Derek McCann, Director of Rooms
Gaylord Opryland® Resort & Convention Center

“I believe what drives our success are the STARS and Leaders that work tirelessly every single day to deliver an amazing experience to both our internal and external guests. I am dedicated to building a team that has diverse views and am committed to making the right changes at the right time to constantly raise the bar so that we can reach the best possible results for our guests. The Rooms team is committed to confronting the facts and addressing them with strategic plans that will deliver long-term success to the resort, while at the same time mentoring our STARS and building our reputation as the best in the world at what we do. I think that Winston Churchill summed it up best when talking about continuous improvement when he said. ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.’”

Being the leader who manages the operation of 2,881 rooms and 600,000 square feet of meeting space at a resort is similar to jumping from 10-meter high boards daily. Both require exceptional skill, concentration and courage. As the director of rooms for Gaylord Opryland® Resort & Convention Center, Derek McCann knows both first-hand.

A former high-board diver in high school, McCann was actually featured in an advertisement for the British Commonwealth Games in 1987. These games, played every four years, placed all current and former nations under British rule against each other in different athletic competitions. Now, instead of jumping off high boards, McCann’s focus requires the same kind of intense concentration, as his position is geared toward the daily operations of six different departments at the resort: rooms, transportation, valet services, parking, laundry, public space and Relâche Spa, Salon & Fitness Center.

Since joining the Nashville, Tennessee-based property in 2006, he has had several successes, including exceeding his budgeted profit every month and reducing turnover by more than 10 percent. He leads a team of seven department heads, 85 assistant managers and 1,400 full-time STARS (employees). McCann is a member of the resort’s Leadership Committee, as well as the Due Diligence and Integration Team, which oversees all operations and integration management. He has also served on two initiatives to bring consistent, streamlined processes and positions to all four of the Gaylord Hotels brand resorts.

No stranger to the Gaylord Hotels family, McCann joined Gaylord Opryland Resort from the Gaylord Texan® Resort & Convention Center, located just outside the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. There, he also served as the director of rooms in this 1,511-room resort with 400,000 square feet of meeting space. He was responsible for exceeding budgeted profits every month, reducing turnover and achieving the highest level of guest satisfaction in his departments.

McCann has been associated with the hotel business since the age of 5. A native of Edinburgh, Scotland, he saw first-hand how the hospitality industry works; his father owned three hotels in Europe, as well as bars and catering businesses that served the Royal Family on their visits to Scotland. Establishing a career in the hotel industry was his aim.

Prior to joining the Gaylord Hotels’ family, McCann served as the executive assistant manager for the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Dallas. He has also worked for Hampton Inn, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and the Sheraton company at several locations throughout California.

McCann holds a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University and is certified general manager of the Hilton Hotels Group. While attending college, he met his wife, Erika. They have twins, Erik and Sabrina. When McCann is not working, he enjoys swimming, golfing and traveling internationally.

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