West Paces Consulting and Master Connection Associates form The Learning Institute. Led by Hospitality Industry gurus, Horst Schulze and Cindy Novotny, West Paces Consulting and Master Connection Associates have formed a Strategic Alliance to expand the scope of services each provides by forming The Learning Institute. Mr. Schulze is best known for creating The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, recognized as the finest service delivery organization in the world. Ms. Novotny is internationally recognized as the preeminent expert in sales and leadership in the hospitality industry. Based on both organizations success working together in the hotel industry and equal success outside the industry, forming The Learning Institute (TLI) was a natural.

TLI will provide consulting and training services to organizations interested in improving performance measurably in Leadership, Service, Sales and Operations/Organizational Development. Specific areas of expertise include Strategic Planning, Total Quality Management and Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award consulting.

The Learning Institute believes in the passionate pursuit of excellence and financial success with honor and integrity. These core values create an environment of trust and respect with, and between our clients, partners and associates.

• Leadership: TLI will help to create a high-performance environment through leadership systems and processes where the passionate employees take ownership of their work. Leadership consulting and training that identifies the key requirements of employees, customers, and management/ownership and forms them into measurable results producing assets. 
• Service: TLI will direct and assist any organization that wants to recognize how to provide excellent service. We show how to determine appropriate standards and create reliable systems to measure the impact of your service. An internal measurement system is an invaluable tool to assess the performance results of your service delivery system. 
• Sales: TLI can deliver custom designed sales training that produces measurable results. Identifying how to prospect for new business, increase market share and negotiate to close the tough business while developing a customer for life is a specialty of TLI. While at Ritz-Carlton, Horst Schulze partnered with Master Connection Associates to develop one of the finest sales organizations in the world ranking in the top 25 by Sales & Marketing Magazine. 
• Consulting: Establishing a strategic plan for the company and aligning the company behind the plan creates the foundation on which the organization will function. Understanding the importance of defining the values and integrity of management practices in that organization will further support that foundation. TLI will develop a plan that includes the steps to ensure that the operating processes are in full support of the mission, the vision, and the objectives of the organization.

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ABOUT THE PRINCIPALS

Horst Schulze 

Setting the standard for both elegance and market brand identification, Horst Schulze revolutionized the hotel industry with the visionary rebirth of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. 

• Visionary: As president and COO of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Horst Schulze ushered in a new world of elegance and personal service. A man of rare ability and vision, he created legions of loyal customers by raising the bar for customer service expectations to previously unimagined levels. 
• Recognized and Honored Leadership: Under his direction, The Ritz-Carlton won an unprecedented second Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Schulze himself was named "Corporate Hotelier of the World" by HOTELS magazine and was awarded the Ishikawa Medal for his contributions to the quality movement. 
• The Future: Currently chairman, president and CEO of The West Paces Hotel Group and West Paces Consulting, Schulze is developing a new standard in luxury hotels and creating an unmatched tier of customer service and loyalty. A charismatic leader and entrepreneur with an intimate understanding of market demands, Schulze knows how to inspire customer-based success in every industry and at every level. 

Cindy Novotny

An unparalleled enthusiasm, demand for excellence and candid delivery make Cindy Novotny one of the most sought after speakers anywhere. 

• Radical Mentor: Cindy Novotny is recognized by Training & Development Magazine as one of the 9 most powerful speakers and a "Radical Mentor" to thousands of followers around the world. Her no nonsense approach to individual performance excellence provides a motivational message with specific take aways for people to change their behavior for the better.
• Founder of MCA: Cindy founded MCA in 1989 and since its inception, the organization has developed a diverse client base, serving customers in the hospitality industry, real estate, development, associations, law firms, medical/pharmaceutical among many others. MCA offers results producing consulting and training in the areas of Sales, Leadership and Customer Service. 

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Award Winners

MCA's work has contributed to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company earning the distinction of winning two Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards for Service Excellence as well as being named one of the top 25 sales organizations as recognized by Sales & Marketing Magazine. MCA has helped Alston & Bird Law Firm become number two on the Fortune Magazine 100 Best Companies to Work For list.

Leonardo Inghilleri

Leonardo Inghilleri is a recognized expert in the service and hospitality industry and a well-known speaker in the area of organizational effectiveness, service excellence, business innovation, process management and human resources practices. 

Leonardo is the Managing Director of West Paces Consulting LLC, a subsidiary of the West Paces Hotel Group, formed in 2002 by several former leaders of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. WPC is a business consultancy focused on assisting service-oriented companies in maximizing their capabilities and effectiveness by designing, deploying and implementing new business strategies and models. 

Prior to WPC, Leonardo served as Senior Vice President, Brand Executive for BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts from January 2001 to October 2003. In this capacity, he has been responsible for the successful development and launch of this new luxury hotel brand, a joint venture between Marriott International/The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and the famous Italian jeweler BVLGARI. Leonardo joined The Ritz-Carlton in early 1994 as Senior Vice President of Human Resources. As a member of The Ritz-Carlton Corporate Steering Committee, Leonardo played a significant role in the success and accomplishments of the Company during a time of many changes and tremendous growth. Among the accomplishments is an unprecedented second winning of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 1999. Other highlights of his leadership include the creation of The Ritz-Carlton Learning Institute and The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center. 

Prior to The Ritz-Carlton, Leonardo worked for The Walt Disney Company in Orlando and Paris as part of the executive opening team of Euro Disney Resort, Paris, and has held several management positions within the travel and hospitality industry in Italy, England and the United States.

ALSO AVAILABLE: "A Day With the Masters": A Unique International Business Conference:
How to Improve Leadership, Customer Service and Sales Performance in your Organization.

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