Horst Schulze

HORST SCHULZE –  Horst is the former President and Co-Founder of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. In August 1983, Gerald W. Blakely who owned and managed the hotel  2.sold The Ritz-Carlton Boston and the US trademark for $75.5 million to William B. Johnson who was once the largest owner of Waffle House franchises. William Johnson also owned Holiday Inns and Marriott Hotels. William assembled a four-person dream team in Atlanta to lead the company headed by Horst Schulze to create the Ritz-Carlton hotel brand and established The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in its current form. Schulze dramatically revolutionized the hotel industry while turning the Ritz-Carlton into one of the most remarkable and recognized international brands on the planet. Horst’s obsessions with providing world-class customer service has set the standard for excellence in the hotel industry for over 30 years. Under Horst’s leadership, Ritz-Carlton won the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 1992. Only one other company has ever won the award more than once, and the Ritz-Carlton is the only company in the hotel industry to win the award. Horst is the best-selling author of Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise. Horst currently is the chairman and CEO of Capella Hotel Group where Schulze is setting the newest standard in luxury hotels that are creating an unmatched tier of customer service.