the professional - at a glance

Des Hague has a distinguished career in establishing and leading thriving entrepreneurial ventures. Des is dedicated to cultivating growth and innovation, employing a distinctively effective leadership skill. As the co-founder of Hague Enterprises LLC, since its 2015 inception, he has strategically invested and played pivotal roles on over 20 company boards.

Currently, Hague is founder of the Thinking Academy, and serves on the board of Green Giant Fresh, Rä Foods, MRGN, IKONIQ, ITATU, Happy Clinic Skincare, and as an advisor to Fat Tuesday. Des also advises start-ups, not-for-profit organizations, and several private equity firms specializing in turnarounds, buyouts, and industry consolidations. Most recently, Hague was Co-Founder and served as CEO of nebula9 Spirits, launching a premium ready-to-drink vodka-based cocktail. Prior to this role, Hague served as the President and CEO of VIPER EA, a renowned leader in retail profit optimization. During his three-year tenure, he achieved a remarkable feat by increasing the company's enterprise value to $100 million, representing a 20x growth.

From 2009 to 2014, Hague held the prestigious position of CEO of Centerplate, Inc. Under his visionary leadership, the company transformed into North America’s largest hospitality business, operating in sports, convention centers, and entertainment venues across over 40 US states, Canada, and Europe, with an extensive workforce of more than 40,000 employees. The company was eventually sold to Olympus Partners, yielding Kohlberg, the equity owner, their largest return in company history at the time of the transaction.

Hague’s dedication and hard work propelled Centerplate to unparalleled heights, earning numerous awards and recognitions, including the coveted “Best Food and Beverage” award by Convene Magazine and being hailed as the “No. 1 NFL Experience” by Stadium Journey.

Prior to his tenure at Centerplate, Hague had the privilege of working with iconic brands such as Safeway, IHOP, 7-Eleven, Maytag, PepsiCo, and Whitbread. Throughout his illustrious career, Hague attributes his success to maintaining a relentless “never-stop-learning” mentality.

A man with styled brown hair, wearing a dark blue blazer and matching patterned shirt, standing against a plain white wall, looking to the side.
IHOP logo with blue text and a red smiley underline
7-Eleven logo with green text and red, orange, and green stripes
Hot Stuff Foods logo with red and black colors
Centerplate logo, a blue circle with a white horizontal line and the word 'Centerplate' underneath
Safeway logo with black text and a red emblem on a white background
PepsiCo logo with a globe and a colorful swirl above the company name.
Pizza Hut logo with red roof and black text
Text displaying 'WHITBREAD' on a plain white background
Maytag logo with blue background and white text
Ihop logo with blue lettering and a red smiley face underneath
7-Eleven logo with green and red text on a white background
Logo of Hot Stuff Foods with red and black colors
Centerplate logo with blue circular symbol and the word 'Centerplate' below it
Safeway logo with black text and red emblem on a white background.

out of office

When he’s not leading successful ventures and driving companies to new heights, Des can be found embracing an active lifestyle. Whether he’s pushing his limits in Spartan races, lifting weights, or exploring the great outdoors through hiking, Des is always on the move. His passion for staying physically fit is matched by his love for mental challenges, as he is an avid reader who enjoys diving into a good book.

Des also enjoys unwinding with a good cigar, appreciating the simple pleasure it brings in his downtime. Evenings often find him relaxing with his wife, Carol, as they enjoy movies and TV shows on the big screen, making the most of their time together. Beyond these pursuits, Des treasures the moments he spends with his sons, their spouses, and his three grandchildren, finding joy in family gatherings and the time they share.

Whether through physical activity, intellectual pursuits, or simple pleasures, Des brings the same energy and dedication to his personal life that he does to his professional endeavors.

A man with headphones sitting in a room with a large wooden bookshelf, a potted plant, and a neon sign that says 'Onwards!' in blue.
Man wearing sunglasses, a gray long-sleeve shirt, and hiking boots, standing on a rocky summit with mountains in the background. He is holding a wooden sign that reads 'Mt. ELBERT 14,433' and making a peace sign with his other hand under a blue sky with some clouds.
A man in a tuxedo and a woman in a navy blue evening gown standing together outdoors under a tree.
Group of seven people, including adults and children, smiling and holding medals at an outdoor event, with tents, flags, and trees in the background.
Four people smiling with medals around their necks on a football field at Caesars Superdome, celebrating after a race event. Large digital screen displaying a kids fun run sign and starting time of 9:15 AM.
A smiling woman and man taking a selfie in front of a large body of water with a mountain range and trees in fall colors in the background. The woman is wearing a gray cap and a black jacket, and the man is wearing a black cap with a sports team logo and a blue jacket.
Two men wearing black athletic shirts and headbands with medals around their necks, celebrating with their arms around each other in front of a backdrop with the words 'wild health' and a Spartan logo.