Martin Pfefferkorn

| Convention Chef |
Martin Pfefferkorn
Executive Chef, Hyatt Regency Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia
Age: 37

The son of a farmer, Martin Pfefferkorn began his unlikely career working as an apprentice in a professional kitchen in his native Austria at the age of 15. In his 20s, a seasonal job at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Mich., brought him to the U.S. Shortly thereafter, he met his wife and relocated here. Eventually, he went to work for the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa as fine dining chef, and was promoted to executive sous chef. Due to his strong organizational skills and eye for detail, he was transferred several times to other Hyatt Regency properties to work as the opening chef, always a tall order. Currently, he’s executive chef at one of the busiest convention hotels in the chain; last year, it hosted more than 2,500 events. The most challenging aspect of his work right now is adjusting to the size of the new hotel. “I went from working at a 400-room property, to one that has over 1,300 rooms,” he says. Although he’s classically French-trained, Pfefferkorn created an innovative menu for the hotel’s new bar, Twenty-Two Storys, that’s influenced by the ingredients used to make beer (such as hops, malt and yeast). Not one to remain idle, Pfefferkorn enjoys riding motorcycles and occasionally piloting a helicopter in his spare time. —Erin Caslavka

Where do see yourself in 10 years?
“Everything I’ve ever planned has never worked out the way I thought it would. So I’m going to take the future as it comes.”