Executive-in-Residence Shares Experience on Workplace Performance
Alumnus Michael Taylor will be the next Raymond F. Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-In-Residence, visiting campus the week of Sept. 28.
Taylor is a hospitality executive, workplace strategist, researcher and entrepreneur whose work focuses on transforming culture, the employee experience and operational execution to drive measurable business performance. With more than 35 years of executive leadership experience, he serves as managing director and regional general manager for Pyramid Global Hospitality and as division lead for PyramidWorks, where he leads operations for hospitality and workplace experience across corporate, conference center and hospitality environments.
In addition to meeting with students and classes throughout the week, Taylor will participate in the fireside chat “Culture, Experience and Execution: The New Drivers of Business Performance” at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 29 in Violette Hall 1000. A reception will follow.
Recognized for advancing the application of hospitality principles to organizational performance, Taylor has helped organizations reimagine the workplace as a human-centered performance system that drives engagement, execution and business outcomes. His published work and thought leadership on culture as a performance system, workplace strategy, leadership and employee experience have appeared in industry and academic publications serving hospitality, corporate real estate and management audiences.
In addition to his executive leadership responsibilities, Taylor founded VenueLoop, a hospitality technology venture dedicated to transforming event operations by replacing fragmented, document-driven processes with real-time workflow intelligence.
An active scholar and educator, Taylor’s research examines ethical followership, leadership development, organizational culture, inclusion and career advancement in the hospitality industry. His doctoral work introduced the Resistance-Resilience-Renewal framework, which offers new insight into how leaders navigate and influence organizational systems.
Taylor graduated from the University in 1985 with a degree in business administration. He also earned a master’s degree in hospitality administration/management from New York University and an Ed.D. in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University. He has served as president of the New Jersey Hotel & Lodging Association, and in 2026, the International Association of Conference Centers honored him with the Lifetime Award of Excellence for his contributions to the meeting and events industry.
In recognition of the significant contribution that Truman alumnus Raymond F. Bentele made as president and CEO of Mallinckrodt, Inc., the Raymond F. Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-In-Residence Program was endowed in the School of Business and Professional Studies in 1993. This endowment enables the school to select one outstanding individual from business and industry to spend two to three days on campus each semester. The executive engages in discussions with Truman students, both in and out of the classroom.
For the Raymond F. Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-In-Residence Program, special emphasis is placed on examining how the executive handles the unique challenges inherent in a “real world” setting. As a result of these interactions, students get a better understanding of the pragmatic as well as the theoretical issues in business. Faculty gain insight from the visiting executive that enables them to remain current on significant issues in the rapidly changing global business environment.
Taylor is a hospitality executive, workplace strategist, researcher and entrepreneur whose work focuses on transforming culture, the employee experience and operational execution to drive measurable business performance. With more than 35 years of executive leadership experience, he serves as managing director and regional general manager for Pyramid Global Hospitality and as division lead for PyramidWorks, where he leads operations for hospitality and workplace experience across corporate, conference center and hospitality environments.
In addition to meeting with students and classes throughout the week, Taylor will participate in the fireside chat “Culture, Experience and Execution: The New Drivers of Business Performance” at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 29 in Violette Hall 1000. A reception will follow.
Recognized for advancing the application of hospitality principles to organizational performance, Taylor has helped organizations reimagine the workplace as a human-centered performance system that drives engagement, execution and business outcomes. His published work and thought leadership on culture as a performance system, workplace strategy, leadership and employee experience have appeared in industry and academic publications serving hospitality, corporate real estate and management audiences.
In addition to his executive leadership responsibilities, Taylor founded VenueLoop, a hospitality technology venture dedicated to transforming event operations by replacing fragmented, document-driven processes with real-time workflow intelligence.
An active scholar and educator, Taylor’s research examines ethical followership, leadership development, organizational culture, inclusion and career advancement in the hospitality industry. His doctoral work introduced the Resistance-Resilience-Renewal framework, which offers new insight into how leaders navigate and influence organizational systems.
Taylor graduated from the University in 1985 with a degree in business administration. He also earned a master’s degree in hospitality administration/management from New York University and an Ed.D. in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University. He has served as president of the New Jersey Hotel & Lodging Association, and in 2026, the International Association of Conference Centers honored him with the Lifetime Award of Excellence for his contributions to the meeting and events industry.
In recognition of the significant contribution that Truman alumnus Raymond F. Bentele made as president and CEO of Mallinckrodt, Inc., the Raymond F. Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-In-Residence Program was endowed in the School of Business and Professional Studies in 1993. This endowment enables the school to select one outstanding individual from business and industry to spend two to three days on campus each semester. The executive engages in discussions with Truman students, both in and out of the classroom.
For the Raymond F. Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-In-Residence Program, special emphasis is placed on examining how the executive handles the unique challenges inherent in a “real world” setting. As a result of these interactions, students get a better understanding of the pragmatic as well as the theoretical issues in business. Faculty gain insight from the visiting executive that enables them to remain current on significant issues in the rapidly changing global business environment.
