Kim Murray
Kimberly Jordan Murray is a seasoned hospitality executive with an impressive 38-year career defined by energy, adaptability, and hands-on leadership. A graduate of the University of Mississippi, she began her journey in hospitality as a restaurant manager before quickly transitioning into sales, where she discovered her passion for building relationships and driving business growth. Early roles with Hilton laid the foundation for her success, followed by a significant chapter in the casino industry with MGM in Tunica, Mississippi, where she led sales efforts for many years. Her career eventually brought her back to Memphis, where she advanced into senior leadership and now serves as General Manager of The Westin Memphis Beale Street, a role she has held for the past six years.
Known for her distinctive and approachable leadership style, Murray sets herself apart by being deeply involved in every aspect of hotel operations. She believes in leading from the front—working alongside her team, supporting every department, and never asking others to do what she wouldn’t do herself. Her people-first philosophy, combined with a sharp attention to detail, has helped her foster a strong, collaborative culture and deliver exceptional guest experiences. Outgoing and unapologetically authentic, she has built a reputation for bringing both results and personality to her work, earning the trust of owners and colleagues throughout her career.
Looking ahead, Murray is focused on expanding her impact beyond daily operations into hospitality development. She is actively collaborating with ownership on new property ventures, including the creation of a boutique-style brand in partnership with Marriott International. Driven by a passion for growth and innovation, she continues to embrace the ever-changing nature of hospitality—an industry she loves for its constant movement, challenges, and opportunities to connect with people. For Murray, success has always been about more than performance; it’s about showing up fully, leading with purpose, and creating experiences that leave a lasting impression.
• University of Mississippi
Hotel Management, Minor: Business
• St. Jude volunteer
• Food bank volunteer
• Le Bonheur volunteer
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being authentically myself and having the freedom to do so. I'm very outgoing and not like most people - if everyone walks in with the black suit on, I'm gonna have the pink suit. I've been very fortunate to work with owners and bosses throughout my career who just let me go with how my attitude is and have had that much trust in me. They know that no matter what, I'm gonna get the job done and I'm gonna have a great time doing it. I've been very fortunate to work with people who have not been micromanagers. They just say, Kim, tell me what the task is, and I take it from here. I have a goal of what I want and how I see it, and sometimes people don't understand it, but I end up getting the goal at the end. I'm also very hands-on, which I think makes me a better leader. I don't ask people to do anything I'm not going to do myself - I get right in there with them. I think that's why I've been very successful, because I'm not scared to do the work with them.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received came from my mentor George Goldhoff when I worked in the casino industry. He would take pictures of everything that he didn't like and send them to us. At first it was very annoying, but then afterwards, I realized he was showing us, this is what people are seeing. It really opened up my eyes - he wasn't getting onto us, he was just letting us know, look at this, somebody's seeing this. It was a great mentorship for me and made me really put an eye on everything, because just one little thing can make people say bad things about your property. I also learned early on from Dean Grillo, who was from New York and very tough on us, which gave me thick skin very quickly when I was young.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
What I love about hospitality is that every day is completely different, and you are never bored. It's always exciting and challenging. I just love the fact that every day I meet somebody new. There are some jobs where I don't know how people do the same thing every day - I just couldn't do it. I love the excitement of different groups coming in and getting to meet the transient guests that come in from all over the country to see Memphis. I think it's just a cool career, and I always love trying to help people that are young in the field. I've trained a lot of people and helped them push forward, just because I love it so much and I want them to love it as much as I do. Just make sure whatever job you get, you love it every day.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think being loyal to people is very important. Having people's back is critical. When I come to work every day, every one of us is going through so many things challenging in our own life. I want people to come to work and feel like they're at home, and they've got family here. I really strive for my employees to feel like, no matter what, with an open-door policy, they can talk to me, and we're all very, very close because of that. I believe in being dependable for others and having that camaraderie - we spend multiple hours in the day together, so we need to work as a team and collaborate together.