Who We Are
Practical guidance leaders use to coach teams, engage employees, and elevate guest experience.
Roberta Nedry
President
Roberta Nedry is President and Founder of Hospitality Excellence, Inc., where she advised organizations on guest experience strategy, service excellence, an d emotional engagement.
For decades, she has worked with executives and leadership teams to design and deliver experiences that strengthen employee culture, elevate brand value, and build lasting customer loyalty.
Nedry is an International and USA Honorary Member of Les Clefs d’Or, representing the top three percent of the global concierge profession, and has served as a keynote speaker and training facilitator at international congresses across Europe, the Middle East, North America, and the Pacific. Her expertise is frequently cited in global media, and her YouTube channel features conversations with service excellence leaders from around the world.
She recently launched GEM Journal, The Journal of Hospitality Excellence, which delivers best practices, industry insights, and timely analysis on service excellence, customer experience management, and emotional intelligence.
A former Walt Disney Productions trainer and two-time Disney Ambassador to the World finalist, Nedry holds a B.A. in Linguistics from UCLA and is fluent in French, proficient in German and Spanish, with studies in Japanese and Italian.
Joe Pye
Editor-in-Chief
Joe Pye is the Editor-in-Chief ofGEM 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.
Michael G. Platner
Chairman
Michael Platner is a founding director and Chairman of Hospitality Excellence. He has helped build HEI’s professional team and has led the company’s publishing and partnership efforts.
Michael is also an established corporate lawyer and technology and media entrepreneur who currently heads the Corporate and Business Practice Group at Lewis Brisbois, one of the ten largest law firms in the United States.
Over the past two decades, Michael has served in a variety of roles for the companies he supports, including founder, CEO, legal counsel, board member, early-stage investor, and advisor. He is recognized for putting customer and client experience at the center of his business endeavors.
In 2002, Michael was granted a U.S. internet business method patent for an invention in the social media and commerce space.
In addition to his work with HEI, Michael serves as a board member or strategic advisor to companies in internet infrastructure, software, digital marketing, and entertainment media. He brings extensive legal and business experience representing organizations in hospitality, healthcare, finance, and a wide range of consumer products and services. He holds an MBA and a law degree from Emory University.
Jim Faulhaber
Chief Technology Officer
As CTO, Jim Faulhaber manages the technology experience for Hospitality Excellence and GEM Journal. He also facilitates client and employee surveys, and oversees graphics and production to enhance each client experience and program.
Jim has more than 15 years of experience in media, including internet and print publications. His work has focused on marketing and technology at Worth International Media Group, Borrell Technology, and Time Warner, Inc.
Throughout his career, Jim has been involved in numerous media distribution projects and is responsible for implementing brand maximization strategies while ensuring technical requirements are met. He is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and holds an MBA.
Copyright © 2026 Hospitality Excellence - All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2026 Hospitality Excellence - All Rights Reserved.