John Fitzpatrick, Chairman and CEO of the North America Fitzpatrick Hotel Group, relocated to New York from Ireland over a decade ago and gained a significant reputation in hospitality in one of the most competitive cities in the world. He started his career at the family’s hotels in Bunratty and Dublin over 20 years ago. In 1991, Fitzpatrick opened the Fitzpatrick Group’s first U.S. hotel in Manhattan. In 1995, he added the Fitzpatrick East 55th Street to his portfolio, and in 1998 he opened the 155-room Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel. Expansion to downtown Chicago followed in May 2001 with the opening of the Fitzpatrick Chicago Hotel, which was later sold.

John completed hotel management courses in Ireland and the prestigious course at UNLV in Las Vegas. He was recently appointed vice chairman of the hotel association of NYC and also serves on the executive committee of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. A board member of The American Ireland Fund and the Ireland-US Council, he has received numerous awards including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2002.