John L. Sharpe ’65
The Story
Hotel Ezra Cornell 40 – 1965
John Sharpe, Personnel Director
“We, the Board of Directors, ask you to join us in celebrations reminiscent of the Era of 1865, the period of the founding of our Noble Institution,” read the invitation, which was formed as a scroll, for the 40th Hotel Ezra Cornell. 1865 marks the year that “far above Cayuga’s waters, glorious to view, our noble Alma Mater came into being.” All the HEC events centered around the 1865 theme. Stagecoaches took guests on tours of the Cornell campus. Those who attended would treasure the memories of a sentimental centennial, courtesy of HEC.
Excerpt from: The Best Ever: Memories of Hotel Ezra Cornell
As a kid from rural Arkansas, and later from a small town in Canada, I was fascinated by hotels. This was especially true while traveling to baseball or hockey games in Detroit, staying at the old Book Cadillac, officially known as The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit.
Young John – Springdale, Arkansas
Hearing about Cornell from a family friend, I drove to Ithaca in the Spring of 1961 for a “walk-in” meeting with Professor Thomas Silk, a high-profile faculty member at the school. When hearing that my intention was to apply for the coming September, he almost had a fit, as I came to the meeting without SAT scores and without an application, expecting to start classes four months later. Long story short, I entered the Hotel School that fall.
My classes at Cornell were meaningful, delivered by faculty who were clearly grounded in preparing us for the actual business of hospitality. The quality of many of the individual faculty members was a major part of what made the Hotel School the world’s best.
Summer jobs with Pan Am and Chatham Bars Inn on the Cape re-enforced and confirmed my enthusiasm for the hospitality industry. I looked for a good training program, chose Sheraton’s, and was not disappointed. Having gained a solid foundation in finance at Cornell, and with good monitoring of my career, good promotions came my way. Of those early years, it was a lot of fun!
John – Freshman year at Cornell
What I tried to do each day was to arrive early, stay late if needed, and never be afraid, under any circumstances, to “get my hands dirty.” This is the advice I have given over the years to any young person listening.
My biggest breaks, as applies to so many of us, were due to a combination of performance, timing, and luck. Performance is talked about a lot in schools, but not so much the other two. They really should be, because they have some impact on most careers and should be recognized and reacted to, whenever possible.
The best opportunity for me was joining Four Seasons in 1976. At that time, it was a fledgling, Toronto-based hotel company founded and run by the legendary Issy Sharp. We were able to pioneer some important industry standards, including the concept of creating and maintaining a group of very high-end hotels that performed consistently, at exacting standards, from city to city, from resort to resort, for all worldwide locations.
As well, the concept of management of properties owned by third parties took us from owning or leasing all of our hotels to an equity average over the entire portfolio of about 15 percent. The average remaining life of existing management contracts when I retired was about 55 years, not something that could be sustained as others copied our blueprint, but a great start!
The key ingredient of any successful career and life is the luxury of being surrounded by great role models. In my case, it began with my parents. Then, through 50 years of marriage with Eva, three children and three grandkids, who today are the lights of our lives.
Around me, for all those years, the real inspiration each day was working with so many wonderful colleagues, at all levels, but especially those essential, front-line workers earning lower wages. I remain in awe of the thousands of fine people, with the pressure of providing the basic necessities for their families and themselves, including in many cases, safety. Each day, these valued employees exuded welcome and warmth to each other and to our guests, and together, created Four Seasons. I remain humbled.
Any personal awards that followed were really rewards for their efforts, flowing through me. Executive in Residence at the Hotel School, board chair of Ryerson University, Corporate Hotelier of the World, Truste Emeritus of the CIA and others were rewards I share with them, the vast majority of whom I am unable to thank personally.
I am honored to be included in this tribute from the Cornell Hotel Society.
