Influential Leaders in the Hospitality Industry

There are several owners, presidents, and CEOs in the hotel and restaurant industries that have either directly changed their respective industry, or implemented drastic and revolutionary change in their own company which has prompted others to follow suit. These leaders have made changes in the government to benefit the hotel industry, changed the way hotels handle financial transactions, started the now-common trend of no-smoking facilities, and even affected the way restaurant owners grow their own ingredients to serve to their customers. Although these leaders are relatively recent, they all had their own impact on the hospitality industry.

Sue Brush

Sue Brush was the Senior Vice President of Westin Hotels & Resorts. It was Brush who pushed Westin to implement a drastic change of the policy of all its properties. Westin was the first major hotel company to go smoke-free in all of its locations nationwide. According to a Westin company statement, “the smoke-out is part of Westin’s ‘Personal Renewal’ promise, an effort to make guests feel relaxed and happy from arrival until checkout and even beyond. It’s another Brush-supervised effort to which travelers are breathing a big sigh of relief.” This was perceived as a risky initiative, but many major industry leaders have followed suit. Disney, Gaylord Hotels, and Marriott International (with over 2,500 properties) have taken Westin’s initiative and implemented the same policy in all of their properties.

                                

Roger Dow

Roger Dow became the President and CEO of the Travel Industry Association in Washington, DC in January of 2006. With his new position, Dow made changes that would raise the voice of the tourism reach in Washington, which has benefited many companies and employees in the area. With the help of the Travel Business Roundtable, which is the main lobbying partner of the Travel Industry Association, they have lobbied the federal government successfully on several occasions to benefit the hotel and travel industry. One example would be a measure to “delay enacting certain new passport and visa requirements pending less-disruptive solutions,” making it easier for tourists to come to DC and see what the nation’s capital has to offer. The several successful attempts to get government involved in improving the industry has led the way for new legislation that proposes a “longtime industry dream”: creating a national government tourist office in Washington, DC.

Raymond Blanc

Although Raymond Blanc has been growing his own fruits and vegetables in his restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons for years, this practice has just become a current popular season trend in the restaurant industry. Granted, large chain restaurants such as McDonald's are not doing this, but smaller, independently owned restaurants with specific clientele are have only recently caught on to this trend. Blanc was able to make his idea work with the help of his "world's busiest two-Michelin-starred restaurant." He is not only credited with popularizing the trend of restaurants growing the majority of their ingredients; he is knows to have inspired several chefs that are instantly recognized in certain niche market of the restaurant industry, including Marco Pierre White and Heston Blumenthal.

http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Event-Planning/Business-Meetings/Articles/The-25-Most-Influential-People-in-the-Industry-2007/

http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/People/The-21-most-influential-people-in-the-restaurant-industry