It was 1968; 12 independent hoteliers in America had joined hands to launch Preferred Hotels & Resorts, a brand that would market 12 luxury hotels in the USA. The company grew substantially in the 90s, and by the time they hit the millennium, they had acquired several prominent, international properties in their portfolio, including The Ritz, Paris. Then, in 2004, John Ueberroth, then CEO and Co-Chairman of Ambassadors International, Inc (a travel and cruise company), bought Preferred, and the rest, as they say, is history. A few years back, John’s daughter, Lindsey Ueberroth took over as CEO. An ambitious businesswoman and leader, she opened up about her emotional attachment to the brand.
“To step into his shoes… I can’t explain the emotion that goes into that,” says Lindsey, of her…