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www.calodging.com
January/February 2017
11
Louie Shapiro
Tell us a little about yourself
and background.
I began my hospitality career at McDonald’s
when I was 15 as a crew member and later
became a Shift Manager. After working as a
Banquet Captain during University, I joined
the hotel industry in 2006 at what is today
The Double Tree Hotel Chicago Magnificent
Mile as PM Housekeeping Supervisor. Later
that same year I joined Fairmont Hotels
and Resorts at The Fairmont Chicago as
Housekeeping Training and Development
Manager. In 2008, I joined The Plaza, A
Fairmont Managed Hotel in New York City—a
place I called home for nearly six years. There
I held several positions, including Assistant
Director of Human Resources, HR Manager,
Royal Service Manager and Housekeeping
Manager. In 2013, I joined Nikko Hotels
International by becoming the Director of HR
at Hotel Nikko San Francisco. I joined The
Ritz-Carlton family a little over a year ago as
Market Director of HR where I lead all human
resources’ efforts for The AAA Five-Diamond
Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco and The Ritz-
Carlton Club and Residences, San Francisco.
What is your favorite part of being a
Market Director of HR?
There are so many parts of the job which I truly
enjoy, like being able to maintain the cultural
integrity of the brand and drive the culture of
the organization forward. Being the advocate
for our 400+ ladies and gentlemen is extremely
rewarding and fulfilling—seeing their smiling
faces in action on the floor serving our guests
and each other makes it all worth it!
What are important skills and traits
for someone working in hR to have?
It is important to be a strong active listener,
problem-solver, be self-motivated, and have
high energy, since a large part of the role is to
motivate others in the organization.
What is Your typical work day like?
My day always starts with a cup of coffee and a
daily stand-up with my wonderful HR Team.
From there, I hit the floor to engage with our
employees to ensure that everything is on the
up and up. An HR leader must manage by
walking; he or she needs to know the pulse of
their population. Nothing can replace the on-
the-floor, one-on-one personal interactions,
especially in an age of so much electronic com-
munication. The rest of my day is filled with
various meetings with members of our leader-
ship team or members of our hourly team.
What HR and training tools do you
use to Aid in your job?
Society of Human Resource Management,
Harvard Business Review, LinkedIn, our
HRIS system and Applicant Tracking System
all make life a little bit easier. The Outlook
calendar is my saving grace.
What advice do you have for
those interested in entering
the hotel industry?
Be sure to do your research on which hos-
pitality companies would be the best fit for
you, find a company that you identify with,
supports your values, will help you to grow
and develop, and is an organization that
you believe in. Everyone from the top down
should have multiple mentors. I have had the
pleasure of working for tremendous leaders in
my career, both currently and in the past, and
these individuals have taught me how to be
the engaged, dynamic leader I am today.
What was a defining moment
in your life?
Completing the 2013 Boston Marathon, the
unfortunate acts of violence committed on
that spring morning will be something that
I will never forget; it changed my outlook on
life. It taught me that life is short—you never
know what is in store for you so live life to
its fullest and go after what you want. Never
have any regrets.
Market Director of Human Resources, The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco