| John D. Burns
 Identified by Lodging Magazine as one of the ten hospitality experts changing the travel industry, John Burns established Hospitality Technology Consulting in 1992 to assist hotels and other travel companies deal successfully with the increasingly complex world of electronic travel distribution. Born and educated in Canada, Mr. Burns began his hotel management career at university conference centers, first in Ottawa and then in Vancouver, B.C. In 1980 he joined Hyatt International Hotels, serving as Assistant Director of Sales at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver and later in the chain's corporate office in Chicago as Director of Reservation Services. In 1986 he accepted the position of Director of Reservations at Phoenix-based Ramada, Inc., later becoming Director of Property Systems Support, with responsibility for all technology at Ramada's owned/managed properties. In 1990, he joined THISCO (now Pegasus Solutions) as its Vice President-Product Development. Mr. Burns founded Hospitality Technology Consulting in May 1992. Since then, as HTC's president, he has headed this international consulting service specializing in assisting hotel chains and independent hotels in optimizing their central reservations, electronic distribution and revenue management programs. Strategic planning of reservations and distribution technology, marketing program optimization in the GDS and on the Internet and successful management of central reservation systems and centers are also core consulting interests. Mr. Burns, an AH&MA Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), is a past Board Member of the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA). A member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants, Burns is also active in numerous other travel organizations including HFTP and HSMAI. In 2002 Mr. Burns received HEDNA's Outstanding Contributor Award for his support of the association's activities over the past decade. In 2006 he was inducted into the HITEC Technology Hall of Fame and also that year received the ISHC Pinnacle Award. He has authored three training programs for the HEDNA as well as numerous articles for hotel and travel industry publications - some now used as course materials by the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Mr. Burns speaks frequently to hotel management, hotel school, technology, and travel industry audiences.Mr. Burns and his wife/business partner (Judy) reside in Scottsdale, Arizona. |
