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Immediately preceding his last position, Russell served as vice
chairman of Cendant's Travel Division and president/CEO of Resort
Condominium International LLC, Global Operations. Prior to that,
he was chairman and chief executive officer of Cendant's Hotel Division,
where he oversaw eight hotel brands - Days Inns, Howard Johnson,
Knights Inn, Ramada, Super 8, Travelodge, Villager Lodge, and Wingate
Inns. From 1995 to 1996 he was executive vice president of franchise
sales for the Century 21 Real Estate Corporation; under his direction,
Century 21 franchise sales grew by 600 percent. Before rejoining Days Inns in 1992, Russell was vice president
of Benchmark Management Company and general manager of its world-class
Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, Calif. In 1988, after forming
a partnership to market three hotels and operate 35 others, Russell
was appointed president and CEO of Colony Hotels and Resorts. He
served simultaneously as executive vice president for resorts for
Radisson Hotels International until joining Benchmark Management. In 1983, he started with the then privately-held Days Inns of America
chain, operating 290 hotels in the southeastern part of the United
States. Within 15 months, he became senior vice president of marketing
and helped take the company public. He developed many innovative
marketing programs, including club memberships for such major market
segments as business travelers, seniors, and educators, as well
as the first-ever-lodging super-saver program. In 1986, he became
senior vice president of operations, in charge of operating company-managed
properties and providing operation assistance to franchisees. He began his hotel career as a tour and travel sales manager at
the Sheraton Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., in 1974. He worked
with the Sheraton Corporation in various senior marketing positions
and was responsible for the Sheraton Corporation sales training
program until 1983. Russell is a 1969 graduate of West Point and
served a year in Vietnam, two years in Germany, and two years stateside
before leaving the Army as a captain. Russell is the immediate past chairman of the American Hotel &
Lodging Association (AH&LA). During his term as chairman, Russell
lead AH&LA to increase its membership base by 22 percent - adding
nearly 300,000 rooms and over 3,000 lodging properties during the
association's "One for One for One in 100 Days" 2001 summer
membership campaign. Through his role as the 1999 chairman of the
AH&LA Political Action Committee (HotelPAC), he strongly advocated
expanding federal and state support for the development of tourism.
Russell served two terms as president of the Hospitality Sales and
Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and was initiated into
HSMAI's 1997 Hall of Fame. Russell also is a member of the board
of directors of the Educational Institute of AH&LA, the University
of Delaware's Hotel and Restaurant Program, the American Hotel &
Lodging Foundation, and Interstate Hotels. In addition, he has received several awards acknowledging his dedication
to the lodging industry including the 2000 Lodging Conference's
Above and Beyond Award, the 1998 Cecil B. Day Community Service
Award from the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, the 1996
Peace Award from the American Friends of the Tel Aviv University,
and the Albert E. Koehl Lifetime Achievement Award in HSMAI. |
John
Russell, CEO of Hospitality Artists, LLC, has more than 25 years
of experience in the hotel business and is nationally known for
his innovative marketing, management, leadership, and sales expertise.
Twice in his career he worked for Days Inns, the second time serving
as president from 1992 to 1995. During his three-year tenure, the
chain experienced enormous growth, adding more than 500 hotels.
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