After his summer of hard work at the Georgia, then owned by the Westin group, Stephen received full hospitality, food and beverage, and management training. He left the Georgia seven years later as a senior manager. It was a turbulent time for him, as leaving his first job was contrary to the philosophy his mining engineer father had conveyed – spend your entire career with one employer and retire with a gold watch. A strong believer in being rewarded for high performance and loyalty, he felt that his dedication wasn’t sufficiently recognized when a new group acquired the hotel. Gathering some friends, he went to Mexico on a long overdue vacation to consider his options. There was an offer from Hyatt International to start up an airport hotel in Vancouver, another to leave the business for a smelter in Kitimat, BC, and a third to try his hand at banking. But the “show biz” aspect of the hotel industry drew him back, and in 1972, as an enthusiastic 23 year-old, he became Senior Assistant GM at the Airport Hyatt. A year later Stephen was appointed as assistant General Manager of the downtown Hyatt Regency. “I went to the Hyatt with a conservative approach, he recalls, “I felt as though I had lost a bit of my innocence.”

    The story of Stephen’s career echoes with success. Staying at the Hyatt for five years, he then went to Toronto as General Manager of the Delta Chelsea Inn. From there he became President and CEO of Carlton International, the youngest in their history. Blessed with an entrepreneurial spirit, Stephen felt that his next logical move would be to put his years of training and expertise into an endeavor of his own. In 1990 he founded Accommodex Franchise Management Inc., eventually becoming AFM, a public company offering full service hotel franchise, management, and development.

    During this period Stephen was preoccupied and emotionally spent with the illness and death of his second wife. Needing a change of environment, and knowing that he’d eventually return to AFM, he undertook the position of President and CEO with Howard-Johnson International in New Jersey. Returning to AFM in 1998, his mandate was to change the focus of his company from real estate to hotel franchising and management.

    Despite the precarious economic climate of the past year, AFMs stocks have remained stable and their prospects have enjoyed continual growth. As a one-stop-shop operation, AFM provides branding, marketing services, and operational support to the clients they serve, and establishes long-term relationships with them through contracts that span 10 and even 20 years. Future corporate plans include forging new partnerships throughout North America, and entering the lucrative Pacific Rim and China Markets.

    Stephen Phillips insists that his business is one built on relationships. He values, practices, and instills loyalty. Above all he understands that his performance and that of the company are judged by their results. Sitting at a conference table in his Richmond office, Stephen’s professional appearance and measured words give a glimpse of the power and authority he commands, but he’s strikingly atypical of the mainstream executive. Though headquartered in Toronto, he and several of his senior management live in “The Jewel of the West,” Vancouver. Some of the players on this great team are Tom Matthews, president of the management division; Alan Raffan, chief financial officer; and Ellen Walker, at the helm of sales and marketing. The letdown Stephen felt in his last years at the Georgia has reinforced his philosophy of loyalty and integrity. “I believe in giving people the straight goods,” he explains. He also believes in empowering his employees, giving them the tools to achieve success in the company, and rewarding success and loyalty with promotion. He cites two fellow executives, Bill Bryant of Westin, and Bill Pattison of Delta, as mentors and industry visionaries who have helped and encouraged him along his chosen path.

    Despite his obvious success, Stephen admits that his career has taken a toll on his personal life. He tempered that feeling this past summer by touring the US with his wife and two youngest children. “Three weeks in a Winnebago,” he laughs, “talk about bonding, we were a family together without any distractions – except the odd cell call or e-mail.” Pinpointing both career and personal change as difficult challenges, Stephen strives for the kind of balance missing in his early days. One of seven children, he knows the joys and rewards family life can bring. His wife Susan, whom he met in New Jersey, knows the business well and participates in the frequent conferences he attends. But they also commit as much time as possible to their life at home in Tsawwassen, where Stephen enjoys the more subdued atmosphere of a small community; a refuge from the stress of the business arena. Along with their two children; Meaghan, 12 and Brighid, 11, Stephen also has three adult children; Alexis, 27, Simon, 25, and Cailin, 20. “My first priority now is my kids,” he says, “I think I carry a little guilt for not being there for the older ones.”

    A man poised for further achievement, he’s also determined to inject a little leisure into his busy trans-continental schedule. “AFM is just beginning,” he muses, “but I’d like to take better advantage of my golf club membership.”

    You may contact Stephen Phillips, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of AFM Hospitality Corporation at 10211 St. Edwards Drive, Richmond, BC, V6X 2M9, 604-276-1360 or visit www.afmcorp.com.