Hospitality Executive Search
Hospitality doesn't pause for a hiring mistake.
Hospitality executive search means understanding hospitality first. Millman Search places Manager through C-Suite leaders across hotels, restaurants, and event venues — 44 years of relationships built inside the industry, not outside it.
Who We Place
Hospitality isn't one industry — it's three.
Food & Beverage, Hotels & Resorts, and Venues & Events each move differently — we search each one differently too.
Food & Beverage
From single-concept restaurants to multi-unit groups, we place the leaders who keep kitchens and guest experience running in sync.
Example Roles
General Manager · Executive Chef · Director of F&B · VP of Culinary Operations
Hotels & Resorts
Occupancy, revenue, and guest experience live or die with the right GM. We find the ones who move all three forward.
Example Roles
General Manager · VP of Operations · Director of Revenue Management · Regional VP of Operations
Venues & Events
Stadiums, museums, and event spaces need leaders who can run a single flawless night and a full calendar of them.
Example Roles
General Manager · Director of Sales & Events · VP of Venue Operations · Director of Catering
About the Firm
Built on decades of hospitality relationships.
We don’t post and wait. Our team attends industry conferences, maintains active relationships with working hospitality executives, and reaches candidates who aren’t looking — from General Managers and VPs of Operations to C-suite leaders across restaurants, hotel groups, and venue operators.
In Hospitality
Placements Made
Clients Return
How It Works
A search process that moves at hospitality's pace.
Five steps, one dedicated recruiter, no wasted time.
Consultation
A 15-minute conversation about your role, your organization, and your timeline — before either of us commits to anything.
Engagement
We define the scope, terms, and what success looks like, then assign a senior recruiter with direct hospitality expertise in your sector.
Search & Shortlist
We work our network directly — reaching hospitality leaders who aren’t on job boards — and bring you a curated, fully vetted shortlist.
Interviews
We manage scheduling, prepare every party, and stay close throughout so the process stays clean on both sides.
Placement
From offer negotiation through onboarding, we stay involved until the hire lands well and stays.
Hospitality Specialists
They didn't learn hospitality from a resume — they lived it.
Every search is led by a specialist with real hospitality operating experience, not just recruiting experience.
Chloe Rosenthal
Chloe brings a decade of hyper-growth HR leadership — spanning &pizza, Honest Tea, and Discovery Communications — to every search she leads.
Dennis Friedman
Dennis brings the perspective of a seasoned CEO and Executive Chef, drawing on three decades of leadership in culinary and restaurant industries.
Chris Willis
Chef Willis spent 28 years as a working chef and operator, earning credentials across fine dining, resort openings, and multi-market environments.
Client Results
The names change. The results don't.
“Millman Search is truly exceptional in their ability to identify top-tier candidates. The individuals we ultimately hired have become invaluable contributors.”
Blaine Landberg, CEO — Calicraft
Trusted By
Common Questions
What hiring leaders ask before they call.
How do hospitality executive recruiters find candidates who aren't job hunting?
We reach them directly — through industry relationships built over four decades, not job postings. Most senior hospitality leaders aren’t on job boards; we work active relationships with GMs, VPs, and executive chefs across hotels, restaurants, and venues, and reach out when a search calls for their specific background.
Why use a hospitality executive search firm instead of hiring internally?
Because the strongest hospitality leaders are already employed and not looking. Internal hiring and job postings only reach people actively searching — an executive search firm reaches people succeeding somewhere else who wouldn’t have applied on their own. Want the deeper, non-hospitality-specific version of this answer? See our full breakdown →
How much does hospitality executive search cost?
Most searches are structured as a percentage of the placed executive’s first-year compensation, agreed on before the search begins. Exact terms depend on role level and scope — we outline this clearly during the consultation, before either side commits.
How does hospitality executive search work at Millman Search?
Five steps: consultation, engagement, search and shortlist, interviews, and placement — each led by a specialist with real hospitality operating experience, not just recruiting experience.
How do I choose the right hospitality executive search firm?
Look for direct hospitality operating experience, not just recruiting experience. A firm that’s actually run restaurants, hotels, or venues understands what “cultural fit” means in this industry — ask whether your recruiter has worked inside it, not just staffed for it.
Get In Touch
There's no slow season for the wrong hire.
Tell us what you need this hire to do — we’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit for it.