Kate Buhler

President, Profitable to Train

Kate Buhler has over thirty-five years of experience working in luxury hospitality, and has helped many businesses realize their financial and service goals. Training teams around the globe has given her a holistic view of how departments can work together to create the seamless, intuitive service that guests desire. She as written a book on the subject, Inhospitable: Lessons Learned from a Lifetime in Service, and speaks to groups on the delicate balance of service, sales, and employee relations.

She started in Food and Beverage and Human Resources at the Stanhope Hotel in New York, where she first fell in love with the industry.  Seeing the glamor of the front-of-the-house while learning from dedicated employees working behind the scenes inspired her to innovate ways to improve service. She went on to work in the Rooms Division at Peninsula New York Hotel and as the Opening Trainer for Omni Berkshire Place. For twelve years, she worked for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Learning and Development, Human Resources, and Sales and Marketing. First, she was Assistant Director and Learning Manager at Four Seasons Hotel New York, then went on to Four Seasons Hotel Boston as Director of Revenue Management. Eventually, she shared her sales techniques with properties worldwide as Corporate Trainer and Program Designer. 

Since 2011, Kate has been an independent Consultant, founding Profitable to Train®, traveling over 250 days a year to some of the most beautiful properties in the world. Working with top brands internationally deepened her knowledge of multi-cultural environments, business styles, and marketing principles. Her specialty is finding ways to increase both job satisfaction and company profitability by emphasizing how each employee’s key role fits within the organization. Participants leave her sessions feeling energized, focused, and inspired to do their very best.

She is a Board Member and Director of Programming for the National Speakers Association of New England, and in her free time, she can often be found telling stories at The Moth Story Slams or with the Fugitive Storytellers. She lectures to college groups and organizations, hoping to inspire the next generation of travel industry professionals, and writes articles about revenue management, sales skills, leadership, and how to deliver a level of service required for the world’s most discerning clients.

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