The William R. Tiefel Professorial Chair Brings Industry Leaders to the Classroom

Through a series of lectures, panel discussions and interactive question and answer sessions, “Inside Hospitality Leadership” brings hospitality industry luminaries out of the boardroom and into the classroom to share their insights and wisdom with the next generation of hospitality leaders, students at The Hospitality College at Johnson & Wales University. Each presenter is a recipient of the William R. Tiefel Professorial Chair, JWU’s first endowed chair. 

Dedicated to Tiefel, chairman of Carmax Inc. and chairman emeritus of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, the position updates the academic tradition of the professorial chair to infuse JWU's curriculum with the advice and guidance of established innovators in the field. 

In this series of videos, hear what each of the Tiefel Chairs had to say when they visited the Providence Campus: Roger Dow, Mike Leven, Don Landry, Stephen Weisz, and Niki Leondakis.

Tiefel joined Marriott in 1961 as sales manager at the Key Bridge Marriott and was later named general manager. In 1971, he was appointed regional vice president and supervised various locations in the U.S., the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Mexico and South America. He was named executive vice president in 1980 and president of Marriott Hotels, Resorts and Suites in 1988. In 1992, he was named president of Marriott Lodging with overall responsibility for the company's lodging brands. He has earned numerous awards, including an honorary doctorate in 1998 from JWU. Tiefel also sits on the board of trustees for the university.

The world’s largest hospitality educator, The Hospitality College combines experiential learning, industry-endorsed majors and an innovative curriculum to prepare students for dynamic careers in hospitality.

Meet our William R. Tiefel Professorial Chairs
Mike Leven
Don Landry
Steve Weisz
Niki Leondakis
Roger Dow