Former Chairman & CEO of Promus Companies Inc.

Mike Rose is a seasoned leader in the hospitality industry who has brought his expertise to hotels, entertainment venues, restaurants and much more.

Rose began his career as an attorney working with one of the largest franchisees of Holiday Inns. He later joined Holiday Inns, Inc. in Memphis, where he bought, sold, built and franchised hotels on a global basis. He became president in 1979, CEO in 1981 and chairman in 1984. Holiday Inns, Inc. was renamed Holiday Corporation in 1985 to reflect the growth of the company’s brands, including Harrah’s, Embassy Suites, Crowne Plaza, Homewood Suites and Hampton Inns.

After the Holiday Inn brand was sold in 1990, Holiday Corporation changed its name to Promus Companies Inc., with Rose as chairman and CEO. In 1995, Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. and Promus Hotel Corporation were split into two companies, and Rose was chairman of both. He retired from Harrah’s in 1996 and retired as chairman of Promus in 1997.

Rose has continued to serve on the boards of several hospitality, foodservice and other companies, including Darden Restaurants, Gaylord Entertainment, First Tennessee National Corp., General Mills Inc. and First Horizon National Corporation. Director’s Alert, a publication that covers corporate boardroom news, named Rose one of “Corporate America’s 10 outstanding directors for 2000” primarily because of his 15 years of service on General Mills’ board.

Rose has served on the board of Gaylord Entertainment since April 2001, when he first joined the company as a corporate director. Gaylord Entertainment Company is a hospitality company that includes the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center near Orlando, Florida, and the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center near Dallas.

Since 1998, Rose also has been a private investor and Chairman of Midaro Investments, a privately held investment firm.

Rose earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Cincinnati and a law degree from Harvard Law School. He is active in community affairs, including serving on the Board of Visitors at the University of Memphis, the Athletic Board at Stanford University, the board of trustees for the Memphis University School and the board of trustees for St. Mary’s Episcopal School. His philanthropy includes major gifts to the University of Memphis and University of Nevada, Las Vegas.