Great Wolf Resorts named Mark Lewis as Senior Vice President of Field Operations. In this role, Lewis will be responsible for delivering operational excellence and strengthening the overall guest experience at the 18 U.S.-based Great Wolf Lodge resorts. Leveraging his years of operational experience, Lewis will be integral in supporting field-based leadership to deliver on the company's commitment to safety, and drive guest satisfaction and financial results in all aspects of resort operations, with a particular focus on promoting Food & Beverage excellence.
Lewis will continue Great Wolf's deep-rooted commitment to its Pack Members (employees) and will be charged with finding ways to further engage and empower the Pack. Reporting to Lewis will be three Regional Vice Presidents, a Vice President of Process Improvement and a Corporate Director of Engineering. He will report directly to John Murphy, CEO for Great Wolf Resorts, and join the company's executive leadership committee.
Lewis brings more than 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry to his tenure at Great Wolf Lodge, having spent the past 12-years at Evolution Hospitality as its Senior Vice President of Operations where he oversaw more than 60 full-service, lifestyle resorts responsible nearly $1 billion in gross operating revenue. Prior to Evolution Hospitality, Lewis served as Regional Director of Operations for Tarsadia Hotels and before that, he worked for Marriott International for 23-years.
"Mark brings to Great Wolf a hands-on, servant approach to leadership, providing his teams with outstanding support, helping them reach their full potential. He has always been extremely well-respected by the teams he has supported, and is known for driving exceptional results," said John Murphy, CEO of Great Wolf Resorts. "Mark has this remarkable ability to recognize areas of opportunity and help make a strong organization even stronger. His knowledge and unique skillsets are the perfect addition to our Pack as we look to further elevate the guest experience and undergo a period of exceptional growth."
"This is an exciting time to join the Great Wolf Lodge Pack," said Lewis. "Great Wolf Lodge's mission is to bring joy to families, and I'm excited to help deliver on that mission by constantly exceeding expectations when families visit our resorts. Additionally, I'm eager to help enhance the Pack Member experience by giving our Pack tools to have more meaningful interactions with our guests, opportunities to grow and develop their career, and most importantly, have fun, all while delivering exceptional results."
Great Wolf Lodge currently has four new resorts under construction in Foxwoods, Conn.; Webster, Texas; Naples, Fla.; and Perryville, Md. The brand is also in the midst of completing an expansive renovation to its lodge in the Pocono Mountains, Pa. that will add 200 additional rooms, 30 luxury villas and a 40,000 square-foot addition to the indoor water park.