Gerald J Inzerillo

Ian Schrager is often lauded for conceptualizing New York's hippest hotels: Morgans, Paramount and The Royalton, all of which he owns. But it is Mr. Inzerillo who makes them run. And he does his job well. The group, which also includes the soon-to-be-renovated Barbizon, averaged an 89% occupancy last year—significantly above the city's average of 71%. Mr. Inzerillo joined the group in 1987 when it consisted of just Morgans. "It was a great concept, but they were running the place without systems," he recalls. So he busied himself instituting marketing, purchasing and accounting programs. That foundation allowed the group to ring up $100 million in sales last year. Mr. Inzerillo attended the hotel school at University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and while there worked in a casino run by Hilton Hotels Corp. He continued working for Hilton after graduation, where he supervised the renovation of the 1,224-room Fontainebleau in Miami Beach. Four Seasons Hotels Ltd. recruited him at age 26 to open and manage a property in Dallas.