Meet H. Wayne Schmidt, MBA, CHS.

Location: Oakland County, MI
Employer: Savvy Sliders
Title: VP of Operations

Why did you want to instruct the HTIM business management course?
I love the hospitality industry – serving others and helping them enjoy and experience life is a passion I have. Being able to be an instructor for HTIM was a match made in heaven for me. I really enjoy being able to provide better ways to treat team members and guests.

How will this course help individuals step up in their career?
The HTIM 12 Week Course is a powerful resource that can help bring clarity and/or knowledge to any leader who wants to understand and make a positive difference in the Hospitality industry (and truthfully most other industries as well). Not only will you learn new ways to look at all that encompasses the hospitality industry, but you will know how to be (or become) a dynamic and fair leader as well.

What advice do you have for others in the hospitality industry who are looking for ways to grow in their career?
Take this course!  Embrace it!  It is a course that will get you in the right direction to become a more effective leader. Learning to develop and manage the people who work with and under your leadership will ultimately make the experience for all guests under your stewardship have a much more enjoyable and memorable experience.

To be able to serve others is truly a noble career, one that can be both challenging and very rewarding.
 
What is your favorite part of teaching the HTIM business management course?
My favorite part is the people I get to know throughout the course. I really enjoy getting to know them and hearing about their real-world experiences and how this course can help their unique hospitality circumstances. I love how they become friends and how many end up helping each other with their own individual challenges or celebrations.
 
What was your first job in hospitality? How did you get into this industry?
My first job in the hospitality industry was when I was hired as the night auditor and front desk clerk for a national hotel brand located in Pocatello, Idaho. Although I was not crazy about the graveyard hours, I learned a lot about how the industry worked on the accounting side as well as how important it was to make sure guests were very satisfied with their experience with us.

I worked two other jobs in the hotel industry and then more than 20 years in the restaurant industry where most of those years were spent in international markets on five continents, working on operations and training.

Can you share more background on your current role?
I have been in my current role as VP of Operations and Culture at Savvy Sliders since the beginning of January of 2024. This is a role that I enjoy because it is giving me great opportunity to use my 20+ years of experience, education, and knowledge to help bring the brand partners together – creating a much stronger and synergistic culture where everyone can feel the importance and strength of all moving in the same direction – one that answers the one question I feel everyone should ask themselves every time a customer or guest enters one of our locations: “How can I make sure this customer/guest will want to come back as quickly as possible?” The answer is in how we each fulfill our responsibilities.
 
Interesting and fun fact:
I am an American who was born and raised outside of the United States. I was born in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico (my parents owned a cattle ranch near there) where I lived for my first 17 years. I lived in Santiago, Chile (my parents served as mission presidents for our church) for two years, and I lived in the Madrid, Spain area (where I served a mission for my church) for two years.

As a result, I am fully bilingual in Spanish and English and pride myself in being multi-cultural. In total, I have either lived in, done business in, or visited a total of 25 countries. I love to visit, learn about and experience all the different languages, cultures, sites, food, etc. that our beautiful planet has to offer.

I am happily married to my adorable wife Kathy (over 27 years now). We have six amazing children (plus three others who have married into our family, two grandchildren so far, and a wonderful golden retriever dog.

In December of 2023 I was finally declared the winner over a battle I fought with a MRSA infection in my right knee. It took me two years, five surgeries, three picc lines with heavy antibiotics, and a lot of patience and tears before I finally won!

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