Simon Cooper
President & COO
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.

Simon F. Cooper is president and chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.  Mr. Cooper oversees the operations, development and strategic positioning of one of the world’s most powerful brands and luxury groups.  Mr. Cooper is also responsible for the development of Bulgari Hotels, a joint venture between Marriott International, Inc. and Bulgari S.p.A.  The Ritz-Carlton portfolio currently includes 70 hotels in 30 countries.

Since joining the hotel company in February 2001, Mr. Cooper has overseen a major expansion of The Ritz-Carlton brand. Between 2007 and 2009, the award winning hospitality firm will have opened 33 hotels, 24 Residences, seven Clubs, and three serviced apartments at locations around the world including Dublin, Beijing, Moscow and Tokyo.   

Under Mr. Cooper’s leadership, the company continues to earn the highest accolades including designation over the past few years of 24 hotels as winners of the American Automobile Association (AAA) Five Diamond award. Travel Weekly’s Readers Choice Awards cited The Ritz-Carlton as “Best Luxury Hotel Company” and The Luxury Institute named it “Most Prestigious Luxury Brand.” 

Mr. Cooper joined The Ritz-Carlton from Marriott International where he served for three years as president of Marriott Lodging Canada and senior vice president of Marriott Lodging International responsible for Canada and New England. 

Mr. Cooper began his hospitality career when he immigrated to Canada in 1972 and worked for Canadian Pacific Hotels & Resorts. In 2005, he was elected to the Board of Directors of First Horizon National Corporation.  In 2004, he was appointed to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Canada Institute Advisory Board.  In 1999, Mr. Cooper was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Governors for the University of Guelph for a three-year term. He is an avid golfer and a member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland. 

Born and educated in England, Mr. Cooper earned an MBA from the University of Toronto. In 1996 Simon Cooper was awarded the 1995 Commitment to People Award by the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers, recognizing his loyalty to the personal development of his employees.  In 1995, he received an honorary fellowship from Ryerson Polytechnical University.

Mitchell Grossinger Etess
Chief Executive Officer and President
Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority

In April 2006, Etess was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA), an instrumentality of the Mohegan Tribe who own and operate Mohegan Sun. In this position, Etess assumed responsibility of the overall management and operation of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, a harness racetrack located in Plains Township, Pennsylvania and five OTW facilities located elsewhere in Pennsylvania.

Etess also serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Sun, the WNBA’s professional women’s basketball franchise, which is owned and operated by Mohegan Sun and calls Mohegan Sun Arena home. With the Connecticut Sun, Etess oversees team operations on behalf of the Mohegan Tribe, representing the ownership in all matters pertaining to the day-to-day functioning of the franchise on both the administrative and basketball sides of the organization.

Prior to his career at Mohegan Sun, he served as Vice President of Marketing at Players Island Resort•Casino•Spa in Nevada. From 1988 to 1994, Etess was employed at Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, rising through the ranks from Public Relations Manager to Senior Vice President of Marketing. Before that, Etess was a partner in the advertising and public relations firm of Gordon Etess Associates in Pinehurst, North Carolina after serving as General Manager at CCA/Holly Inn in Pinehurst.

Prior to 1985, Etess worked in virtually every capacity – and finally as General Manager – at his family’s Grossinger’s Hotel in Grossinger, New York. It was here that Etess, who was raised at the hotel, got his early training in the hospitality industry.

A graduate of New York City’s Columbia University, Etess resides in East Lyme, Connecticut with his wife Karen and his two children.

Lawrence Ho   
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Melco International Development Limited

Mr. Lawrence Ho is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong-listed Melco International Development Limited, a dynamic new generation Asian conglomerate that leads in the leisure and entertainment industry in Asia. He is also a Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Melco PBL Entertainment (Macau) Limited, a NASDAQ-listed company owning one of only six gaming concessions and subconcessions to own and operate gaming business in Macau. Melco International Development Limited is a constituent of the MSCI Hong Kong Index, part of the MSCI Standard Index Series.

Mr. Ho is an advocate of good corporate governance practice. Under his leadership, Melco was granted the Corporate Governance Asia Annual Recognition Award 2006 and Asia’s Best Managed Companies Award 2007 by FinanceAsia Magazine. The Group also won a High Flyer’s Corporate Achiever Award (Leisure, Gaming & Entertainment) and Top Performer Award from HK Business Magazine and South China Morning Post.

Mr. Ho is active in community services and serves on numerous boards and committees in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. He sits on the Board of Directors of The Community Chest and is the Chairman of The Chamber of Hong Kong Listed Companies.

