Who We Are

Roberta Kathleen Nedry, President

Roberta Nedry is President and Founder of Hospitality Excellence, Inc. and has spent decades exploring, delivering, and managing guest and customer experiences, service excellence standards, and training. She helps organizations reach levels of exceptional service and regularly consults with executives and managers on transforming customer experiences. Hundreds of companies in over twenty-five industries have trusted Roberta to enhance internal employee experiences, emotional engagement, customer, and brand value. Ms. Nedry recently launched The Journal of Guest Experience Management. “The GEM ” features Best Practices and up-to-the-minute news on Customer Experience Management, Service Excellence and Emotional Intelligence. The Journal captures years of expertise from the Hospitality Excellence team to harness the foremost strategies, tips and leadership in today’s ever-changing Guest, Customer Client, and even Patient landscape.

Roberta is also the designer of 3DService®, a unique service training methodology integrating the evaluation, mapping, and design of each experience touchpoint, recognizing the multiple dimensions of exceptional service.

Ms. Nedry is an International and USA Honorary Member of Les Clefs d ‘Or, the Keys of Gold, representing the top 3% of the concierge profession worldwide, awarded for her educational contributions to the profession. She has been keynoting speaker and training facilitator at global Les Clefs d’Or congresses in Portugal, Canada, Germany, England, New Zealand, the Middle East and throughout the United States.

Ms. Nedry is frequently quoted and featured in global media as her service delivery expertise. Her YouTube channel interviews service excellence leaders across the globe. A former California’s Junior Miss (now Distinguished Young Women of America), she started her guest service training with Walt Disney Productions and was selected as a two-time Disney Ambassador to the world finalist.

Roberta holds a B.A. In Linguistics from UCLA and is fluent in French, proficient in German and Spanish, with studies in Japanese and Italian. Before launching HEI in 1999, she served as General Manager for the International Concierge Institute and the International School of Tourism for the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Prior to that she held executive level or senior positions in financial and legal industries, public relations, entertainment, and hospitality. As founder of Hospitality Excellence, Ms. Nedry drives the publishing, consulting, training, and speaking agendas for HEI.

See https://gemjournaltoday.com to learn more and subscribe. Contact Roberta directly at roberta@hospitalityexcellence.com

Michael G. Platner, Chairman

Mr. Platner is a founding director and Chairman of Hospitality Excellence. He has helped build HEI’s professional team as well as led the company’s publishing and partnership efforts.

Mr. Platner is also an established corporate lawyer and avid technology and media entrepreneur who currently heads up the Corporate and Business Practice Group of one of the top 10 largest law firms in the US – Lewis Brisbois.

Over the past two decades, Mr. Platner has served in a variety of roles for the companies he serves, including as founder, CEO, legal counsel, board member, early stage investor and advisor. Michael is recognized for putting customer and client experiences first in all of his business endeavors. In 2002 Mr. Platner was granted a US Internet business method patent for an invention in the social media and commerce space.

In addition to HEI, Mr. Platner currently serves as a board member or strategic advisor to companies in Internet infrastructure, software, digital marketing, and entertainment media. He has extensive legal and business experience representing companies in hospitality, healthcare, finance, and a variety of business and consumer products and services. He holds an MBA and Law Degree from Emory University.

Joe Pye, Editor-in-Chief

Joe Pye is the Editor-in-Chief of GEM Journal and a longtime journalist covering the intersection of money, behavior, and human experience. Over the past decade, he has worked as a finance reporter, writing for Aventura Magazine, Palm Beach Illustrated, Naples Illustrated, Money Talks News, Miami New Times, and Fort Lauderdale Illustrated.

Across both finance and hospitality reporting, Pye has observed a consistent truth: emotions drive decision-making.

Whether someone is choosing a financial product or deciding where to stay, dine, or return, the experience matters as much as the transaction. His work explores how thoughtful, well-executed guest experiences create more than memorable moments – they build trust, loyalty, and long-term relationships.

Through GEM Journal, Pye focuses on how service, storytelling, and operational details shape perception, influence behavior, and ultimately determine whether a guest becomes a lifelong customer.

Jim Faulhaber, Chief Technology Officer

Jim manages the technology experience for Hospitality Excellence clients and students on the web and a variety of LMS platforms including SCORM as well as newly innovative dynamic learning methods for multiple internet connected devices. Jim also facilitates client and employee surveys, graphics and production to enhance each client experience and program.

Jim has over 15 years of experience in media including the internet and print publications. His focus has been on marketing and technology at Worth International Media Group, Borrell Technology and Time-Warner, Inc. Jim has been involved with numerous media distribution projects throughout his career and is responsible for implementing brand maximization strategies and fulfilling technical requirements. Jim is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and also holds an MBA.