Tom Kline
Director of Executive Education
Tom Kline has served as Director of Executive Education at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration since 1996, overseeing the school’s hospitality industry professional educational programs. The school’s programs for managers and executives in the hospitality industry are widely recognized as the premier business education programs for this group of working professionals. During Kline’s tenure, the school has expanded its global presence as the largest executive and professional education program in the industry. Kline has directed the introduction of dozens of new courses and programs, including the first Cornell courses offered in Europe. He also has worked closely with international clients in the hospitality industry to develop customized learning experiences. In addition, Kline has led the school’s initiative into technology-enabled executive education, reaching thousands of hospitality professionals every year via online courses. After more than twenty years in the building design and construction industry, Kline came to the Cornell School of Hotel Administration in 1994 as a graduate student and earned his Master’s degree. As a professional architect, he has designed hotels and restaurants in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States. He has also served as a guest lecturer and guest critic in architecture courses at Cornell University. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Kline is a fourth-generation university educator.