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Leven Schedules Lecture Series at Johnson & Wales Campuses
Tour in Conjunction with Tiefel Professorial Chair |
| PROVIDENCE, R.I. � March 9, 2004 � Michael Leven, the first industry expert to occupy the Tiefel Professorial Chair and assist in the education of the students in the hospitality area at Johnson & Wales University, has scheduled a tour of the University�s campuses. Leven, president and chief executive officer of U.S. Franchise Systems, Inc. (USFS), franchisor of the Microtel Inns & Suites brand, the Hawthorn Suites brand, and the Best Inns and Best Suites brand, will speak to thousands of students on how they can survive, succeed, and in fact, make a difference. The presentation will focus on his basic premise that satisfying customers first, and bosses second, is how to best serve the organization. He cautions against ignoring the customer, and failing to listen or respond, which can be counterproductive. Using examples from his own business life, Leven will provide students with the keys to running a successful business, be it a restaurant, hotel or other kind of organization. Leven will visit Charleston (March 22-23), North Miami (March 23-24), Providence (April 6-7) and Denver (April 29-30). Leven has spent his entire career in the hotel industry. Before founding USFS, he was president and chief operating officer of Holiday Inn Worldwide, and has also been president of Days Inn of America. Noted for his trend-setting work in hotel franchising, his philosophy has long been 'The Franchisee Is Our Customer' and his personal guarantee of fairness, honesty and support is the backbone of the business. For more information, visit www.usfsi.com. The University dedicated its first professorial chair to Bill Tiefel, vice chairman retired, Marriott International Inc., and chairman emeritus of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, with an investiture ceremony last fall. The chair is part of The Hospitality College. The Hospitality College at Johnson & Wales boasts the largest enrollment nationally of students preparing for careers in international hotel and tourism management, hotel management, food and beverage management, sports/entertainment/event management and travel-tourism management. Students are currently enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs in hospitality. Johnson & Wales � America�s Career University� � was founded in 1914. It is a private, non-profit, accredited institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, food service, hospitality and technology. With an enrollment of nearly 16,000 students, Johnson & Wales maintains campuses in Providence, R.I., Charleston, S.C., Norfolk, Va., North Miami, Fla., and Denver, Colo. A new Charlotte, N.C., campus opens in September 2004. For more information about Johnson & Wales University, visit www.jwu.edu. |
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Jodi Hoatson, Assistant Director of Public Relations 401-598-1848 or [email protected] or Miriam Weinstein, Director of Public Relations 401-598-1157 or [email protected] |