Over the years, Mr. Ho has been awarded a number of accolades for his excellent directorship and entrepreneurial spirit. Institutional Investor, a leading research and publishing organization, honored Mr. Ho as the “Best CEO” in the ‘Conglomerates’ category by the end of 2005. In November 2005, Mr. Ho won the ‘Directors of the Year Award 2005' presented annually by the Hong Kong Institute of Directors. Mr. Ho received the 5th China Enterprise Award for Creative Businessmen in Beijing and was named “Leader of Tomorrow 2005” by Hong Kong Tatler for his leadership wisdom and traits. As a socially responsible young entrepreneur, Mr. Ho was elected as one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons” in 2006. The Stevie Awards recognized Mr. Ho as a Stevie Finalist in the “Best Chairman” category of the “2007 International Business Awards”. Mr. Ho was also elected as one of the 100 most influential people across Asia Pacific by Asiamoney magazine.

Mr. Ho is a graduate of the University of Toronto, Canada and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in commerce.

Grant Kelley
Principal and Chief Executive Officer (Asia)
Colony Capital

Mr. Kelley, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Colony Capital in Asia, is based in Hong Kong and responsible for Colony's overall Asia Pacific operations. As such, he guides the strategic planning, acquisition, and asset management activities of Colony in Asia.

From 2002 to 2004, Mr. Kelley was based in New York where he served as a Principal of Colony with responsibility for the identification of distressed investment opportunities. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Kelley was a Principal based in Seoul and subsequently Tokyo, with responsibility for the operating performance and strategic direction of Colony's Korean and Japanese business units. During this time, Mr. Kelley guided the development of Colony Korea-KAMCO Asset Management, LLC, a joint venture between Colony and the Korea Asset Management Corporation.

Prior to joining Colony in 2000, Mr. Kelley was a management consultant at Booz Allen & Hamilton for 11 years, where his advisory work ranged from financial institutions and oil companies, to internet start-ups and non-profit institutions. He was a Principal at Booz Allen from 1997-2000.

Mr. Kelley received a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Adelaide in 1986, a Master's degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics in 1988, and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School in 1994. Mr. Kelley is a graduate of the College of Law in Sydney, Australia and was admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales in 1988.

Gerald Lawless
Executive Chairman
Jumeirah Group

In January 2007, Gerald was appointed Executive Chairman of the Jumeirah Group and continues to lead its ambitious growth to become the most distinctive and innovative hospitality group in the world. This ambition is expressed by the brand as ‘Jumeirah – STAY DIFFERENT™.

Gerald spent the first 23 years of his career with Forte Hotels managing properties in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland and the Caribbean. In 1991 he established Forte’s Middle East office in Dubai, and oversaw growth in the region from three to twenty hotels in six years.

Gerald is an Honour’s Graduate of Shannon College of Hotel Management in Ireland and was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration in Hospitality Management by the Johnson & Wales University, State of Rhode Island in the U.S.A. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and a Fellow member of the Institute of Hospitality (formerly HCIMA). In addition, Gerald is a Member of the Board of Directors of DIFX, Member of the Board of Directors of Tatweer, Member of the Dubai Holding Executive Committee and Member of the Board of ENDP. Gerald also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of The Emirates Academy.

Jay Rasulo
Chairman
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Jay Rasulo has the Happiest Job on Earth. As chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, he presides over a family vacation business that spans three continents and includes five world-class vacation destinations, a top rated cruise line and the most popular resort locations in North America, Europe and Asia. During the past 50 years, more than 2 billion guests have passed through the gates of Disney theme parks around the world.

Jay is the architect of the long-term global growth strategy for Disney Parks and Resorts’ business. He oversees a broad range of businesses that help make Disney the leader in the vacation destination industry.

The theme parks and resorts include the Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Resort Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland. In addition, Jay is responsible for the Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney; Walt Disney Imagineering -- the designers and builders of theme parks, attractions and other facilities and Disney Regional Entertainment, comprising the ESPN Zone sports-themed restaurants.

Jay, who has been with The Walt Disney Company for 20 years, was appointed chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in 2005, after serving as president since 2002. Prior to that, he served as chairman and CEO of Euro Disney, S.C.A., in France, where he was instrumental in turning Disneyland Resort Paris into Europe’s top tourist destination. Cementing his reputation as a dedicated business leader and strategist, the Los Angeles Times in 2002 called Jay “… a provocative and passionate leader who understands the cultural nuances of foreign markets.” The article went on to credit Jay for “…helping to transform Disneyland Paris.”

In addition to his duties at Disney, Jay has emerged as a recognized leader within the travel and tourism industry, working to broaden awareness of the industry’s role in creating jobs, economic growth, and cultural exchange. In 2006 and 2007, Jay served as Chairman of the Travel Industry Association of America, the industry’s preeminent trade association in the United States. In this role, Jay helped launch the Discover America Partnership, a coalition of the industry’s leading brands, which is dedicated to maximizing the economic and social benefits of international travel. From 2003 to 2007, Jay also served as Chairman of the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which was charged with recommending a comprehensive national tourism strategy to the U.S. Department of Commerce. He also serves on the board of directors for the French American Chamber of Commerce and Euro Disney S.C.A

Jay first joined The Walt Disney Company in 1986 as director and later rose to senior vice president of Corporate Strategic Planning. In this role, he led strategic development for all real estate-based businesses in The Walt Disney Company portfolio.

