Colin V. Reed, Chairman and CEO

Colin V. Reed
chairman and chief executive officer

Colin V. Reed was elected chairman of the board of directors of Gaylord Entertainment at the company’s annual meeting in May 2005, adding to his responsibilities the role of chief executive officer to which he was named in May 2001. In addition to his role as chairman, Reed leads the strategic direction of the company’s three primary brands: Gaylord Hotels, the award-winning hospitality brand dedicated to large meetings and conventions; ResortQuest, the largest vacation property management company in the country, and; the Grand Ole Opry, the legendary home of country music.

Prior to Gaylord Entertainment, Reed was chief financial officer and a member of the three-executive Office of the President for Harrah's Entertainment Inc. He joined that company in 1977 as a financial controller for its former Holiday Inn International Division, with accounting responsibility for operations in the United Kingdom.

Reed was named head of finance and administration for Holiday Inn International European Division in 1981 and was appointed chief financial officer for Holiday Inn for the Europe, Middle East and Africa Division in 1985. He moved to the company's corporate headquarters in 1987 as executive assistant to the chairman.

Between 1987-1992, Holiday Corporation executed a very successful recapitalization, sold Holiday Inns, launched new industry-leading hospitality brands and achieved the distinction of being one of the Top 10 companies in terms of returns to shareholders listed on the New York Stock Exchange. During this period, Reed worked with the chairman and CEO on these endeavors.

In 1992, Reed was promoted to senior vice president of development for the company. From 1993-95, he was responsible for building and executing the growth strategy of Harrah's Casinos, a company subsidiary, which resulted in Harrah's becoming one of the nation's largest, most distributed and most profitable casino companies in the nation. In June 1995, Harrah's and its parent, Promus Companies, split into two separate public companies, and in 1997 Reed was named executive vice president and CFO. From 1999-2001 he served on the board of directors of Harrah's Entertainment.

Reed is a member of the board of directors of Bass Pro Shops. He is active in the Nashville community, serving on several area boards – including the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau and Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

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