William P. Fisher, Ph.D. is the Darden Eminent Scholar in Restaurant Management at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Prior to joining the Rosen College, Dr. Fisher was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA). He also served as the chief staff officer of the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and was the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration for Service Systems Corporation (now Marriott Service Systems).

Dr. Fisher holds three degrees from Cornell University: A Bachelor of Science from the School of Hospitality Administration; an MBA; and a Ph.D. in educational administration. His academic credentials include serving as assistant professor at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, where he taught accounting, finance, and general management courses. Concurrent with his teaching responsibilities at Cornell, Bill served as a hospitality industry consultant for Gaurnier Associates, a consulting firm serving the hotel and restaurant industries.

Bill is the author of Fisher’s Laws: The Thinker’s Guide to Management Action, and he has been an editor of other books related to the hospitality industry. He was recognized with the Champion of Education Award by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (CHRIE) in 1996, and received a Diplomate Award in 1998 from the National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation.