EIGHT TRIDENTS
Consulting | Interim | Advisory | CoActive Coaching
Consulting | Interim | Advisory | CoActive Coaching
For Businesses, Investors, and Leaders in Hospitality & Related Service Industries
Why I Do This:
I’ve always been drawn to moments of change—those times when something new is ready to emerge. What excites me most is the ambition, desire, and courage individuals or organizations show when they’re ready to explore what’s possible. Whether it’s setting a bold new direction for a business, reshaping an organizational culture, or helping someone reimagine their future, I thrive in those spaces of possibility and creation.
For me, it’s not about keeping things running as they are—that’s never been my strength. I’m passionate about exploring new paths, guiding change, and seeing transformation come to life. It’s not about being hyperactive or constantly pushing for change for change’s sake. Instead, it’s about being part of the quiet, deliberate process of exploration and creation, where new ideas take shape and real transformation begins.
This passion for growth and evolution is why I created Eight Tridents. I want to work with those who are ready to dream big, take bold steps, and embrace the challenge of stepping into something new.
What I Do:
At Eight Tridents, my mission is to partner with individuals and businesses on their journey of authentic, lasting transformation. Whether you’re flying high and dreaming of new heights, or facing challenges and need a trusted partner to help clear the path ahead, I offer all my accumulated expertise, passion, and engagement through strategic consulting, project-based collaboration, interim leadership solutions, and leadership development and coaching.
My services are tailored to meet you exactly where you are—whether that means co-crafting a fresh strategy, driving a cultural shift in your organisation, building your leadership capacity, or tackling a key project or challenge area. Each partnership is fully customized, with a clear focus on driving meaningful growth and sustainable success—for both you and your business.
Connect:
I invite you to explore my website to learn more about the services, my expertise and a little about me too. And while the website offers information about what’s available, the “whats possible” emerges best from a conversation. So I’d love to connect, hear about your ambitions, and explore how we can work together to achieve them. Transformation is a journey, and I’d love to help guide and support yours.
Christian
Values
I believe values should be expressed as actions rather than abstract qualities. For me, this makes them concrete behaviors that can guide my real-life decisions and hold myself accountable to.
These are four values that drive me in order to build a trustworthy partnership with you
Integrity = I prioritize your best interests, guiding you with honesty and objectivity
Authenticity = I strive to keep you set on your North Star, true to purpose and values
Perpetual Progress = I challenge boundaries and comfort for renewed momentum when called for
Endurance = I aspire to engrain value that resonates beyond our time together
Comprehensive Hospitality Consulting | Tailored Solutions for Your Business
At Eight Tridents, I offer flexible consulting services tailored to the specific needs of businesses across the hospitality and service industries. Whether you’re looking for strategic development, operational improvements, commercial repositioning, or a complete business turnaround, my approach is customized to your unique goals.
My priority is to collaborate closely with you, ensuring a seamless integration of strategic vision and operational execution to drive long-term, sustainable growth.
Each engagement is scalable—whether for short-term support or a comprehensive business transformation.
Let’s connect to explore how we can move your business forward.
Tailored sparring partnership (Asset Advisory & Management)
Executive and leadership sparring is a powerful catalyst for growth, boosting leadership effectiveness and decision-making through collaborative exchange. Studies show 71% of executives who engage in external coaching or sparring report significant improvements in leadership and team performance.
This service is invaluable as a trusted partner in guiding your business strategically, especially during major transformations, turnarounds, or repositionings. The most impactful leadership decisions are not made in isolation, but by leveraging diverse expertise, perspectives, and insights to design the best possible course of action.
Strategic Board Advisory
The global hospitality market is projected to reach USD 8 trillion by 2030, offering countless opportunities for businesses to engage with this thriving industry. To bridge your entry, I provide a unique combination of strategic advisory and hands-on partnership for businesses entering or developing solutions within the hospitality sector.
Without a deep understanding of the complexities of hotel operations, many miss critical opportunities to create solutions that truly integrate and add value. Drawing on global experience and a proven track record of succesfull sparring partnerships, I help companies navigate these challenges, sparring innovative ideas and delivering actionable insights to drive operational excellence and sustainable growth.
Impactful Leadership Programme (ILP) for hotel leaders
In today’s complex hospitality landscape, leaders must be adaptable, clear, and strategically impactful. Embracing change as part of your organization’s culture is vital for staying competitive. However, success requires both a solid strategy and flawless execution—“Strategy without execution is useless; execution without strategy is aimless.”
The 12-week Impactful Leadership Program is designed for senior leaders looking to enhance their change leadership skills, blending practical tools with frameworks like Covey’s Four Disciplines of Execution and Kotter’s Leading Change.
Alternatively, a personalized Coaching and Advisory Partnership offers long-term, tailored support to align your leadership development with real-world strategic goals.
International Interim
With over two decades of hands-on experience, frequent relocations across 4 continents, have provided me with a practical education in conducting holistic business performance reviews, translating them into actionable growth strategies, and leading multi-cultural teams through execution and growth. I have successfully revitalized, repositioned, and turned around over a dozen hotels and organizations in diverse markets and economic conditions.
