Greg Smith

Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Preferred Hotels & Resorts

With more than 20 years’ experience as a thought leader and practitioner in the human resources field, Greg Smith serves as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Preferred Hotels & Resorts. In this role, Greg oversees talent acquisition, organizational development, compensation and benefits programs, performance management, and employee and labor relations for the company’s worldwide team of 300 associates across 35 countries, helping to ensure a strong corporate culture and high associate satisfaction and retention.

Over the course of his career, Greg has led human resources efforts for complex global organizations, providing counsel and direction to create successful, positive, and efficient work environments, as well as guiding companies through times of both critical expansion and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Preferred Hotels & Resorts in 2018, he held executive-level positions for major hospitality brands such as Commune Hotels & Resorts, Denihan Hospitality, Kimpton Hotels & Resorts, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, and Choice Hotels International, managing human resources needs from technology systems and training and development to recruiting and executive-level coaching for up to 39,000 associates at a time. His efforts have helped achieve several work-life balance and workplace awards including Fortune’s “100 Best Places to Work.”

Based in Orange County, California, Greg holds a J.D. from Tulane University Law School and a B.A. in English Language and Literature/Letters from Tulane University.