For Lindsey Ueberroth, hospitality wasn’t a career choice she set out to make—it was something she grew into.
“If you’d asked me, even when I was in college, if I’d be in hospitality, I probably would have said no,” she said. “But growing up in hospitality, we traveled all the time. I always knew it was in my DNA—I just didn’t know this is where I would end up.”
When her father, John, was running Hawaiian Airlines, the family lived temporarily at Honolulu’s Colony Surf hotel. “I thought the book Eloise was a dream come true,” Ueberroth said. “Being a kid living in a hotel—I always loved it.”
Still, she began her career outside the family business. After graduating from college, she joined what was then Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and worked in change management.
“It was a great experience because I was working with a lot of different companies going through major changes and transitions,” she said. “That really shaped how I think about leadership.”
When her family acquired Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the company “was actually in some trouble,” she said. “So it was exciting to lend my experience during a period of real change.” Her father made it clear that she would earn her role. “Nothing was ever going to be handed to me,” she said.
Over the years, Ueberroth wore many hats. She helped open the company’s Newport Beach, CA, headquarters; oversaw global and group sales; and worked in marketing, account management and hotel development, while focusing heavily on retention. “I spent probably the first 12 years doing a little bit of everything,” she said.
Before she stepped into the role of president, the company made sure it was the right move. “We brought in an outside consultant to evaluate whether I was the right fit,” she said. “We take being family-owned seriously, but we also want to make sure it’s not family-run. It had to be the right leadership.”
Her decision to fully commit came earlier, while traveling with her father and listening directly to hotel owners.
“I spent weeks hearing what was working, what wasn’t and what they needed,” she said. “I fell in love with the opportunity to facilitate that change—and with how much trust the hotels were placing in us.”
Today, as CEO of Preferred Travel Group—which also includes the brands Historic Hotels of America, Historic Hotels Worldwide and Beyond Green, along with PTG Consulting—Ueberroth describes the role as both demanding and energizing.
“Running a global travel company is intellectually and emotionally stimulating,” she said. “I love that it’s global. I love that it’s very people-centric, and there’s always a healthy balance of fear and excitement.”
