The Founder
Ilyas Khairi, Founder & Lead Chauffeur of Marquee.
Marquee Chauffeur is an owner-operated company, and the owner still drives. Ilyas Khairi founded the company in Beaverton, Oregon in 2018, built its chauffeur team on W-2 payroll rather than contractors, and wrote the operating standard every trip runs on: One Client, One Trip, One Standard.
- Licensed & Permitted
- $1M Insured
- 5.0 / 177 Reviews
- W-2 Chauffeurs
- 35-Point Inspection
Last updated: August 10, 2026
Quick answer:Ilyas Khairi founded Marquee Chauffeur in Beaverton, Oregon in 2018 and remains its lead chauffeur. He drives client trips personally, holds the company's City of Portland private-for-hire permitting (PBOT) and ODOT motor-carrier authority, employs every chauffeur on W-2 payroll, and authors the 150+ operational guides in the site's journal. The company carries a 5.0 Google rating across 177 reviews.
01Origin
An Owner-Operated Company
Since 2018.
Marquee Chauffeur is an independently owned Oregon LLC, founded in Beaverton in 2018 and never franchised, acquired, or rolled into a national brand. The company also operates as Portland Executive Chauffeur; both names describe the same Beaverton-based operation. It has held continuous City of Portland private-for-hire permitting (Portland City Code 16.40) plus ODOT motor-carrier authority since opening day, and is a National Limousine Association member.
That ownership structure is why the standard holds: fleet decisions, chauffeur hiring, and client policies have sat in the same hands from founding day to today. Every chauffeur is a W-2 employee with background checks and defensive-driving certification — never a contractor — and every vehicle passes a 35-point inspection before each scheduled pickup.
Why the Founder Still Drives
A chauffeur company's product is the trip itself, and Ilyas Khairi audits it from the front seat. Driving keeps the founder inside the details the standard depends on: PDX curb patterns, winery reservation pacing in the Dundee Hills, and the timing habits that make a 5:00 a.m. departure feel unhurried.
The Operating Standard
One Client, One Trip, One Standard: FlightAware tracking on every airport pickup with the chauffeur arriving 15 minutes before landing, a message sent when the flight touches down, a quoted all-in rate locked before the vehicle moves, and $1 million in commercial liability on every vehicle in the four-vehicle fleet.
02In Clients' Words
Reviewed by Name,
Trip After Trip.
Marquee Chauffeur holds a 5.0 Google rating across 177 reviews, and clients regularly name the founder in them. Two verbatim examples from the Google Business Profile:
“I spent six hours touring the Columbia River Gorge with the owner of this service, and I was really impressed with his professionalism, attentiveness, and local knowledge. As he says, they really are like a chauffeur/concierge, not just taking you from one place to another but providing a full experience.”
“I used this service to travel from Portland to Seattle and it was excellent. The driver Ilyas was very respectful, and had everything accommodated for.”
03Author
The Operator Behind
the Journal.
Ilyas Khairi writes the site's journal — more than 150 operational guides built from dispatch records and road experience rather than secondhand research: where chauffeurs actually stage for a PDX arrival pickup, how a Willamette Valley wine tour paces four estates without rushing a tasting, and what a three-hour minimum actually buys on an hourly booking. Bylines across the journal carry his name and this profile stands behind them.
04Frequently Asked
Questions, Answered.
Who is Ilyas Khairi?
Ilyas Khairi is the founder and lead chauffeur of Marquee Chauffeur, a Beaverton, Oregon private chauffeur company he started in 2018 and still operates day to day. The company also operates as Portland Executive Chauffeur, holds City of Portland private-for-hire permitting plus ODOT motor-carrier authority, and carries a 5.0 Google rating across 177 reviews.
Does the founder of Marquee Chauffeur still drive clients?
Yes. Ilyas Khairi drives client trips personally, alongside the company's W-2 chauffeur team. Customer reviews on the Google Business Profile describe touring the Columbia River Gorge with him for six hours and riding with him on the Portland-to-Seattle run. Founder-driven trips follow the same standard as every other booking: 35-point vehicle inspection, FlightAware tracking, and a locked quoted rate.
What credentials does Marquee Chauffeur's ownership hold?
Marquee Chauffeur has held City of Portland private-for-hire permitting (Portland Bureau of Transportation, Portland City Code 16.40) and ODOT motor-carrier authority continuously since 2018. The company is a National Limousine Association member, employs every chauffeur on W-2 payroll with background checks, and carries $1 million in commercial liability on every vehicle. Permit details are available on request.
Who writes the guides on portlandchauffeur.com?
Ilyas Khairi authors the site's journal — more than 150 operational guides covering PDX pickup logistics, Willamette Valley wine-tour routing, airline policies, and city-by-city transfer planning. The guides draw on the company's own dispatch records and driving experience since 2018, which is why they carry details like staging habits and terminal-door logistics that only an operator tracks.
How do I reach Marquee Chauffeur's ownership for press or partnerships?
Call dispatch at (503) 706-8662 — the line is answered live 24/7, and media or partnership requests are routed to ownership within one business day. Wedding planners and event coordinators can request site visits and walk-through consultations through the same number. For reservations, the online booking page quotes exact fares before you commit.
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Chauffeur Now.
Call our dispatch team at (503) 706-8662 or book your next ride online. We answer 24 hours a day, seven days a week, holidays included.