Paul Wise Executive in Residence Speaker Series
Location : 007 Willard Hall (WHL)
Time : 3:30 pm
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Chief Executive Officer |
Thursday, September 8 Dick started with Restaurant Associates right out of college as back of the house steward. He eventually became General Manager of the famous “Newarker Restaurant” at Newark Airport. Over the years, Dick has held many regional and corporate operating positions. He became President of Restaurant Associates in 2003 and, under his leadership, grew the company three-fold in ten states. Then in 2008 was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of the Premier Catering Division of Compass Group. Comprised of Restaurant Associates, Flik International and Wolfgang Puck Catering, each company is autonomous and continues to grow in its niche market.
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President and CEO |
Thursday, September 15 As President and CEO of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, has been guiding HSMAI through a dynamic and exciting period of change as the 7,000+ member organization has been re-established as the definitive hospitality and travel marketing association in the world. |
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Burton "Skip" Sack |
Tuesday, October 13 Burton “Skip” Sack was Chairman of the Board of the National Restaurant Association for the 2004-2005 term. He was elected as a voting member of the Board in 1995 and was tapped for officer service in 2002 as treasurer and then Vice Chairman. Skip’s career in the restaurant industry began with a job as a dishwasher for Howard Johnson’s when he was a freshman in High School. He worked part-time during the school year and full-time on the weekends and in the summer. When he turned 17, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps where he spent three years at various duty stations across the United States and in Japan, Korea, Okinawa and the Philippines. In January 1958, he received an Honorable Discharge with the rank of Sergeant. |
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John Dawkins |
Thursday, October 20 John A. Dawkins, III is President & CEO of Jo-Dan Enterprises, which owns and operates nine McDonald’s Family Restaurants in the North Central Philadelphia and Avenue of the Arts areas of the city. John, a native Philadelphian, grew up in North and West Philadelphia. He is a graduate of Overbrook High School; Temple University with an associate degree in Chemical Engineering; West Chester University with a B.S. in Education (science major); and Master’s degree in Psychology and Counseling. John is currently enrolled in Palmer Theological Seminary obtaining his second graduate degree, which is a Masters in Divinity. |
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John Timmerman |
Tuesday, October 25 John has global responsibility for the Rooms, Retail, and Spa operations for all Marriott brands. He first joined The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in 1990 and has since held numerous operations positions in several of The Ritz-Carlton urban and resort hotels. John joined The Ritz-Carlton Corporate Office in 2002 and has served in key leadership roles to include Vice President of Labor Management, Vice President of Quality, and most recently Vice President of Operations. Prior to starting his career in the hotel industry, John served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a 2nd Force Reconnaissance Marine. He is a certified Hotel Administrator by The American Hotel & Lodging Association and has provided over 200 lectures on the topic of hotel operations management. John is a recipient of the Ishikawa Medal for leadership and former Senior Examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. John graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in Hotel & Restaurant Management from the University of Delaware, received a M.S. in Leadership & Innovation from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and is currently a completing his Ph.D. in Hospitality Management at Iowa State University. |
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Sam Calagione President & Founder |
Thursday, October 27 When Sam Calagione opened Dogfish Head in 1995 it was the smallest commercial brewery in America making 10 gallons of beer at a time. Today Dogfish Head is among the fastest growing breweries in the country. Dogfish Head has focused on brewing stronger, more exotic beers since the day it opened as the motto “Off-centered ales for off-centered people” attests to. Dogfish Head has grown into a 150 person company with a restaurant/brewery/distillery in Rehoboth Beach and a production brewery in Milton, Delaware, selling beer in 27 states. Sam was a finalist in 2011 for a James Beard Foundation Award in the Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional category. He authored “Brewing up a Business” and “Extreme Brewing,” co-authored “He Said Beer, She Said Wine,” and is the host of the Discovery Channel series, Brew Masters. |
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Edwin D. Fuller President & Managing Director |
