Military to Hospitality: IHG Leaders' Service Journey

IHG's Military-Inspired Hospitality

Approximately 200,000 service members transition from military to civilian life each year, bringing valuable skills, discipline, and a strong work ethic that enable them to succeed in various professional environments. IHG is committed to supporting veterans during this transition by offering employment opportunities and career advancement in its hotels, across its brands, and within corporate leadership positions.

In observance of Veterans Day, several IHG leaders were invited to reflect on their experiences transitioning from active duty to careers in hospitality. They also shared advice for current military members and veterans who are considering the industry as their next step.

Teresa Colatarci

Regional Director of Operations, IHG Army Hotels

Ask anyone within the IHG Army Hotels network about Teresa Colatarci, and you’ll likely get a positive response. Ask those same people about “Sarge,” and their faces likely will light up.

“Jimmy Taylor (Current IHG VP of Operations) gave me that nickname when we first started working together in the late ‘90s, and it’s stuck around,” said Colatarci. “Several military generals know me by that name. I even introduced myself as ‘Sarge’ during our pitch for IHG Army Hotels.”

The “Sarge” nickname is even more ironic given that Colatarci’s nearly two decades of military experience came in the Navy. However, she’s not only worn it as a badge of honour but embraced the pride, leadership skills and emphatic voice of a traditional Army sergeant as she advanced in her career.

During her service, Colatarci earned her degree in Hotel and Restaurant Institutional Management and accepted a role as a night auditor at a Virginia Beach, Va. hotel, a position she credits as “the moment when I knew (hospitality) was the career path I desired.” As she gained her footing in the industry, Colatarci interviewed with Taylor and became the operations manager and later regional director with a soon to launch brand now known as Candlewood Suites. After joining IHG in 2004 following the Candlewood Suites acquisition, Colatarci’s military experience came front and center as she was part of the team that secured the agreement for the Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL).

As a regional director for IHG Army Hotels, Colatarci further taps into the supply chain and logistics expertise she gained with the Navy to ensure smooth day-to-day operations across multiple installations. She also doesn’t shy away from proclaiming that her “mission to make things better for my brothers and sisters in uniform when they stay at a hotel” has fueled her career, and recognizes how the unique conditions of the on-post lodging environment inspire an added sense of community.

“We’re always trying to find new ways to think ahead about little things that our guests and their families will remember,” added Colatarci. “One year, at Joint Base San Antonio, we made ‘paw prints’ and left candy for children worried the Easter Bunny wouldn’t find them. We also have big meals for Thanksgiving and other holidays, recognizing that hospitality is a round the clock’ business and not everyone can go home. You may not always see these things at off-post hotels, but they speak to the special military lodging environment.”

Much like a renowned sergeant, Colatarci has earned her stripes and the respect of her colleagues and peers by leading by example. A renowned female in what’s traditionally thought of as a male-dominated military space, Colatarci acknowledges the role her previous bosses played in empowering her to shine, grow, and inspire others.

She embraces the opportunity to give back and prepare the next great generation of hospitality and military leaders. Colatarci was a driving force behind the IHG Army Hotels Teen Academy. In this summer internship program, teenage children of IHG Army Hotels employees learn the ins and outs of hospitality through job shadowing and hands-on experience.

“I want to ensure everything is in a good place when I leave and develop those who are the future and will bring forth those next great ideas,” concluded Colatarci. “When I’m no longer contributing, having fun or love what I’m doing, then I know it’ll be time to step away. But for now, how can anyone not have fun working in hospitality or doing what we do every day?!”

Jeffery Waddell

General Manager, The Kimpton Pittman Hotel

Anyone who steps into Jeffery Waddell’s office at the Kimpton Pittman Hotel surely will notice three signs encouraged with the words Grind, Hustle and Execute. For Waddell, the triad serves as a personal motto and a peek into the foundation of his leadership style forged through years of service in the United States Marine Corps.  

“I don’t believe that leaders are born, but rather it’s the exposure to different situations and gaining knowledge and expertise that you can cross-reference and become more instinctive that makes great leaders,” said Waddell. “And then you become an even greater leader through gratitude and humility.”

As the General Manager of the Kimpton Pittman Hotel, a luxury and lifestyle hotel rooted in Dallas’ historic Sydney Pittman building, Waddell’s daily blend of grind, hustle and execution varies. His roles can range from talking to restaurant kitchen staff (which he especially enjoys given his introduction to hospitality through culinary positions) to checking in guests and engaging with housekeepers in the span of a few minutes. He’s both walked the basement floors of the various hotels he’s served and climbed on high exteriors to rope down difficult retractable roofs.

