Reunion Weekend:
Friday Night Reception
The annual Society of Hosts Alumni Reunion will be held on Friday, November 18th in the Horizon Ballroom and Roof Top Terrace of the Hotel Duval.
The 2011 Society of Hosts Reunion opens with a complimentary Alumni Reception honoring our Alumnus of the year, Mr. John Culver (HOS '82), President of Starbucks International.
Like last year, the opening event is a mixer format conducive to networking, catching up with old friends and meeting new friends from our esteemed alumni. There will be a formal presentation of the Alumnus of the Year Award and a few remarks from our SOH President and DSH Director. The rest of the evening will be about food, fun and friends. Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served along with an open bar.
Tailgate Party
FSU vs. Virginia - Homecoming
The SOH will be hosting a tailgate party 2 1/2 hours before kickoff (game time TBA)
Location: Steiner/Riscigno RV; RV lot behind Checkers; Pedestrian access from Jackson Bluff Road or Stadium Drive, Lot B, Space 15 (Next to Training Center at University Place building)
Price: Complimentary
2011 Society of Hosts Alumnus of the Year
John Culver
In December 2009, John Culver was appointed president, Starbucks Coffee International. In this role John leads teams responsible for the overall management, business development and operations of Starbucks in all markets outside the U.S. John’s experience and success leading the Asia Pacific region, his deep coffee industry knowledge and his strong leadership skills combine to make him the ideal leader for Starbucks Coffee International.
Prior to becoming president, Starbucks Coffee International, John held the position of president, Global Consumer Products and Foodservice, leading the strategy to support Starbucks growth and expansion of consumer product offerings worldwide, including packaged coffee, ready-to-drink coffee, ice cream and Tazo® teas and drinks. In essence, he was responsible for extending the Starbucks Experience and taking care of the customer interactions outside of our stores.
John joined Starbucks in August 2002 as vice president and general manager, Foodservice, responsible for leading sales, marketing and operations. His focus on building brand awareness in traditional foodservice venues included positioning the Starbucks “We Proudly Brew,” Seattle’s Best Coffee “Serving the Best” and Torrefazione Italia “Featuring Torrefazione Italia” brands. John and his team worked to increase the presence of the Starbucks brand with key U.S. customers and to ensure that our quality standards were maintained in over 15,000 foodservice accounts.
From 2007 to 2009, John held the role of president, Starbucks Coffee Asia Pacific, responsible for cultivating the Starbucks Experience for all Starbucks company-operated, joint venture and licensed markets within the Asia Pacific region. Under his leadership, Starbucks brand presence continued to expand rapidly across the region, which consists of the Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand markets.
Before joining Starbucks, John was Vice President, Sales for Nestlé USA where he was responsible for foodservice sales and the development of more than 30 brands. Prior to Nestlé, John held various management positions within Houlihan’s Restaurants.
John has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from Florida State University. He recently served on the Board of Directors for the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) as a member and as treasurer. He has also served on the Advisory Board for the Pacific Northwest Hospitality Industry, supporting City of Hope.
