Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> April 25, 2002
FRED J. KLEISNER is Chairman and CEO of Wyndham International, Inc. and
is leading the company through its transformation into one of the
nation's premier branded hotel operating companies. Mr. Kleisner joined
Wyndham in 1999 as President and Chief Operating Officer. He was named
CEO in April 2000 and Chairman of the Board of Directors in October of
that year. He previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer
of The Americas for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Hotel
Group. His more than 35 years of experience in the industry also
includes senior positions with Westin Hotels and Resorts, where he was
President and Chief Operating Officer; Interstate Hotels, where he was
Executive Vice President and Group President of Operations; The Sheraton
Corporation, where he was Senior Vice President, Director of Operations,
North America Division-East; and Hilton Hotels, where for 16 years he
served as General Manager of several landmark hotels, including The
Waldorf Astoria and The Waldorf Towers in New York, The Capital Hilton
in Washington, DC and The Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu.
Throughout his professional life, Mr. Kleisner has assumed an active
role in the various communities where he has lived, both in professional
and civic pursuits. He is a member of Washington, DC's Alfalfa Club and
a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Outdoor Leadership
School, as well as a member of numerous other professional and business
organizations. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan awarded Mr. Kleisner the
nation's top honor for directing the best summer jobs program in the
United States when he served as Chairman of the Summer Jobs Youth
Program in the District of Columbia. Mr. Kleisner, who holds a BA in
Hotel Management from Michigan State University, completed advanced
studies at the University of Virginia and Catholic University of
America. Profile
past year since we last spoke?
Mr. Kleisner: Well, this has been a monumental past 12 months. That's
the way I led my
