Corporate Account Manager

Born and raised in Bavaria, Germany, Ms. Mayr credits her mother, an avid gardener, with instilling in her a deep appreciation for clean, organic, and wholesome food. “I grew up getting three different salads with every meal: one from roots, one from leaves, and one from flowers,” she says. But it wasn’t just at home that Ms. Mayr learned about different kinds of food. Living in Germany afforded Ms. Mayr and her family the luxury of having many countries and customs to explore, many only a few hours away by car. For six weeks every summer, the Mayr family would travel all over Europe. This exposure helped to create the kind of gastronomic memories that last a lifetime. She says, “What child could forget the freshly grilled octopus with a glass of ouzo in Athens? Or the homemade hummus in a market in Cairo?”

It’s no wonder that with this food-loving foundation, Ms. Mayr chose to take an apprenticeship in Hotel and Restaurant Management at the Sheraton Hotel in Munich, Germany. “Thanks to the Sheraton being an American chain, that was my first exposure to hamburgers and fast food,” she shares. “But thanks to the different restaurants in the hotel I also go to know and learn about snails, steak tartar, foie gras, caviar—haute cuisine!” Her time was also often spent in the pastry kitchen—Ms. Mayr’s love of sweets only grew larger with this great opportunity to try petit fours, freshly made candy, truffles, mousses, and cakes.