Ian McPhee '94
Director of Operations - Ritz-Carlton Georgetown
Leading his hotel above and beyond company standards is just some of the things that Ian McPhee ’94 does on a daily basis. When Ian began his career, he joined the Ritz-Carlton Company in 1996 at the Boston flag ship location. For the first three months he was the in-room dining supervisor and shortly after was promoted to banquet manager and then later director of banquets. After working at the Boston office for more than five years, he then transferred to The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka, Japan hotel where he took on the position of manager of La Baie, a fine dining establishment in the hotel. During his second year, he quickly rose up the ranks and became the banquets manager overseeing 700 weddings and more than $40 million in revenues per year. 
After learning the Japanese language and culture overseas, this well-seasoned alumnus then transferred to the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco as their director of banquets for one year. He then took the position of assistant director of food and beverage at the Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C. and was later promoted to director of food and beverage. Now as the director of operations for the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Ian supports a large team ensuring that the hotel’s needs and its concerns for customers are addressed accurately and efficiently. Ian firmly believes that putting his customers first and greeting them with a warm welcome and anticipating their needs has made him realize the importance of the customer service role in the company. It’s no wonder this alumnus has earned numerous leadership roles in all the hotels he has worked in.
In Ian’s spare time, he enjoys listening to classical music, playing the piano and pipe organ and loves to sing. He also enjoys hiking and sky-diving and has a strong passion for wine and food. Ian realizes the importance and impact of how a Johnson & Wales education took his leadership skills to new and exciting levels. As an advocate for JWU, Ian has visited the Providence Campus to recruit students for employment opportunities at the Ritz-Carlton. During his visit, he met with students and passed along this advice to be successful: have passion for what you do, set high goals and standards, work towards them, and most importantly, be true to yourself.
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