How I Got Here: Katie Taylor of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts | BusinessWeek
Kathleen Taylor, the Oshawa (Ont.) native started working for a local catering company as a teenager, a job she continued over breaks and summer vacations while pursuing her education, first as a political science student at the University of Toronto, and later as a law and business student at York University. While in law school, Taylor took her talents to a position in corporate securities and competition law at Goodmans LLP, exploring all...
Katie Taylor has always been in the business of hospitality and the pursuit of knowledge.
Kathleen Taylor, the Oshawa (Ont.) native started working for a local catering company as a teenager, a job she continued over breaks and summer vacations while pursuing her education, first as a political science student at the University of Toronto, and later as a law and business student at York University. While in law school, Taylor took her talents to a position in corporate securities and competition law at Goodmans LLP, exploring all areas of the law from tax to bankruptcy. She finally found her passion in corporate securities.
From there, she joined Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts as corporate counsel, the second person hired at the company’s legal department. Today, more than two decades later, she’s president and chief executive officer of the company. As part of Bloomberg Businessweek’s “How I Got Here” series, Melanie Danko spoke with Taylor about her life in the hospitality industry. What follows is the story of Taylor’s career progression, in her own words. (Some quotes have been edited for space and clarity.)