Sean Verney is the Area General Manager for the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, the iconic property located in the heart of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

With a more than 35-year career in the hospitality industry started during his youth in his family’s upstate New York restaurant, Verney is a highly experienced executive who prides himself on leading diverse teams of professionals to new levels of success. He oversees all aspects of the 2,270-room resort with 333,000 square feet of meeting space and all cast members. He will also be responsible for managing the resort’s upcoming expansion, a 349-room, 14-story tower scheduled to open in 2021.

Verney previously spent more than a decade as general manager at various New York and New Jersey hotels, including Sheraton Parsippany Hotel, Westin New York at Times Square, and the 1,780-room Sheraton New York Times Square, one of the largest hotels in the northeast.

With a proven track record of driving associate engagement, customer satisfaction and profitability, Verney is a true team player who has a passion for developing and growing future leaders and a firm commitment to investing in his hotel team.

Noted for his track record of successful hotel management, Verney attributes his impressive success to a leadership philosophy that focuses on teamwork, strategy and hard work in order to obtain a winning result.

He is an active leader within the tourism community, having served as an executive board member of the Hotel Association of New York City, on the hotel advisory committee of NYC & Company, the city’s marketing and tourism organization, and as a member of Marriott’s New York City Business Council.

His outstanding leadership has been recognized by Marriott, as he was named Eastern Regional General Manager of the year in 2017. Other accolades he’s earned during his career include Food & Beverage Association’s Professional of the Year and General Manager of the Year by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s Greater New York chapter.

Ed DiAntonio is the director of catering and convention services at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel.

In his role, DiAntonio is responsible for overseeing both the catering and convention services operations for the 2,270-room property which offers more than 331,000 square feet of meeting space.

Previously, DiAntonio was director of catering for the resort, where he was consistently recognized for his achievements and expertise within the industry. He was elected to sit on the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) National Board, is a past president of the NACE Orlando Chapter and was awarded Caterer of the Year for the chapter in 2005, 2006 and 2008. In 2008, he was also selected as NACE’s National Caterer of the Year.

DiAntonio is a certified meeting planner and certified professional catering executive with more than 30 years experience in the hospitality industry and more than 10 years at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel.

Chef Daniel “Dan” Herman brings a wealth of experience in the food and beverage industry to his position as the Executive Chef for the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. Prior to his current position,he served as the Executive Sous Chef for the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort.  His focus rested on transforming the traditional banquet atmosphere to one consisting of high end cuisine. By developing new menus with an elegant flair and intimate style, he brought VIP groups and banquets extraordinary culinary treasures while raising the bar for banquet dining in the industry. He also supervised a team assistant chefs in the banquet services division of the resort. Among the honors Herman has received are the 1999 Golden Palm Award for best continental restaurant, the 1998 Golden Palm Honorable Mention for best hotel restaurant and the 1998 Award of Merit from Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in food service management from Radford University in Radford.In addition to his wealth of culinary knowledge Chef Herman holds a level of understanding and appreciation for the products he uses that few others do. In his free-time he raises and cares for his own livestock on his at his personal farm. At heart, Herman is a true farm-to-table chef.