Jean Smith

Jean Smith is the Chief Operating Officer of Colwen Hotels Design and Purchasing division, based in Portsmouth, NH. She leads the company’s design, purchasing, warehouse and installation organization for new and renovating hotels. Jean is a 1990 graduate of UMASS Amherst where she earned a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration. She earned her MBA at the University of South Florida in Tampa in 2014. Jean secured her first General Manager role at a Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Foxborough, MA in 1995. In 1998, she joined Colwen Hotels as the opening General Manager of its first hotel. In 2010, Jean accepted an opportunity with White Lodging as a Regional Vice President. Two years later, Jean took charge of the lifestyle hotel portfolio for McKibbon Hotels, based in Tampa, FL. In this position, she also served on the franchise advisory council for AC Hotels for Marriott International. Jean rejoined Colwen in 2016 as the Executive Vice President. Jean was named Chief Operating Officer in January of 2019.

“2020 taught me to be resilient.”