Every hospitality search is different. The organization, leadership team, market, culture, compensation, and business priorities all shape what the right candidate looks like.
JWB Hospitality partners with hospitality organizations nationwide to identify and recruit leaders who can step into critical roles and make a meaningful long-term contribution.
Below are examples of searches across hotels, restaurants, private clubs, and multi-unit hospitality organizations. Certain client details are omitted to respect confidentiality.
The Challenge
A luxury boutique hotel needed a General Manager following an unexpected leadership transition. Ownership was looking for an experienced hotel operator who could provide stability, strengthen the leadership team, protect service standards, and maintain the guest experience during a period of change.
Our Approach
JWB conducted a targeted search across the luxury boutique and lifestyle hotel market, focusing on proven General Managers and senior hotel operators.
Candidates were assessed for:
Rather than relying solely on active applicants, the search included direct outreach to experienced leaders who were successfully employed and not actively pursuing a move.
The Result
The client selected a General Manager whose experience, leadership style, and operating philosophy aligned with the needs of the property and ownership group.
Location: New York City
Search Duration: 6 weeks
Candidates Engaged: 78
Shortlist Presented: 4 finalists
Result: General Manager placed
The Challenge
A high-end restaurant needed an Executive Chef capable of leading its culinary program while maintaining demanding standards across food quality, kitchen culture, cost control, and the overall guest experience.
The role required more than culinary talent. The restaurant needed a leader who could develop a team, create consistency, manage the financial side of the kitchen, and lead in a high-performance environment.
Our Approach
JWB targeted experienced culinary leaders from fine-dining and chef-driven restaurants across the country.
Our assessment focused on:
We engaged both active and passive candidates and presented a focused group of culinary leaders whose backgrounds aligned with the restaurant’s vision.
The Result
The client hired an Executive Chef with the culinary and leadership experience required to guide the restaurant’s next chapter.
Location: Miami
Search Duration: 8 weeks
Candidates Engaged: 112
Shortlist Presented: 3 finalists
Result: Executive Chef placed
The Challenge
A growing restaurant group needed a Director of Operations capable of supporting multiple locations while helping prepare the organization for continued expansion.
The ideal candidate needed to balance day-to-day operational leadership with a broader ability to develop systems, improve consistency, coach General Managers, and support growth.
Our Approach
JWB mapped experienced multi-unit restaurant operators with backgrounds in scaling hospitality organizations.
Candidates were evaluated for:
The search focused heavily on leaders who had already operated successfully in complex, multi-location restaurant environments.
The Result
The client selected a Director of Operations with the experience needed to strengthen existing operations while supporting the group's continued growth.
Location: NYC
Search Duration: 7 weeks
Candidates Engaged: 96
Shortlist Presented: 5 finalists
The Challenge
A private members club needed an Executive Chef who could deliver an elevated culinary experience while balancing consistency, member expectations, cost discipline, and the unique service environment of a private club.
The position required a culinary leader who understood that success in a membership environment extends beyond the kitchen.
Our Approach
JWB targeted Executive Chefs and senior culinary leaders with experience across private clubs, luxury resorts, hotels, and high-end restaurant operations.
Candidates were evaluated for:
The Result
The club hired a culinary leader whose experience and leadership approach aligned with both the operational requirements of the role and the expectations of its membership.
Location: NYC
Search Duration: 34 days
Candidates Engaged: 64
Shortlist Presented: 5 candidates
Offer Accepted: Within 48 hours
The Challenge
A lifestyle hotel with multiple food and beverage outlets needed a Director of Food & Beverage capable of creating greater consistency across the operation while strengthening service, training, programming, and financial performance.
The position required someone who could lead several distinct concepts while maintaining a cohesive hospitality culture.
Our Approach
JWB targeted experienced Food & Beverage leaders from boutique, luxury, and lifestyle hotels.
Candidates were assessed for:
The Result
The client hired an experienced Food & Beverage leader equipped to oversee the property's multiple concepts and lead the department's continued development.
Location: NYC
Search Duration: 6 weeks
Candidates Engaged: 83
Shortlist Presented: 4 finalists
Although every engagement is customized, JWB Hospitality's executive search process is built around several core principles:
Our work goes beyond matching a résumé to a job description. The objective is to understand the organization well enough to identify the leader most likely to succeed within it.
JWB Hospitality conducts searches for leadership roles including:
We work across restaurants, hotels, resorts, private clubs, restaurant groups, hotel management companies, and other hospitality organizations throughout the United States.
Whether you're replacing a critical executive, strengthening an existing leadership team, or preparing for growth, JWB Hospitality can help you identify and recruit the right leader for the organization.
JWB Hospitality
Executive search for restaurants, hotels, resorts, private clubs, and hospitality brands nationwide.