Thursday, November 10 Edwin D. “Ed” Fuller is president and managing director of international lodging for Marriott International, Inc. Based at the company’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., he has been in charge of international lodging since 1990. Under his leadership, the business has grown from 16 properties outside the United States and Canada to 350 hotels in 70 countries with another 175 hotels under construction. Mr. Fuller joined Marriott in 1972 as a management trainee and has held numerous positions of increasing marketing, sales and operational responsibility. He was promoted to president and managing director, his current position, in 1997. He has been an executive corporate officer since 1997 and chairs the international development committee. Mr. Fuller attended Wake Forest University and is a 1968 graduate of Boston University. He is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Business advanced management program. He served in the U.S. Army as a captain in Germany and Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star and the Army Commendation Medal. |
Last Year's Speakers
 Mark Eason President and CEO Firebirds Wood Fired Grill |
September 9 Mark spent the first half of his childhood as an "Air Force brat" moving from one base to another, including Alaska and Germany, before settling in Orlando, FL. Mark lived with his mother and two younger sisters after the premature death of his father when he was just 11 years old. It was at this time that he developed his lifelong passion for golf. He played golf on all of his school teams from Jr. High through college. During Mark's teen years and while he was attending the University of Central Florida, he worked in several different restaurants gaining knowledge about the operations of both the front and back of the house. After a six year stint as the head golf professional of Ventura CC in Orlando, he realized that he had the skills necessary to run a successful restaurant. Thus the beginning of his career in the hospitality industry. |
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 Lee Cockerell Disney Executive Vice President (Retired) Author of "Creating Magic" |
September 16 Lee Cockerell retired as the Executive Vice President of Operations for the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, a position he held for ten years. His responsibilities encompassed a diverse mix of operations, which included 20 resort hotels with over 29,000 Guest rooms, 4 theme parks, 3 water parks, 5 golf courses, a shopping village & nighttime entertainment complex, a sports & recreation complex, and the ancillary operations support functions. The Resort serves millions of guests each year and employs 58,000 Cast Members. |
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 Skip Fox President Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar |
September 23 Skip Fox was named President of Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in January 2004. He was previously the company's Southwest Joint Venture representative responsible for partner and site selection, construction management, and operation of Fleming's restaurants in the Southwest and Midwest United States. more... |
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Neil Shah |
October 7 Neil H. Shah is President and Chief Operating Officer of Hersha Hospitality Trust. Previously, Mr. Shah served as Hersha's Executive Vice President. Neil leads Hersha's active hotel acquisitions program and new development projects. Prior to Hersha, Mr. Shah served as a Director and Consultant with The Advisory Board Company and the Corporate Executive Board, strategy consulting firms based in Washington D.C. Mr. Shah has also worked with the Phipps Foundation in New York City contributing to urban renewal projects in New York City. Mr. Shah earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Science in Management both with honors from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School. He earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School. He is an active member of the Asia Society, the Wharton Real Estate Center, the Urban Land Institute and the Harvard Club of New York City. |
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 Michael C. Shindler Executive VP of Hotels & Casinos Hard Rock International |
October 14 |
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 John Russell CEO NYLO Hotels |
October 21 |
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 John Dawkins President and CEO Jo-Dan Enterprises |
October 28 John A. Dawkins, III is President & CEO of Jo-Dan Enterprises, which owns and operates nine McDonald’s Family Restaurants in the North Central Philadelphia and Avenue of the Arts areas of the city. John, a native Philadelphian, grew up in North and West Philadelphia. He is a graduate of Overbrook High School; Temple University with an associate degree in Chemical Engineering; West Chester University with a B.S. in Education (science major); and Master’s degree in Psychology and Counseling. John is currently enrolled in Palmer Theological Seminary obtaining his second graduate degree, which is a Masters in Divinity. |
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Robin Lee Allen |
November 4 | |
| Bobby Pancake Owner Buffalo Wild Wings (MD and DE) |
November 11 |
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 Mr. Andrew Kerin Executive Vice President ARAMARK Corporation Group President Global Food, Hospitality and Facility Services |
November 18 Andrew Kerin is Executive Vice President, ARAMARK Corporation and Group President, Global Food, Hospitality and Facility Services. He was named to his current position in June 2009. Under his leadership are all of the company’s U.S. and Canadian-based food, hospitality, and facilities businesses including the management of professional services in healthcare institutions, universities, schools, business locations, entertainment and sports venues, correctional facilities, and hospitality venues. |
