Get To Know General Manager Pete Wu
Pete Wu, General Manager
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino Tampa recently brought
on board General Manager, Pete
Wu, to oversee Marketing, Player
Development, Slots, Security and
Table Games Operations. Wu has
over 20 years of progressive corporate, property-level management
experience at Fortune 200 & 500,
privately-held and startup gaming,
entertainment and hospitality companies. He was previously a senior
management member developing
Baha Mar Ltd. Casino in Nassau,
Bahamas, which is scheduled to open
later this year. He also spent six years
as a senior executive in Macau.
We sat down with Wu to discuss his role and his vision for the future of
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
• What inspired you to break into the casino industry?
The love of people and hospitality.
• What has the transition from the Bahamas to FL been like for you?
It’s been easy. Florida has a similar climate, bigger city.
• What do you like best about Seminole Hard Rock Tampa?
The people. I love casinos and have worked and visited casinos all over
the world, but in all of my travels, I have never felt the mix of energy,
fun, excitement and genuine hospitality that radiates from this place.
I have received such a warm welcome from everyone and have been
wowed by the great service that our team delivers to our guests day-in
and day-out. The feeling on the casino floor is so intoxicating that I find
it difficult to pull myself away.
dance music. I have three small children though so I listen to the Kidz
Bop version of every Top 40 song.
My favorite artist right now is Pitbull. For movies, my favorite art house
film is Cinema Paradiso, a foreign film. For comedy, my favorite is “So
I Married an Axe Murderer” starring Mike Myers because it’s such a
quotable and quirky movie.
• Do you have a Smartphone? If so, what’s your favorite app?
Yes and my favorite apps are Flightboard & LinkedIn. Flightboard pulls
up the arrival and departure screens of every airport so you can check
the gates for flights all around the world.
• Who do you count as your mentor(s)?
I have had so many mentors over the years. My father has always
been a personal and professional mentor to me and taught me the
value of hard work. My first mentor, Matthew Albert, gave me my first
real-world internship opportunity and introduced me to the entertainment business. He’s not only a mentor to me, but a best friend too. I
have to say that the most influential in my career was John Boushy,
former CEO of Ameristar Casinos, who is also the former CIO at
Caesars Entertainment. From a hotel and hospitality perspective: Nick
Naples, for slots: Bruce Rowe, for Food & Beverage: Marty Miles - they
all worked under John and they were great mentors to me as I participated in a management rotation under their direction.
• What was your very first job?
My first real job was a paper boy for the Daily Record in Parsippany, NJ.
• If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
If I could change one thing about myself: I’d like to be taller and
in better shape. (He recently joined Lifetime Fitness).
• What do you consider your greatest success?
My family and working all over the world.
• What do you see changing in the future of Seminole Hard RockTampa?
I see us getting bigger and better. Adding amenities, raising levels of
service, and becoming more upscale.
• Tell us something about you most people don’t know?
Something most people don’t know about me: I was the very first
salesman for Victoria’s Secret in Menlo Park, NJ.
• What changes do you foresee in gaming at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa?
I see us doing a lot of innovative things in terms of technology, new
games, different layouts and configurations and improving the comfort level, which I think is really important.
• If you could have dinner with any three people, living or dead, who
would they be?
Dolores O’Riordan from the Cranberries, Gwen Stefani of No Doubt
and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas.
• Out of the seven restaurants on property, which one is your favorite
and why?
Council Oak Steaks & Seafood is one of my favorites