Hotel School to honor Tisch family, Four Seasons CEO
By Susan Kelley
Cornell's School of Hotel Administration (SHA) will honor the Tisch family and Kathleen "Katie" Taylor, president and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, at the school's premier gala, the Cornell Hospitality Icon and Innovator Awards, in New York City on June 5.
The school will host the fourth annual awards and gala at the American Museum of Natural History. The Tisch family will receive the Cornell Icon of the Industry Award and Taylor will be presented with the Cornell Hospitality Innovator Award. Eight-time Emmy Award winner Paula Zahn will be the event's emcee.
The Cornell Icon of the Industry Award recognizes the accomplishments of outstanding leaders in the hospitality and travel industry and contributions to one's community or society; the Cornell Hospitality Innovator Award honors leaders who have built and sustained successful hospitality enterprises.
"In just a couple of years, this event has become one of the largest and happiest and most important events that we have throughout the Cornell universe," said Cornell President David Skorton.
Launched in 2009, the awards gala has become the largest event on the SHA calendar, attracting more than 800 leaders and innovators in the hospitality and travel industry. Proceeds from the event help support SHA scholarships and programs.
The Tisch family is being honored for their lifetime achievements in business and their extraordinary contributions to educational, civic and charitable communities. Andrew '71, James '75 and Jonathan Tisch will receive the award on behalf of the family. Andrew Tisch is a member of the Cornell Board of Trustees.
"The Tisch family is the ideal choice for the Cornell Icon of the Industry Award," said Michael D. Johnson, dean and E.M. Statler Professor of Hotel Administration. "Not only are they titans of the hospitality industry, but their business success also extends far beyond hotels. As philanthropists, the Tisch family has had a tremendous impact on so many organizations and so many people across the country."
Company founders Laurence A. Tisch and Preston Robert Tisch built Loews Corp. from a small hotel chain. Today the holding company is one of the largest diversified corporations in the United States. Its principal subsidiaries are CNA Financial Corp.; Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc.; HighMount Exploration and Production LLC; Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP; and Loews Hotels.
Previous winners of the icon award include the Hilton family and The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; Charles Feeney '56, co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers; and J.W. Marriott Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International Inc.
The Cornell Hospitality Innovator Award is given annually by SHA's Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship.
Since joining Four Seasons in 1989, Taylor has played a key role in its continued growth and success. The company's portfolio includes 86 hotels and resorts in 35 countries, and there are currently more than 50 projects in some stage of planning or development. Prior to assuming the role of CEO in 2010, Taylor was COO. She also served as president of worldwide business operations for seven years.
Zahn is the executive host and executive producer of "On the Case with Paula Zahn," Investigation Discovery's prime time series. She is a former anchor for CNN, where she hosted the prime time show "Paula Zahn Now." Zahn has also been a news anchor and host for Fox News Channel, CBS and ABC.
The 2012 gala has more than 70 corporate sponsors to date. American Express Publishing is the title sponsor; Travel + Leisure is exclusive media co-host with USA Today; Baccarat, Groupe du Louvre and Marriott International are diamond sponsors; Amazing Taste LLC is strategic marketing and event consultant. To register for the gala, visit http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/industry/events/awardsdinner.html.
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