meliá Hotels International, 25Hours Hotels, Puro Hotels and Peel Holdings.
She is the Consulting Editor of Supper Magazine and programme director at various major hospitality events around the world. She co-founded Ideas-Flavours-Experiences, the leading gastronomy event in the Baltics and the New Baltic Hospitality Forum, the first hotel focused
event in the region. Heleri also sits on the board of the Global Restaurant Investment Forum and is the Stammvater of the UK Chapter of EHL Alumni Network.
PROJECT EXPERIENCE
​
Here are a selection of project highlights James has worked on during his career, as a consultant, with a brand or agency;
WELLNESS HOSPITALITY
EHA
Eha is a seasonal wellness retreat on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa, designed to restore connection with self and nature through thoughtful architecture, regenerative practices, and deeply rooted Nordic traditions. Opening in summer 2026, it offers immersive, multi-day experiences shaped by the rhythms of the land and the healing power of simplicity.
F & B MASTER PLAN
VIRU KESUS
​Viru Keskus, Estonia’s leading shopping centre, engaged a strategic F&B repositioning to attract a younger demographic, extend dwell time, and activate underutilised areas including a large terrace. The resulting masterplan introduced six core zones anchored by a food hall concept, shaped through international benchmarking and local market analysis, with execution support spanning spatial planning, tenant curation, and the onboarding of flagship operator Mikkeller.
F&B Review and Operator Outreach
​True North London
​A 183-key apart-hotel in London’s Square Mile is being developed by True North to transform a historic office building into a modern hospitality destination. Think Hospitality was engaged to optimize the ground and basement amenity spaces through a strategic F&B and wellness framework, delivering a vision shaped by market mapping, operator outreach, and scenario modelling across café, experiential fitness, and rooftop activation concepts.
F &B STRATEGY
HILTON
Commissioned by Hilton Hotels & Resorts to craft a unified F&B strategy for Hampton by Hilton across EMEA, spanning 150 operating hotels and a substantial pipeline of new openings. The programme modernised and simplified all-day dining, bar, in-room, delivery and retail offers, boosting guest experience, cost control and operational efficiency while aligning with the brand’s global refresh and franchise-partner appeal.
Hospitality Strategy
Retirement Villages Group
Supporting due diligence for two acquisitions in the restaurant technology space and then joining the business on a longer term contact for three years, being central to the acquisition of 7 subsequent companies into the growing MAPAL Group.
F&B Review and Operator Outreach
​True North London
​A 183-key apart-hotel in London’s Square Mile is being developed by True North to transform a historic office building into a modern hospitality destination. Think Hospitality was engaged to optimize the ground and basement amenity spaces through a strategic F&B and wellness framework, delivering a vision shaped by market mapping, operator outreach, and scenario modelling across café, experiential fitness, and rooftop activation concepts.
SPEAKER
Originally from Estonia, Heleri has lived in seven countries and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from New York University in Economics and Business,
as well as an executive MBA in Hospitality Administration from École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Switzerland;​
-
Restaurant Marketer & Innovator | London
-
Ambiente Hospitality Academy | Frankfurt
-
Hotel Development Event | London
-
International Tourismus-Börse (ITB) | Berlin
-
To The Table | Budapest
-
Hospitality Inside Think Tank ( HITT) | Brussels
-
Operating Real Estate Summit | London
-
Network Of Executive Women In Hospitality (NEWH) Leadership Conference | Paris
-
Nordic Hotel Investment Forum | Copenhagen
-
Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF) | Dubai
ON STAGE & IN THE MEDIA
