Charlotte BCA

Horst Schulze is the founding president and former chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. Under his charismatic leadership, the company won an unprecedented two Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Awards in the Service category, and has been continuously voted 'best hotel company in the world' by convention and trade publications.

Mr. Schulze is a recognized leader in the service world. His vision has helped reshape customer service concepts in both the hospitality and the service industries. Today, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is considered the benchmark for service excellence.

In November of 1991, Mr. Schulze was recognized by his peers and named 'corporate hotelier of the world' by HOTELS Magazine. In 1995, he was awarded the prestigious Ishikawa Medal for his personal contributions to the quality movement and, in 1999, Johnson & Wales University recognized him with an honorary Doctor of Business Administration in Hospitality Management. In 2001, he was inducted into the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau Hall of Fame and, in 2002, he was the recipient of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association's International Lifetime Achievement Award.

Horst Schulze is a charter member of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, which he joined in January 1983. He was instrumental in the conceptualization of the operating and service standards of the newly formed company. Mr. Schulze retired from The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in 2001, after expanding the company to over 40 hotels worldwide.

Currently, Mr. Schulze serves as the Chairman, President and CEO of The West Paces Hotel Group - a hotel management company which recently announced luxury lines Capella Hotel & Resorts and Sol