| Al Rivera Washington, D.C. Top Senior Executive in the Hotel Industry |
Al Rivera is not only a perfect role model and an inspiration to the
Filipinos aspiring to get into the exciting world of the hotel industry,
but as well as to other Filipinos striving to reach the top of the
ladder of the glamorous and high-earning senior executive level of
management in any given industry. Almost on every routinary
working day of the week, Al Rivera highlights positive Filipino
image as the Director of Food and Beverage for Washington,
D.C.'s premier convention hotel, the JW Marriott Hotel. A key and
highly visible executive pivotal position that could either make or
break the very existence of the hotel itself. In a very competitive
region like the Nation's Capital where millions of tourists,
conventioneers, business and professional people, students,
lobbyists, politicians and numerous other visitors constantly
arriving the whole year round. Al's position as Director of Food
and Beverage is one of the major reasons, if not the only reason,
guests come and go to JW Marriott Hotel. At least six major
executives of the hotel report directly to him. He supervises the
food and beverage services for the hotel's three restaurants and
one sports pub, including one of Washington's dining spots,
Allie's American Grill. In addition, he also oversees the catering,
banquet service and room service. Whenever a huge social
function - and there are 2 or 3 each week - is held at one of
Filipinos aspiring to get into the exciting world of the hotel industry,
but as well as to other Filipinos striving to reach the top of the
ladder of the glamorous and high-earning senior executive level of
management in any given industry. Almost on every routinary
working day of the week, Al Rivera highlights positive Filipino
image as the Director of Food and Beverage for Washington,
D.C.'s premier convention hotel, the JW Marriott Hotel. A key and
highly visible executive pivotal position that could either make or
break the very existence of the hotel itself. In a very competitive
region like the Nation's Capital where millions of tourists,
conventioneers, business and professional people, students,
lobbyists, politicians and numerous other visitors constantly
arriving the whole year round. Al's position as Director of Food
and Beverage is one of the major reasons, if not the only reason,
guests come and go to JW Marriott Hotel. At least six major
executives of the hotel report directly to him. He supervises the
food and beverage services for the hotel's three restaurants and
one sports pub, including one of Washington's dining spots,
Allie's American Grill. In addition, he also oversees the catering,
banquet service and room service. Whenever a huge social
function - and there are 2 or 3 each week - is held at one of
various banquet and ball rooms of the hotel, chances are you will see Al Rivera personally overseeing that all
requests of the sponsors are followed to a "T". You will not even notice Al, because he has mastered the art
of playing low key role. But he is around.
Whenever dignitaries are in the hotel, Al is one of the top executives assigned by JW Marriott Hotel to officially
welcome them and extend the services of the hotel.
Unlike many other high level executives in the business world, one tends to cautiously wrap himself or herself
with the proverbial security blanket, and not take chances of referring others to his or her domain of work. But
not Al. He even travelled to the Philippines to recruit Filipinos to come to the United States and be trained to
the latest techniques of hotelry operations. Such is the case when he personally went to Manila and hustled
with the American Embassy to secure temporary working visa for five of The Manila Hotel's employees for a
special culinary training under the joint auspices of JW Marriott Hotel and the Association of International
Practical Training (AIPT), a successful program started by Al Rivera.
Al is 14-year member of the Marriott Hotel team. He is one of the very few Filipinos in a five-star hotel holding
a key and a significant senior executive position, He came to JW Marriott Hotel in 1992, after working at other
Marriott's properties throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. JW Marriott is the pride and flagship
hotel of the Marriott Hotel Corporation which owns and operates hotels in almost every major cities in the
United States and various countries in the free world.
Cited as "Manager of the Year" several times, Al has won numerous and prestigious awards, including
winning the Marriott Corporation's Gold Standard contest for best improvement in beverage sales. He
assisted in the opening of the Marriott Orlando World Center, another Marriott's pride and joy, where he was
senior banquet maitre d' and was later promoted to food and beverage manager, overseeing the
management of the nine different outlets at the hotel.
Al designated and implemented the training program for Marriott banquet maitre d's at the Marriott Orlando
World Center, which was utilized as a training center for banquet personnel. His efforts earned him the
designation in 1989 of "Best at Training and Development" from Marriott Corporation.
All told, Al Rivera has helped open six Marriott hotels around the country. He has ranked as "Top Manager" at
least six times, a formidable achievement in the hotel industry.
Al Rivera, 49, has three other brothers with Marriott Corporation's properties. The fourth brother, Dindo, 53,
who used to work at Houston Marriott and now with IBM, is the only brother who has a college degree in hotel
and restaurant management earned at the University of Houston in 1972. Al's other brothers hold
significant management positions with the hotel chain. Terry Rivera, 56, who was the first Rivera with the
Marriott Corporation, is now Senior Catering Manager at San Francisco Marriott. Atab Rivera, 50, is a Director
of Marketing at Newark Airport Marriott in New Jersey. Joseph Rivera, 43, is a Banquet Captain at San Ramon
Marriott.
