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Washington – Kathleen Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, will receive the 2011 International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) Pioneer Award at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), January 24-26, 2011, in San Diego.

Since joining Four Seasons in 1989, Taylor has played a key role in its growth and success, including the expansion of the company’s portfolio to the present 82 properties in 35 countries, and more than 50 hotels and resorts now under construction and development around the world. Prior to assuming the role of chief executive officer in August 2010, Taylor was chief operating officer. She also served as president of Worldwide Business Operations for seven years, overseeing all aspects of the business side of the company, including direction of Four Seasons worldwide hotel and residential product design, construction and development activities, managing the company’s acquisition and corporate planning, overseeing the corporate finance and legal affairs groups, and the corporate human resources and corporation administration areas.

Taylor’s business achievements have been recognized with the Schulich Award for Outstanding Executive Leadership in 2001, the IREFAC (Industry Real Estate Financing Advisory Council of the American Hotel & Lodging Association) Chairman’s Award in 2003, CGCA (Canadian General Counsel Awards) Award for Business Achievement in 2006, and induction to the Marketing Hall of Legends in 2009. In 2010, Taylor received The Hennick Centre for Business and Law Medal for Career Achievement.

A member of IREFAC, Taylor also is a director of the Royal Bank of Canada, chair of the Human Resources Committee, and a member of its Audit Committee. She is a member of the Cabinet of the Toronto United Way and the Chair of its Endowment Giving Committee. She is also a member of the board of The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation in Toronto, the chair of its Compensation and Resource Management Committee, and a member of its Research and Learning Tower Capital Campaign Cabinet.

Taylor obtained a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business in 1984.

The ISHC Pioneer Award was established in 1996, honoring those in the lodging community based on three criteria: active involvement in the industry, extensive contribution to the industry, and personal/organizational attributes and qualities. Further details on specific criteria supporting these general categories can be found on the ISHC Website.

Co-hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and Burba Hotel Network (BHN), the two-and-a-half-day ALIS event features an extensive array of seminars and panels hosted by leading experts and investors discussing important trends and identifying new opportunities. The conference attracts the lodging industry’s leading hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers, and professional advisory community. Proceeds from ALIS benefit the educational, research, and training missions of the Educational Institute (EI) of the American Hotel & Lodging Education Foundation (AH&LEF), AH&LA’s nonprofit affiliate.

Online registration is available via the ALIS Website. For general event information and sponsorship opportunities, contact Stephany Chen, BHN associate, at (714) 540-9300 or [email protected].

Serving the hospitality industry for a century, AH&LA is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services to provide bottom line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. Partner state associations provide local representation and additional cost-saving benefits to members.

AH&LEF is the charitable fund-raising and endowed fund-management subsidiary of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Founded in 1953, AH&LEF is the premier organization for scholarships, professional certification, and instructional material as well as funding for hospitality industry research.

BHN is the worldwide leader in developing and organizing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. With more than two decades of experience, over 80 events completed or in production to-date, and more than 60,000 international delegates, BHN conferences have become “must attend” events for industry leaders who come together to network, conduct business and to learn about the latest trends.

BHN events include: the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in San Diego; the ALIS Summer Update in Los Angeles; the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami; HICAP Update Japan in Tokyo; the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong; HICAP Update Southeast Asia in Singapore; the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Mumbai; the new Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference in Miami; and the Central America Tourism & Hotel Investment Exchange (CATHIE) held in El Salvador in 2010.

The BHN website at is the gateway for information about the conferences BHN produces, as well as a direct link to important players in the hospitality investment world.