This journey has sharpened my interpersonal skills and ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Thanks to my multicultural background, it feels second nature to create common ground in new teams and foreign cultures, allowing us to focus on building strong relationships and tackling the matters at hand to drive sustainable success together.
Co-Active Coaching
As Søren Kierkegaard said, “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Co-Active Coaching helps you reflect on your past while intentionally shaping your future.
Blending inner awareness with purposeful action, Co-Active Coaching empowers you to realign your values and move forward with clarity.
In midlife (ages 35-60), leadership, career choices, values, and fulfillment are all deeply connected. Leadership is value-driven—your desire to make an impact ties directly to what brings you purpose. These elements can’t be separated, and by embracing this holistic approach, you align both personal and professional growth for authentic success.
Christian Madsen – Globetrotter, Strategist, and Leadership Enthusiast
A globetrotter and explorer, my life has revolved around travel, people, and leadership. At 48 years old, I have lived in 12 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and North and South America.
My first real job was as First Lieutenant and Platoon Leader in the Danish military. This was followed by a few years of hotel school, and then it was straight into a managerial role from the onset. Twenty-five years later, I still haven’t had a job that wasn’t in a leadership capacity. Leadership has always been an integral part of my professional journey and life.
I vividly recall a captain’s words during my early days as a platoon leader: “Leadership is a choice and a privilege. Nobody told you to be a leader; it is something you chose to take upon yourself. Act accordingly.” This guiding advice has stayed with me, and I share it with every leader willing to listen. Because I feel it underscores where the responsibility of leadership lays. I guess this is also why Simon Sinek’s popular “Leaders Eat Last”, resonates in a similar fashion.
I use the word “leadership,” but truth be told, despite great officer training, my first roles were clearly more “managerially” executed. However, the more experience I gained, the clearer the distinction between managing and leading became. I started to love everything about leadership. I actively sought to learn and experience more about leadership, and so much opened up—about human nature, cultures, generations, vision, communication, inspiration, strategy, execution, change, collaboration, resilience, loneliness, adaptability—and the list goes on.
But perhaps most importantly, I sought to understand myself better. It became evident, and I firmly believe this today, that leadership is a direct reflection of who we are—our values, beliefs, character, and habits. This actually, quite unintentionally, was fully solidified in my pursuit to become a Co-Active Coach. What started as an expectation to acquire more skills and tools to strengthen my capacity to empower others turned into a self-exploration in defining my values, beliefs, and direction, ultimately strengthening my own understanding of the kind of leader I strive to be.
This all ignited an inspiration to launch Eight Tridents, where I can engage with what I love and excel at the most, strategy, organisations, change, innovation and enabling leaders!
So thank you kindly for visiting my website. I have tried to keep my text personal in relation to what I can offer, and I hope the information provides some insight into the types of services and expertise I can bring to the table. But it’s just a website, so if something catches your interest, I encourage you to connect so we can talk. Then we can explore what you are looking for and whether I am the right match for you and your business.
Sincerely,
Christian
20+ years executive leadership
With 25 years in international hospitality, including 20 in executive leadership, my experience spans boutique and large operations across cities, resorts, and remote areas. As a former officer in the Danish military, combined with a diploma in business, hotel school training, and Co-Active coaching, I bring a unique leadership approach and well-rounded expertise, enriched by global inspiration.
International Destination & Brand expertise
I’ve learned from renowned brands like InterContinental (IHG), Fairmont (Accor), and Hilton, while repositioning and redefining standalone properties such as the ultra-chic At Six and the countryside luxury Smådalarö Gård. Drawing from experiences and vibrent influences across 12 countries, I passionately specialize in revitalizing destinations and brands through innovative visions, bold commercial strategies, and transformative guest experiences rooted in their UVP and storytelling
My Leadership style
My leadership style focuses on coaching and mentorship, driving growth through guidance and feedback. I build trust, ensure accountability, and boost performance with clear direction. This creates resilient, high-performing teams that deliver lasting, self-sustaining results and adapt to evolving challenges.
Leadership in Large, Complex Operations
Over a decade leading landmark properties: InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut, InterContinental Bali, InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Fairmont Banff Springs. Led large, complex teams of 1000+ staff and multifaceted executive teams. Managed revenues of CAD 125M and multi-million dollar CAPEX projects, including renovations, openings, and design initiatives.
Holistic Performance Deep Dives
With two decades, 12 relocations, and extensive practice, I’ve developed proficiency in conducting holistic business performance reviews across diverse markets. By building comprehensive understandings of operational, commercial, financial, and organizational aspects, I specialize in translating these insights into sharp, actionable growth strategiesthat drive real impact through revitalizations, repositionings, and turnarounds.
Navigating Challenges and Change Leadership
Key milestones include navigating the complexities in Lebanon, a major turnaround at InterContinental Bali Resort, positioning Salalah, Oman, on the global leisure map, and launching Southeast Asia’s first DoubleTree by Hilton. I have led through pandemics, financial crises, and natural disasters. These experiences reinforced the importance of strong analytics, decisive strategy, and flexible execution—critical for navigating recent market turmoil.
Office Location
Stockholm, Sweden
Virtual Services