The Rivera brothers are all avid golfers. In 1989, the "Rivera Invitational Tournament," inviting other Marriott
hotel managers, friends and special guests was launched. And since then, it has become a "must"
reunion for the Rivera clan.
Al Rivera is the son of Dr. Conrado Rivera of Rosario, La Union, who was the medical surgeon of the
Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City - Philippine's version of the West Point Military Academy in the
United States. His mother, Felicisima Rivera, was from Porac, Pampanga.
Al graduated from San Beda College in Manila in 1964 where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Finance.
Prior to coming to the United States, Al spent seven years with the Philippine Stock Exchange as a Director
of Operations for Securities Specialists, Inc.
Married to the former Angela Palma of Manila, a Montessori teacher, the Riveras have three children:
Valentine, 16; Joshua Mikael, 15; and, John Paolo, 10. They reside in Centreville, Virginia, a suburb of
Metropolitan Washington, D.C. (NM)
requests of the sponsors are followed to a "T". You will not even notice Al, because he has mastered the art
of playing low key role. But he is around.
Whenever dignitaries are in the hotel, Al is one of the top executives assigned by JW Marriott Hotel to officially
welcome them and extend the services of the hotel.
Unlike many other high level executives in the business world, one tends to cautiously wrap himself or herself
with the proverbial security blanket, and not take chances of referring others to his or her domain of work. But
not Al. He even travelled to the Philippines to recruit Filipinos to come to the United States and be trained to
the latest techniques of hotelry operations. Such is the case when he personally went to Manila and hustled
with the American Embassy to secure temporary working visa for five of The Manila Hotel's employees for a
special culinary training under the joint auspices of JW Marriott Hotel and the Association of International
Practical Training (AIPT), a successful program started by Al Rivera.
Al is 14-year member of the Marriott Hotel team. He is one of the very few Filipinos in a five-star hotel holding
a key and a significant senior executive position, He came to JW Marriott Hotel in 1992, after working at other
Marriott's properties throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. JW Marriott is the pride and flagship
hotel of the Marriott Hotel Corporation which owns and operates hotels in almost every major cities in the
United States and various countries in the free world.
Cited as "Manager of the Year" several times, Al has won numerous and prestigious awards, including
winning the Marriott Corporation's Gold Standard contest for best improvement in beverage sales. He
assisted in the opening of the Marriott Orlando World Center, another Marriott's pride and joy, where he was
senior banquet maitre d' and was later promoted to food and beverage manager, overseeing the
management of the nine different outlets at the hotel.
Al designated and implemented the training program for Marriott banquet maitre d's at the Marriott Orlando
World Center, which was utilized as a training center for banquet personnel. His efforts earned him the
designation in 1989 of "Best at Training and Development" from Marriott Corporation.
All told, Al Rivera has helped open six Marriott hotels around the country. He has ranked as "Top Manager" at
least six times, a formidable achievement in the hotel industry.
Al Rivera, 49, has three other brothers with Marriott Corporation's properties. The fourth brother, Dindo, 53,
who used to work at Houston Marriott and now with IBM, is the only brother who has a college degree in hotel
and restaurant management earned at the University of Houston in 1972. Al's other brothers hold
significant management positions with the hotel chain. Terry Rivera, 56, who was the first Rivera with the
Marriott Corporation, is now Senior Catering Manager at San Francisco Marriott. Atab Rivera, 50, is a Director
of Marketing at Newark Airport Marriott in New Jersey. Joseph Rivera, 43, is a Banquet Captain at San Ramon
Marriott.
The Rivera brothers are all avid golfers. In 1989, the "Rivera Invitational Tournament," inviting other Marriott
hotel managers, friends and special guests was launched. And since then, it has become a "must"
reunion for the Rivera clan.
Al Rivera is the son of Dr. Conrado Rivera of Rosario, La Union, who was the medical surgeon of the
Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City - Philippine's version of the West Point Military Academy in the
United States. His mother, Felicisima Rivera, was from Porac, Pampanga.
Al graduated from San Beda College in Manila in 1964 where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Finance.
Prior to coming to the United States, Al spent seven years with the Philippine Stock Exchange as a Director
of Operations for Securities Specialists, Inc.
Married to the former Angela Palma of Manila, a Montessori teacher, the Riveras have three children:
Valentine, 16; Joshua Mikael, 15; and, John Paolo, 10. They reside in Centreville, Virginia, a suburb of
Metropolitan Washington, D.C. (NM)
Washington D.C. Since 1987
Washington D.C. Since 1987
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