Frank I Wolfe

Education and Career

Wolfe received a degree in Health Administration from East Tennessee State University, also attending graduate school there in the Counseling and Guidance Program. Prior to joining HFTP, he was the director of education for the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA), and served as a consultant on regulatory issues related to the food service industry. He joined HFTP in 1991 as the director of education, becoming its executive vice president and CEO in 1994. In 1992, he earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation. In 2014, it was announced that Wolfe would continue on as the organization's CEO through May 2018.

Wolfe joined HFTP when it was known as International Association of Hospitality Accountants (IAHA). In 1997, he changed the name of the organization to represent an evolving scope. During this period, HFTP teamed up with the Educational Institute (EI) of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) to institute a certification program for the hospitality industry. Created in 1994, the Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP) is a designation for hospitality professionals who specialize in technology related to the industry. In 2006, he launched GUESTROOM 2010, a hotel room prototype featuring new and conceptual technology, at HFTP's annual Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC). Now bearing the name GUESTROOM 20X, the feature is a returning fixture at HITEC, and travels to other hospitality events.

He speaks at industry events on topics related to hospitality finance and technology, and is a regular columnist in Hotel Management. He's also been a technology columnist for HotelExecutive.com. Speaking engagements include the 2014 International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin, Germany and the 2012 Annual Convention for the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) in Goa, India, where he spoke on future technologies for the hospitality industry.

Wolfe is a project leader on the Global Hospitality Accounting Common Practices (GHACP), a searchable database of detailed operating financial reporting practices used at lodging properties around the world.

Awards and Associations

In 2000, Wolfe was listed by Lodging magazine as one of the 75 Profiles in Leadership who had made major contributions to the hospitality industry. In 2002, he received the HFTP Paragon Award for contributions to the hospitality industry. In 2011, he was inducted into the International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was given the Champion of IT Education Award at the annual International Hospitality Information Technology Associaition (iHITA) Research Conference.

He is a board member for the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA). He is on the board for the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Wolfe is also on the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Conrad Hilton College at the University of Houston. He is a member of the American Society of Association Executives. He has been an instructor for the Academy of Association Management, an educational program for professionals seeking the CAE designation, teaching on education, association law, finance and technology. He also served on the Hospitality Technology Curriculum Advisory Committee for the University of Delaware.