With appreciation,
John Sharpe
Career Highlights
- Sheraton Hotel Corporation
- Manager of the 1500 room Sheraton Centre in Toronto
- General Manager of three Sheraton Hotels in Niagara Falls
- General Manager of Skylon Tower, Niagara’s largest commercial attraction
- Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts (22-year tenure)
- General Manager, Calgary Four Seasons
- Vice President / General Manager, Ritz Carlton Chicago
- Member, Board of Directors (14 years)
- President & Chief Operating Officer (final five years)
Leadership Positions
- Ryerson University Board of Governors, Chair
- The American Hotel Foundation Board, Co-Chair
- Culinary Institute of America
- Board of Trustees, Trustee Emeritus
- Academic Affairs Committee, Chair
- Treasurer
- Cornell Hotel School
- Dean’s Distinguished Lecturer Series (several “Donuts with Dittman”)
- Hotel Ezra Cornell Advisor (multiple years)
- Executive in Residence
- Industry Advisory Committee, Chair
- Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Board
- Empire Resorts, Board Chair
- Elizabeth Arden Salons and Spas
- Grand Expeditions Travel
- Singapore Tourism Board, Advisor
- WATG Architects, Advisor
Awards and Honors
- Honorary Doctorate from Ryerson University
- Corporate Hotelier of the World, from Hotels Magazine
The “Corporate Hotelier of the World” award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to service within the global hotel industry. The award is given based on criteria such as operational excellence, performance, creativity in management, and leaving a lasting positive impact on the global hotel business.
Sharpe is listed among the 90 influential Hotelies profiled in the 90th anniversary issue of Hotelie magazine:
John Sharpe ’65, retired president and COO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. He started with Four Seasons in 1976 as GM of the Four Seasons Hotel in Calgary, Alberta.
Mr. Sharpe changed my life. He believed in me before I believed in myself, and he’s done the same for so many others. His kindness, wisdom, and quiet strength have shaped who I am and the path I’ve taken.
~Deniz Omurgonulsen Altuğ ’00
Vice President, Member Experience
The Leading Hotels of the World
Hotelies of the West – 2002
Ines Llerena MMH ’00, XX, Chrissy Gambel ’01, John, Cheryl Stanley ’00,
Stanley Sun ’00, MBA ’05, Giuseppe Pezzotti ’84
John Sharpe has been both a mentor and a lifelong friend—someone I’m incredibly grateful to have met during my time at Cornell. We first crossed paths in my junior year, when John was serving as an Executive in Residence at the Hotel School and an HEC 75 Board Advisor. At the time, I was working full-time at the Statler Hotel, and I’d often see John in the early mornings serving breakfast and again late at night for drinks in the Regent Lounge. He was always kind, encouraging, and never failed to make me laugh.
During HEC proposal reviews, John was refreshingly direct, often asking memorable questions like, “How are you going to keep the coffee hot and the eggs from turning green?” A titan of the hotel industry, John had a gift for cutting through complexity. He reminded us to get the basics right, to focus on what truly matters in hospitality, and to never lose sight of the guest experience.
John encouraged me to intern with Four Seasons at their iconic Chicago property—a turning point in my journey. Since 2000, he has been a guiding light, a sounding board, and a steady voice of reason throughout my career with the company.
I’ve learned so much from John—not just in the classroom, but through his leadership and example as a visionary hotelier. He helped grow Four Seasons from just three hotels to nearly 70, laying the foundation of the brand on four core pillars: quality, culture, service, and brand. He lived and taught the Golden Rule, always treating others with honesty, integrity, and empathy. His legacy lives on with Four Seasons today.
Now both living in Toronto, we see each other as often as possible. My boys absolutely adore John and Eva, and we always look forward to our time together. When John was honored at his retirement at the Beverly Wilshire, he said in his speech that “the best part of his travels was always coming home.”
With love and deep gratitude—from my family to yours—congratulations on this very special honor, John.
~Chrissy Gamble ’01
VP of Planning and Integration, Global Operations
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Cornell Friends – Batavia, NY Fall 2023
Giuseppe Pezzotti ’84, Craig Snow, Faculty, S.C. Johnson College of Business,
Richy Petrina ’01, John Sharpe ’65, Ed Evans ’74
John and Eva
