Christopher R. Clark
- General Manager
- The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka
- www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/japan/osaka
Hometown: Connecticut, U.S.
Number of years in Japan (cumulative): 4 (as of March 2018)

My first encounter with Japan was years ago when I brought my parents to stay at a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in Kyoto. It was not the most expensive or the oldest ryokan; however, the omotenashi (Japanese hospitality) that we received was the best in all our travels. The woman who served us treated us as family. I have never forgotten her and aspire every day with my ladies and gentlemen to reach that level of service in a luxury hotel.
My motto is, “Never let others make you fail, be proactive and ensure success!” I train my employees to anticipate all our guests’ needs and take personal responsibility of all guests' requests.
I am most proud to have worked for The Ritz-Carlton for almost 19 years in six countries and eight hotels.
My goals always have been and always will be to develop my ladies and gentlemen. The greatest satisfaction I receive is when people I hired in junior positions in our company years later become GMs! I love to see my team learn and grow!
The best tip I ever received is be like an anthropologist and study the people and the culture. Embrace every experience, whether it be going to a summer festival, enjoying a sumo match or attending a tea ceremony, as each of these teaches you about the culture. If you understand the culture, you know how to motivate and lead your team. After all, a good leader adjusts their leadership style to their team to be successful.