About our authors

David Hayes is a 45-year veteran of the hospitality industry. After earning his PhD from Purdue University, he served as a professor at that institution, and then founded the Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management (RHIM) program at Texas Tech University. He was appointed Associate Dean at the Conrad Hilton College of Hotel Administration at the University of Houston, and then served as Vice President of the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s Educational Institution (AHLEI). David is the author of more than 20 referred journal articles and books related to hospitality administration. His popular books have been translated into a number of languages, including Croatian, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. As an industry professional, he was the Managing Owner of the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Lansing, Michigan. He now serves as owner and President of Panda Professionals Hospitality Education and Training (Panda Pros). Panda Pros is a group of experienced and talented hospitality educators, data scientists and writers who provide important information to targeted hospitality audiences, including students, instructors and industry practitioners.

Jack Ninemeier, PhD, is a Professor Emeritus from Michigan State University’s The School of Hospitality Business program, located in the University’s College of Business. He has written, co-authored and/or edited about 75 books, mostly for the hospitality industry, including all three previous versions of Pearson’s Hotel Operations Management. That text is well known for its first three editions, and the new fourth edition includes numerous changes. Jack served for many years as a senior consultant to the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s Educational Institute (AHLEI). He has also made a 20-plus-year contribution to the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA). In many ways, private clubs need programs in financial management, marketing, food/beverage, training and human resources and also have a need for excellent guest service, effective property operations and housekeeping, as do commercial hotels. Also, many club facilities provide guest room rentals and services to their members. His translated books have been used by China and other Asian food service associations that lead to certification by members of these associations.

Bjorn Hanson, PhD, has served as Divisional Dean of New York University’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management, and now serves as Adjunct Professor. He is on the editorial board of the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, is a founding director of a NYSE hospitality REIT, is Executive Vice President of the company that owns one of New York’s renowned luxury hotels and is an active industry consultant. Bjorn has been named Cornell University’s Hotelier of the Year, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International and has been a Visiting Assistant Professor and Dean’s Distinguished Lecturer at Cornell University. He has published numerous articles and has been cited multiple times each in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Time, Newsweek and many more. Bjorn has been named one of the “33 Most Influential People in the Travel Industry” by Travel Weekly and one of the Lodging Industry’s 75 Leaders in AHLA’s Lodging Profiles in Leadership. Prior to joining NYU, Bjorn was PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Global Partner for Hospitality and Leisure, leading the firm’s audit, tax and consulting practices, and served on the firm’s U.S. Leadership Committee and the Global Financial Advisory Services Management Committee.