The common theme for Waddell is a sense of adaptability and open mindedness dating back to his tenure as a United State Marine, which began at Marine Corps Security Force Battalion Bangor Washington in 1982 upon completion of basic training. He was graced with serving in various roles, ranging from Top Security Guard and Noncommissioned Officer billets in the Infantry to Light Armored Vehicles.

“In the military, I always worked one or two levels above my paygrade – moreso for the learning, but also because I had the confidence to step up,” said Waddell. “A key component of leadership is knowing the positions above you while supporting below. This enables anyone to be ready to take control of most situations, and remain focused and calm while projecting a strong voice in times of chaos.”

Waddell also cites his Marine experience for instilling the value that “your associates come first, and you have to take care of them first,” which he now considers a precursor to the camaraderie and emphasis on others prevalent in hospitality.

“The Marines historically have met their recruiting goals because people want to be part of an organization and part of a spirit where you take pride in helping others and seeing your cohorts receive their accolades,” he added. “It’s that same sense of communal pride that’s evident in the commitment our team at the Kimpton Pittman delivers to ensure guest satisfaction. Much like in the Marines, you’re working alongside and in step with others, and you need each other to achieve common goals.”

Having honorably served in the intense and competitive Marine environment, Waddell additionally learned the importance of balancing command and directing traffic during challenging situations while simultaneously supporting and potentially even comforting others.

“We had a night where a transformer blew up outside a New York City hotel where I was serving as GM at the time, causing the power to go out and several fire trucks to come racing to our property,” he recalled. In the span of a few minutes, I was calling in my ‘triage team’ while also settling down my staff, serving as a liaison between the hotel and the NYPD and gathering details. At the same time, we had guests wondering what’s going on and if they were in danger. You must show you can deal with stress while also sometimes having to downplay situations you know are serious. It’s that ability to switch on and off and figure out what needs to be done to keep everything in control “that rooted in the foundation instilled from is time in the military.”

While now several decades removed from his service, Waddell proudly states that he’s “still a sergeant of Marines, just one doing other jobs now.” He remains a member of the Marine Corps League and stays connected with his fellow Marines now working everywhere from military bases to the Secret Service.

He also recognizes firsthand the power and breadth of the military network, citing a recent call from an active Range Safety officer at Camp Pendleton who he served with mentioning that a new Navy Corpsman had dropped his name and discussed a conversation they’d previously had at the Kimpton Pittman.

Waddell gladly welcomes such chance encounters, not only as an extension of his new commitment to serving others in a different field, but potentially instilling the same passion for hospitality he discovered himself as a wide eyed Marine.

“The Marine Corps, or really any military service, provides a range of experience that teaches you how to adapt, overcome and improvise in ways that go beyond academic learning,” said Waddell. “You learn quickly that not everyone will beat to the same drum as you, but you can create a cadence and confidence that allows you and others to succeed. It’s all in the gratitude of leading.”

Dennis Corrigan

Senior Vice President, Commercial Services

With more than thirty years of professional experience in various logistics and revenue management roles, Dennis Corrigan’s career is rooted in finding efficient paths and crunching numbers. His path from a fresh-out-of-college U.S. Army Officer to his current role as Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at IHG, however, has been far from linear or by the numbers.

“The Army is a rare environment where someone in their early 20s with little experience can assume responsibility for teams of people and millions of dollars in assets,” said Corrigan. “You usually don’t receive that kind of direct, hands-on managerial and leadership experience in the business world until you assume more senior positions.”

As part of a transportation and logistics company assigned to active duty in southern Germany, Corrigan recalls being “given the keys and told to figure it out.” He and his colleagues coordinated supply delivery throughout the region in a working model similar to a commercial trucking firm, coordinating vehicle and driver staffing and routing to complete short- and long-term missions. In doing so, Corrigan understood how to lead and collaborate with a range of people to accomplish challenging tasks…a development that would permanently alter his personal and professional paths.

“I grew stronger and came into my own as a leader simply by realizing that there are real consequences for not meeting deadlines or overlooking steps in the chain,” added Corrigan. “Additionally, I learned the importance of working with the people around you to navigate complex situations. Success comes from making people feel like they’re part of the process, and not just barking orders.”

Corrigan’s post-service agenda first took him to business school and then to roles across the airline and rental car industries prior to joining IHG in 2021. He’s since translated his experience in pricing, revenue management and sales into the hotel world, including driving forward IHG’s new ReVision holistic revenue management program.