After two years as a senior vice president of Corporate Alliances and three years with Disney Regional Entertainment, Jay moved to Paris as executive vice president, Euro Disney, S.C.A. He served as president and C.O.O. before taking over as chairman and CEO in 2000.

A native New Yorker, Jay has a degree in economics from Columbia, and both an MA in economics and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Before joining Disney, he held positions with Chase Manhattan Bank and the Marriott Corporation.

Jay and his family reside in Los Angeles, California.

Glenn Schaeffer 
Chief Executive Officer and President
Fontainebleau Resorts

Glenn Schaeffer, 54, is co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Fontainebleau Resorts, a newly formed company (2005) that competes in the hospitality industry with large-scale resorts that express sophisticated and contemporary lifestyles.  Prior, Mr. Schaeffer served as president and chief financial officer for Mandalay Resort Group, covering corporate strategy, new product design, financial policy and marketing.  Mr. Schaeffer joined that company upon its IPO (as Circus Circus) in 1983 and led its growth over the ensuing two decades, as its shares rose from a split-adjusted $2 to $71 upon its sale to MGM-Mirage in 2004.

Mr. Schaeffer was instrumental in defining the practice of corporate finance within the gaming industry and Mandalay was the industry’s transactional leader.  Its cost of capital was perennially the lowest among its peer set.  Mr. Schaeffer also oversaw the launch of Mandalay Bay (1999), whose brand became one of the most recognized in the entertainment world inside of five years.  And, he and his team conceptualized THEhotel, a new product in destination travel that became one of the most innovative (and profitable) boutique labels in the hotel category. 

In 1990 Institutional Investor featured Mr. Schaeffer in a cover story on the ten top corporate financiers in America.  In 2005, he was installed as the youngest member of the Nevada Business Hall of Fame. 

Mr. Schaeffer was graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Irvine, where he majored in literature and minored in economics.  He was elected the university’s youngest Phi Bet Kappa Scholar.  Mr. Schaeffer took an M.A with emphasis in aesthetic theory, at Irvine, and then earned an M.F.A. in creative writing with distinction from the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop.  He was inducted as a Distinguished Alumnus of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop by its faculty in 2006.  His honorary doctorates are Litt.D. and Lh.D.

In philanthropic pursuits, Mr. Schaeffer is the foremost literary activist in the realm of translation and financial support for foreign writers of conscience and dissent, while his Schaeffer Fellows PhD course at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has attained top-five ranking among national Creative Writing programs. 

He also serves on the Board of Directors for Schiff Nutrition (NYSE) as a member of their audit committee.   

A noted collector of contemporary art, Mr. Schaeffer has been cited in a cover article in Vanity Fair as one of the thirty most influential collectors in the world. 

Faith Taylor

Vice President, Innovation, Business Development and Sustainability

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts

Faith Taylor is responsible for developing new strategic opportunities and innovations for the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® brand.

She worked with the architectural firms of Michael Graves & Associates to develop Wyndham’s brand positioning, interior designs, in-room products and hotel prototype initiatives.  She has also developed partnerships with Wolfgang Puck, DMI, Bath and Bodyworks and numerous companies to launch new programs into the market. 

She has led the development and launch of Wyndham’s Worldwide Blue Harmony™, a spa and fitness program that captures the growing wellness market. She is also responsible for overseeing the development of Wyndham’s worldwide sustainability program for its +6,400 hotels, +150 vacation ownership properties and exchange businesses.  She is also Vice Chair of the AHLA environmental committee. 

Taylor previously served Wyndham Hotel Group as senior director, product innovation, responsible for developing new strategic opportunities across all of its brands.  

She joined the company in January 2003 as senior director of marketing for the Ramada® brand, responsible for its strategic planning and repositioning programs, marketing budgets and advertising/media commitments. 

From 1997 to 2003, she served as a marketing consultant for International Home Foods Inc. in Parsippany and Idamar Enterprise in Newark and was a founding member of SayShe.com., an e-commerce company in New York. 

Taylor worked for Avon Products Inc. in New York from 1987 to 1997 in a variety of senior brand marketing and management positions developing and launching new businesses and programs with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Diane Von Furstenburg and major corporations like Disney, Warner Brothers and others.  She also worked with Time Warner Inc. in New York as a marketing executive for People and Sports Illustrated magazines.

Taylor was named one of the top African American executives in the lodging industry by Black Meetings and Tourism magazine in 2004 and 2005.  

She earned her bachelor of arts degree from Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif., and her master’s degree in business administration from the Wharton School of Business, Philadelphia.  

She is based in Wyndham Hotel Group’s Parsippany, N.J., offices.