HOWARD WRIGHT
Founder Howard Wright is an entrepreneur and executive with extensive experience in the transportation, tourism, and hospitality industries. He founded SHG in 2002 to help unlock the full potential of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic brands in those sectors. Howard is also a managing partner of the Sheraton Grand Seattle, and serves on the boards of several closely held restaurant and hotel ownership groups.
Early in his business career, Howard 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.
Howard’s extensive community involvement has centered on two other passions — his hometown of Seattle and Latin America. He is deeply involved in Seattle’s business, arts and education issues. As a board member of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce of Seattle, he represented employers by co-chairing the City of Seattle's Income Inequality Advisory Committee, which crafted the city’s phased-in $15-per-hour minimum wage law in 2013.
As a member of the Washington State University Board of Governors, Howard helped lead the University’s first $1 billion capital campaign. Mr. Wright also sits on campaigns for PATH and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. He previously served on the boards of the Amigos de las Américas Foundation, the Seattle Symphony Foundation, Intiman Theatre, the U.S. Foundation for Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Vermont Academy, the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington, and The Children’s Discovery Foundation, which operates The Funhouse Commons on Orcas Island.
Howard Wright is a graduate of Washington State University and the Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program. He lives in Seattle with his wife and son. In his leisure time, he pursues his passion for flight, piloting vintage airplanes to fly-ins up and down the West Coast.
CHAIR AND FOUNDER
CATE HARDY
Cate comes to Seattle Hospitality Group with a wealth of experience and a proven track record in the food and beverage and retail industries, with 25 years of experience in executive management, growth and development, operations, branding and marketing, merchandising, business improvement, supply chain, finance, and strategy.
In her role as President and Chief Operating Officer of SHG, Cate works with Howard, the SHG leadership team, and the leadership of each portfolio company to ensure each company, and SHG as a whole, fully achieve their potential to their customers, employees, and the Seattle community.
Cate was drawn to SHG by the opportunity to work with some of the most iconic companies and well-respected leaders in Seattle, and to do so in the context of a values and culture driven organization that is committed to enriching the lives of people and communities in her chosen hometown of Seattle.
Cate’s early career was in accounting, finance, and strategy and management consulting. She spent a decade at Starbucks in leadership roles in retail operations, store development, product development, and supply chain. Cate became CEO of PCC Community Markets in 2015 and led the company through a period of transformation and growth during a time of significant change in Seattle and the grocery industry. Prior to joining SHG, Cate was CEO of The Wine Group, the world’s second-largest wine producer.
Cate serves on boards in the food and beverage and leisure industries including Suja Juice, Crunch Fitness, WX Brands, and Seattle-based Kitchen & Market. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Florida and her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Cate and her husband Greg embrace and enjoy everything about life in Seattle, including hiking, snow sports, cruising the San Juan and Gulf Islands aboard their boat, and foraging in the forests and waters of the Pacific Northwest. They are avid international travelers with a particular affinity for the people, culture, and food of Southeast Asia. At home, they share their love of hospitality, cooking, and entertaining with friends and family.
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
GLENN COREY
Glenn has over 35 years of financial and operational leadership experience with privately held companies in a wide variety of business sectors, ranging from specialty finance, trademark licensing, health club management and multi-family dwelling ancillary services, including private cable, laundry and vending machine systems. This experience includes high-growth start-ups and mature, growing businesses with capital structures that included structured senior and mezzanine debt, venture capital, private equity, participations, and debentures within ownership structures designed to maximize capital efficiencies and stakeholder value.
In his CFO roles, Glenn has played an integral role in defining and achieving the strategic direction and growth plans, including being the lead in multiple buy side and sell side M&A transactions, launching several new business units, and sourcing senior, mezzanine, equity, and participation financing arrangements totaling over $1.5 billion.
Under Glenn’s financial leadership, companies have achieved exceptional growth in revenues, earnings and stakeholder value. His proactive approach, flexible management style, and proven ability to acquire, develop and retain talent helped those organizations achieve their strategic mission.