When not evaluating distribution channels and guest behavior, Corrigan helps lead IHG’s Support and Engagement Resources for Veteran Employees (SERVE) employee resource group, building on the work of similar collectives he initiated in earlier career roles. Through the SERVE ERG, Corrigan and his team lead efforts to not only support and empower fellow veteran employees across IHG, but also work with HR leaders to understand what military members have gone or are going through and how to best enable their skills.

In doing so, Corrigan himself recognizes how his own Army tenure not only inspired his professional skills, but also provided valuable perspective.

“We are a business that wants to do right by our owners and guests, and in the military, you want to do right by your soldiers while accomplishing your mission,” he added. “The traits that make military members successful during duty can help them thrive in any walk of life. I’d tell any active or retired service man or woman that they’re better prepared than they might think to lead in hospitality or really anywhere they choose.”

“No one at IHG will be driving tanks around, but the leadership skills and responsibility for complex plans and operations certainly are transferrable.”

Cassandra Penman, PHR

Manager, Human Resources, Americas Hotel Operations

In her “day job,” Cassandra Penman is an experienced HR leader who partners with executives to align people and business strategies for leaders who support the company’s franchised hotel portfolio.

In her “daydreams,” Penman is an ambitious actress, building on a personal passion and appearance roster that already includes several film and modeling roles and recent background work for Tyler Perry projects.

It’s only fitting then that her first foray into service with the U.S. Air Force came with a plot twist.

“When I mentioned to my first recruiter that I was into acting, he said that there was a theater on the military base where I could perform while I served,” she added. “After arriving at my first duty station in Alaska, I soon found out that they duped me. The ‘theater’ was just an ordinary space for staff meetings and movie viewings, and there were no performances. But I guess it all worked out so no regrets.”

Penman’s “biopic script” has taken her across the country and at times featured interwoven storylines between her military and hospitality careers. By the time she retired from the Air Force in 2019, Penman had navigated multiple personnel roles and risen from the rank of Airman Basic to Staff Sergeant (a rank she proudly says she achieved on the first promotion cycle attempt), then onward to the ranks of Master Sergeant and Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of her department.

“I quickly learned I had to earn the respect of both my superiors and my team,” she said. “I’d find out that tenured colleagues would go to my supervisor to ask if the guidance I provided them was correct. That helped shape my own leadership style, but also how I go about helping my current colleagues establish their own footing.”

Upon joining the Air Force reserves following six years of active duty, Penman learned of a front desk agent role within a cluster of InterContinental hotels in Cleveland. Though she wanted to stay in HR, Penman took the position as a learning opportunity, beginning a career journey that would see her eventually transition back to the HR side within the same hotels before moving to the corporate world just under three years ago.

While establishing what would become a more than two-decade long career at IHG, Penman also served in the Air Force reserves for more than a decade, challenging herself with juggling roles in “two industries that often require 24/7 attention.”

“My journey is a perfect example of IHG’s ‘Room to Grow’ commitment,” she added. “I was fortunate in both the Air Force and IHG to have great leaders who supported me and helped me find my voice and authority, but also showed me how to balance my schedule and navigate the logistics. Without good people around me, I probably would have lost my mind!”

Penman also cites the similarities in organizational values as a driver of her seamless transition.

“The Air Force’s core values of Integrity First and Service Before Self almost are parallel to IHG’s True Hospitality for Good mission,” she elaborated. “IHG operates with a similar emphasis on building trust among teams and putting our guests and owners first. I appreciated the flexibility and freedom to be my authentic self in either environment.”

Today, Penman has eased into a single “starring role,” focusing on her new corporate position at IHG, her family and the occasional acting gig in lieu of military duty (“largely because I was tired of that 1.5-mile physical run,” she emphasizes). She remains engaged with the military community through IHG’s SERVE ERG, and explores opportunities to express her gratitude to her fellow service men and women such as writing letters around Veterans Day.

Through her dual roles in HR and across the SERVE ERG, Penman welcomes any avenue to promote IHG as a great place for veterans to work and apply their skills to a potentially different environment – even if they aren’t sure just yet where or how to go about it.

“It’s easy for someone unfamiliar with hospitality to not automatically recognize how much goes into hotel operations or our business, and our industry – and IHG itself – has so much to offer and ways for those who are open to new opportunities or trying something different to succeed,” she said. “The ability to pivot and maintain your grit will take you a long way.”