BUSINESS BACKGROUND

Howard Wright is an entrepreneur and executive with extensive business experience in the transportation, logistics, tourism and hospitality sectors. He has a record of success building companies through the strategic acquisition and development of best-in-class properties and service providers.

Mr. Wright is Chairman of Seattle Hospitality Group (SHG), which he founded in 2002. SHG is a holding company with interests in best-in-class event management, hospitality, tourism, and transportation companies in the Pacific Northwest. SHG, ranked in the top 40 of private companies in Washington state, oversees 400 employees with revenues in excess of $100 million.

SHG is recognized as an excellent employer. The company creates a best-in-class work environment and received the Baldridge Award for Progressive Work Environment. 

Howard Wright is the managing partner of SUSA LLC, corporate owner of the Sheraton Grand Seattle, a 1,236-room convention-category hotel ranked #2 in North America in Marriott’s Sheraton brand. Mr. Wright also serves on the boards of several closely held restaurant and hotel ownership groups. Among the Seattle-area properties in these portfolios are Kenmore Air Harbor, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, MTR Western, and Cascina Spinnasse, recognized as one of the top five Italian restaurants in North America. In addition to these, Mr. Wright is a shareholder in the Space Needle Corporation LLC and Center Art LLC, operator of Chihuly Garden and Glass.

Early in his career, Mr. Wright owned Renton Aviation, the leading global volume retailer of Cessna aircraft, and was a co-owner of Mutual Travel LLC, a business travel management advisory service with $300 million in annual gross revenue.

Mr. Wright’s career trajectory was set by his background and passions. His family has long been involved in the tourism and hospitality industries with interests in several hotels and family ownership of one of Seattle’s signature attractions, the Space Needle.

 Mr. Wright became a commercial airline pilot following his graduation from Washington State University. He flew for 20 years, capping his tenure piloting Boeing 767s on international routes. Mr. Wright’s career gave him tremendous customer-level insight into the travel business and invaluable perspective on labor relations. He is a rare CEO who has worked the line as a union member.

Howard Wright is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program.

Howard Wright lives in Seattle with his wife and son. In his leisure time, he continues to pursue his passion for flight, piloting vintage airplanes to fly-ins up and down the West Coast.

Learn more about Seattle Hospitality Group here.