My Career-Spanning Journey with HFTP Culminates As HFTP Global President

Justin Taillon’s letter introducing himself and outlining the associations’ strategic plan and mission

Written by Justin Taillon

I joined HFTP as a freshman in college. Active participation in a professional association was not just encouraged; it was required in my hospitality program. So, there I was, a new and nervous member attending my local chapter’s dinner meetings. 

I felt on edge at my first meeting. It was held at a prestigious club. I tried to enjoy myself, but I was preoccupied with a classic concern for anyone new to fine dining: remembering which bread plate and water glass were mine. Engaging in meaningful conversation with seasoned hotel professionals seemed even more daunting than the bread plate and glasses. Yet, from the moment I walked in, HFTP members went out of their way to include me and the other students. Admittedly, much of the financial lingo sailed over my head at the time. Yet, I took it as a cue that I had plenty to learn and that HFTP was where I could learn it. 

My dedication to learning led me to HFTP’s Annual Convention (AC) in Phoenix in October 2001. Our industry was grappling with questions after September 11. I sensed my chosen industry had changed, even as a 20-year-old student with limited work experience. I recall how different airport security was when I boarded the flight to Phoenix compared to just a few months earlier, a sign of more shifts to come. I leaned into HFTP’s role in navigating these unknowns. 

That convention was transformative for me professionally and personally. I was one of only three students in a room filled with 600 industry experts. I absorbed more in four days than I anticipated. I witnessed the HFTP AC education council being recognized on stage. This served as an important moment in my professional trajectory. To me, the stage held the architects of the learning experience I had that week. I set a professional goal for myself that day: I was going to serve on the HFTP AC Education Advisory Council. I never dreamed of being an HFTP Global President, my goal was simply to serve on the advisory council. 

In 2012, I achieved my goal of joining the HFTP AC Education Advisory Council. The experience was fulfilling, and it pushed me to aim even higher. Since then, I have had the privilege to serve as chair for the advisory councils for Leadership (two times), HITEC (three times), and AC, plus participate in numerous other committees and boards, culminating in my role as Global President. Over the years, I have come to understand a simple truth: the more you give to HFTP, the more it gives back. Thanks to HFTP, I have invaluable mentors, lifelong educational opportunities, and leadership skills I draw upon every day. 

I joined the HFTP Global Board of Directors in 2017 and its Executive Committee in 2020. This is important, for reasons Past President Mark Pate, CHAE+, CHTP+, MBA, recently described well: 

Taking on the position as HFTP Global President is not one where you are suddenly placed without much foreknowledge. But rather the HFTP leadership journey is built over years when you gain an understanding of the association’s strategic goals and direction. Usually it starts with a director position on the HFTP Global Board. And if you choose to apply and are selected, you work through the three positions on the Executive Committee leading to President. I am explaining this because it was the many hours participating as an HFTP leader, the guidance of my predecessors and the perspectives of this leadership group that were key to my capability to lead our association during a very extraordinary period.

Today, I stand before you in what I see as the crescendo of my journey with HFTP. I would not be in this role without the dozens of wise mentors I have listened to over the past 25 years. Together, we all embody the strength of our professional community. This community that has shaped leaders, innovators, and changemakers across the hospitality industry for more than 70 years. Guided by our organization’s new strategic plan and mission and vision statements, which reflect the collective wisdom of my mentors and our present-day leadership, we are poised to achieve our four core goals this year. 

Goal 1 – Globalization

HFTP is taking strategic steps toward being a global brand. Our members are expanding our reach beyond the confines of the USA and into the E.U., Mexico, Jamaica, St. Lucia, India, Dubai, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and more. We will foster a global community that brings fresh perspectives to hospitality finance and technology by increasing our global presence. After all, balancing the books is universal, even if the currency changes. 

Goal 2 – Education

We are seeing the HFTP Academy come to life in recent months. This is a vision I have worked on for nearly a decade alongside leaders like HFTP Past President Arlene Ramirez. Arlene’s efforts have already earned applause from everyone who has seen her work, with the HFTP Academy now positioned to deliver lifelong learning at a higher level than ever before. 

Goal 3 – Diversification

Diversification is our safeguard against uncertainties like 9/11, COVID-19, or external entities trying to identify a weakness. Through initiatives from the upcoming USALI 12th Revised Edition to HITEC and our signature conferences, HFTP continues to stand on solid financial ground. Through effective updates to our governance structure we plan to diversify and safeguard HFTP further yet. 

Goal 4 – Brand Community

Finally, our brand community ties all of us, as members, together. Being part of HFTP means being part of something greater, where each member’s contributions in hospitality technology and finance add to a legacy that resonates globally. While HFTP needs to update in areas such as geography, education, and diversification to remain effective, we need to remember that members are our north star. We need to work for the members and remember that we are all more together than alone; we are HFTP.

Justin Taillon is the 2024–2025 HFTP Global President. He is a professor and Department Head of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Highline College and a member of the faculty of Central Washington University. Taillon worked for nearly a decade in hospitality directly, culminating in a managerial role with Hilton before moving into academia and earning his MBA at the University of Guelph and his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University. Taillon’s research focus is diverse, including both negotiation theory and market-based sociocultural conservation. He serves as associate editor of Research Notes for Anatolia, a Tier 1 tourism research journal and has completed hospitality and tourism projects in 15 countries. He is also the owner of two restaurants.