Glenn began his career in 1980 in the audit practice of Touche Ross in Seattle. He later joined Finkle, Lewis & Joffe, a Westwood-based public accounting firm focused on serving small to medium-sized privately held companies. After leaving public accounting, Glenn was CFO of Consolidated Smart Systems (a business service provider) for 29 years and then CFO for JH (a speciality finance company) for 5 years helping transform each firm into diversified organizations with multiple recurring revenue streams.
Glenn’s success as a CFO was recognized by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal, honoring him as CFO of the year for large private companies.
Glenn is an avid cyclist, and loves hiking and kayaking with family and friends. Glenn has been happily married for 42 years to his wife, Sarah, and enjoys spending family time with his two adult aged children, daughter-in-law and lovely grandson.
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Scott Meis
As Vice President of Marketing, Scott oversees and supports marketing and communications strategies for SHG’s portfolio companies to maximize growth and efficiency. Scott’s deep background in integrated brand marketing and creative agency experience allow him to guide portfolio companies through flexible and strategic targeted marketing campaigns that bring brand stories to life.
A Pacific Northwest native, Scott was drawn to SHG by the opportunity to work with a variety of the region’s most iconic brands backed by top-notch leaders. Immediately prior to joining SHG, Scott was the VP of Marketing and Product and FRS Clipper where he oversaw and managed all integrated marketing initiatives as well as a product portfolio of 50 hotel, tour and transportation partners across five destinations. His tenure and executive leadership at FRS Clipper was instrumental in transforming the company into a refreshed and impactful travel company in Seattle.
An outdoor adventure enthusiast, photographer, amateur foodie, music seeker and all-around PNW travel hound, Scott spends the majority of his weekends kicking up dust on high alpine trails, dunking into rivers and chasing down the best bites and craft cocktails in small towns across the region.
Vice President, Marketing
HENRY ARIAS
As Director of Corporate FP&A/Development, Henry deploys deep financial acumen and modeling expertise to unravel many of the challenges and opportunities our portfolio companies face to help reengineer these legacy businesses and unlock their full potential.
Strong analytical abilities and a deep mastery of finance and accounting allow Henry to provide clarity and insights on how to create value at each of our businesses. He also evaluates the merits of investment opportunities where data is not readily available or must be extrapolated via due diligence and research.
Henry was drawn to SHG by the opportunity to work closely with the leadership teams at multiple iconic brands. The company’s collegial culture, he says, provides a sense of belonging and autonomy, which allow him to create meaningful relationships with different teams at the portfolio companies.
Before joining SHG, Henry worked with Seattle-based SDKB1 LLC, where he advised a family office on its investments. His time as a Relationship Officer at The Bank of New York Mellon provided Henry with broad experience in credit analysis, financial modeling, valuation and capital structure analysis. He further honed his analytical skills as an equity analyst at Wintrust Financial Corporation/Great Lakes Advisors, Credit Suisse Securities, and Caisse De Depot Et Placement Du Quebec. Henry Arias holds an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
When he’s not searching for insights on a spreadsheet, Henry can be found enjoying the Pacific Northwest’s natural beauty with his wife and daughter. He’s also an avid snowboarder and recreational golfer.
DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE FP&A AND DEVELOPMENT
VANESSA MCDONALD
Vanessa supports SHG leaders in the administration of key projects and coordinates the activities of SHG executives and those of its portfolio companies.
She was drawn to SHG by its commitment to preserve and invest in iconic PNW companies, and its commitment to build environments where employees are valued and engaged.
SHG benefits tremendously from Vanessa’s wealth of experience in managing projects and supporting corporate leaders in business administration. She successfully juggles the ever-changing components involved in meeting project deadlines and aligning busy schedules in part through the creation and maintenance of effective working relationships across the SHG ecosystem.
In alignment with the company’s mission, Vanessa incorporates SHG’s values in her daily interactions with colleagues and members of SHG’s portfolio companies with a service centered attitude. Her collaborative work style and attention to detail ensure that Vanessa’s partners can depend on projects being completed thoroughly and on time.
Vanessa is a foodie and loves trying new Puget Sound eateries, especially those offering fresh, local, and sustainable seafood and a fabulous water or mountain view. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys increasing her wine knowledge as a tasting room associate in Woodinville. She also enjoys traveling to warm climates, being outdoors, rooting for Seattle’s sports teams and scouting for the area’s best bakeries.
