Guest Services Inc., a leading national hospitality company based in Northern Virginia, announced the appointment of Nico J. Foris to the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2022. Foris joined Guest Services in 2012 as Chief Financial Officer and has served as Chief Operating Officer for the past three years. He succeeds Gerard T. Gabrys, who has held the position since 2001. Mr. Gabrys will continue to serve as Chair of the Board.
Guest Services has served both public and private sector clients for more than 100 years. The company is a proud provider of a powerful and fully comprehensive suite of hospitality management solutions for clients in dining services, resorts and hotels, recreational and leisure activities, unique retail and merchandise outlets, special events, condominium management, and senior living. During his time at Guest Services, Foris has led growth initiatives among National Park Service contracts including Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Lake Roosevelt, among State Park systems, and led the acquisitions of leading recreation company Boating in Boston and the Lodge and Spa at Breckenridge in Colorado. He was integral in executing the largest transaction in the company’s history with the disposition and sale of Maryland-based Lancaster Foods in 2020, positioning the brand for long term strategic growth among its managed hospitality venues.
“Since joining Guest Services, Nico has consistently made significant contributions to the success of Guest Services,“ according to Gabrys. “The rate with which he has progressed as a leader in this organization reflects his ability to seamlessly assume each new role and deliver in a way that embodies our core values. The promotion of Mr. Foris is the culmination of our succession plan put in place several years ago and Nico will continue our legacy of providing excellent service to our clients and will move our great organization forward into the next chapter when he assumes the role of CEO.”
Prior to joining Guest Services, Foris started his career within the audit practice at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. While there, he serviced several of the largest and most prominent clients within the banking and capital markets space including Bank of America, PNC, and The Federal Reserve Bank of the United States. He was later promoted to the Organization’s National Office – Securities and Exchange Commission division – where he served as a Senior Manager. Foris was subsequently hired as Chief Financial Officer in 2008 by the Washington Football Team, one of the largest National Football League franchises. Under his tenure there, he was responsible for the financial activities and oversight within the organization.
“I have the privilege of being a part of such a special company and working with all of our great team members at Guest Services,” Foris shared. “We will continue to carry forward the values, culture, and strong commitment to our clients that has defined our business for the past century. It is truly an exciting time to drive our strategic plan as we embark on the next hundred years of our service. I cannot think of a greater personal and professional compliment than being trusted to lead the company toward continued success.”
In his new role, Foris intends to maintain the legacy of excellence in hospitality that Gabrys has sustained for the last 20 years. He looks to strengthen the company’s expertise across its service areas in a new environment post-pandemic. Among the National and State Park systems, he is focused to add new sites throughout the country. As hotels continue the long road of recovery, he is already looking at innovations among key development partners to build sustainable services that range from lodging to recreation, food and beverage, and special events. And Guest Services offers a range of high demand support channels for senior living, having recently added St. Anthony’s in Kansas City. Foris sees this work as an example of the company’s ability to offer full-service management of independent living, assisted living, and memory care properties. He intends to use it as a model for expansion, planning to add new similar properties each year.
Mr. Foris holds a B.S. in Accounting from The Pennsylvania State University and is a Certified Public Accountant. He has been involved in several community initiatives including an active role in Guest Services’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and Our Planet sustainability platform, an advisory board member for a youth sport’s start-up company called Soccer Studio, and a member of the AICPA. He created the Guest Services Culinary Forum, a collaborative group of leading chefs exploring improvements within culinary operations, and most recently has been focused on leading the company through the public health crisis. Nico has been on Guest Services’ Board since January 1, 2020. He resides in McLean, Virginia with his wife Heather and three daughters.
