Entrepreneurs/Experts: Ted Teng

Theodore Teng is the Principal and CEO Prime Opus Partners, LP. He was the former president and chief operating officer of Wyndham International where he was responsible for overseeing all aspects of management of Wyndham International's branded and non-branded assets. With more than $1.5 billion in annual revenue, Wyndham's portfolio included more than 190 properties with more than 50,000 guest rooms. In his role, Teng had overall responsibility for the operations and profitability of Wyndham's branded and non-branded assets including the development of overall strategy, management of revenue and expense functions, and overall operations, including brand standards and service.

Teng joined Wyndham International in May of 2000 as chief operating officer. In October of 2000, he assumed the additional title of president. Teng was the former president of Asia-Pacific for Westin Hotels, where he was credited with having achieved a 600 basis point improvement in gross operating profit margins in just one year. Previously, he was with ITT Sheraton, where he served for 14 years in a variety of senior and strategic capacities in operations, finance and development.

During this interview, Teng discusses his experiences in the hotel industry and shares thoughts on his new expereinces as an entrepreneur. He discusses the differences between being a professional in a corporate setting versus being an entrepreneur and also shares thoughts on leadership and failure.

Ted Teng is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. He has an MBA from the University of Hawaii. Born in Shanghai, China, he grew up in Hong Kong and emigrated to the U.S. at age 13. He became an U.S. citizen at age 18.