Peggy Williams Smith, corporate director of catering for Marcus Hotels and Resorts
Name: Peggy Williams-Smith
Title: Corporate director of catering
Company: Marcus Hotels and Resorts
Company address: 100 E. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1950
Company web site: www.marcushotels.com
Industry: Hospitality
Education: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Family: Husband, Tim, is the general manager of InterContinental Milwaukee
Hobbies and Interests: Eating out, traveling, charity work.
Favorite book and/or movie: "Just read the new John Grisham book, ‘The Appeal,’ and it was quite good. Favorite movie is ‘Steel Magnolias.’"
Favorite musician/band: Bon Jovi
Favorite place to visit/vacation: "Anywhere warm with a pool and a tiki bar."
Favorite local restaurant: "Kil@wat."
Words to live by: "Do unto others."
What is your core philosophy for doing business? "You do business with people you trust."
Who is your role model and why? "My role model is a very wise woman that I worked with years ago at my first hotel job – she knew business and the politics of the company and taught me how to navigate both while still maintaining my sanity."
What was the funniest thing that has ever happened to you? "I was doing a three-hotel site tour and someone was bringing the hotel Suburban around. The Suburban pulled up, and we started to get in. Turn’s out it was (Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. chief executive officer) Ed Zore’s personal car, not the company Suburban. Laughter ensued."