A World of Expertise

Troy Wood’s passion for the hotel industry began in his hometown of Perth, Australia, where he first worked as a room service waiter at the Hyatt Regency Perth. From there, he hopped on a flight to Switzerland, where he attended Cesar Ritz Colleges, a hospitality school, and “really learned the art of how to be a hotelier and how to appreciate the world and its cultures,” he adds. “It just became addicting after that.”

Wood’s considerable background in the industry continued when he came to the U.S. shortly after his schooling in Switzerland, graduating from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in hotel management. Wood has worked at 14 hotels across three continents, holding positions in food and beverage, catering, and sales. He has now been in the U.S. for 28 years. “It’s just a fantastic business to be a part of—you get to experience so many cultures and so many people,” he says. “It can’t be beat.”

Since December 2022, he has been the director of sales for the 580-room Terranea Resort on the Rancho Palos Verdes peninsula just south of Los Angeles. Wood exudes a steadfast appreciation for the work he does in leisure and group sales with his team at Terranea. “I think the thing I’m most proud of is really helping so many people on my teams throughout the years advance their careers and seeing team members who began their career as a junior-level catering or sales manager develop into very strong, respected directors and industry leaders.”

And he has the passport stamps to show just how many team members he has worked with over the years, all around the world. This time spent moving from place to place had a personal impact on Wood as well. “Raising a family, not in the traditional sense like everyone else, but having spent many [years] moving all around the country and all around the world was very tough on [my] family and kids,” he says. “But seeing them now that they’re adults and seeing them be so much stronger from that [experience] and not afraid to go after something no matter what it is or where it is, is really pretty powerful.” And when asked if he had a favorite destination, his answer was swift. “It’s really hard to pick one. Every single place you go to is very special in its own right—it’s a special time, a special moment in history.”