After more than 60 years of company leadership, including 31 years as chairman of The Marcus Corporation, Stephen H. Marcus was unanimously appointed by the company’s board of directors as non-director chairman emeritus and special advisor to the company.
The board of directors also unanimously appointed Gregory S. Marcus as chairman of the board. In addition to his role as chairman, Greg Marcus will continue to serve as CEO/president of The Marcus Corporation.
For more than six decades, Steve Marcus has been a driving force not only at The Marcus Corporation, but among the communities it serves, especially its hometown of Milwaukee, according to the company. Joining the company in 1962 after working in accounting and law, he oversaw a period of tremendous growth and change, including taking the company public and growing the organization to what is today the fourth largest movie theatre circuit in the nation, a hospitality and lodging company, and employer to more than 8,000 associates across 18 states. Serving in many different roles during this tenure at The Marcus Corporation, he has been a director of the company since 1969, was CEO from 1988-2009, and served as chairman of the board since 1991.
Deeply civically minded, he instilled in the company its obligation to give back to the communities where its employees live and work. The footprint of Milwaukee is cemented by many enduring reminders of the company’s generosity, including The Marcus Performing Arts Center and the Bradley Symphony Center, along with many years of support for the United Way, United Performing Arts Fund, Boys & Girls Clubs, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning Marcus Prize.
“On behalf of our board of directors, tens of thousands of past and present Marcus Corporation employees, and so many others, thank you dad,” said Greg Marcus. “Words will never be enough to describe what Steve Marcus means to our company, the City of Milwaukee and our family. His strong work ethic, business acumen, depth of character and total lack of ego serve as the model for me and so many others who have had the privilege of working alongside him. Speaking for all of us, we are grateful for all he has done—and will continue to do—to grow our company and better our communities.”
Greg Marcus, the third generation of the Marcus family to lead the company, joined The Marcus Corporation in 1992. He was elected to the board of directors in 2005, promoted to president in 2008 and has served as president/CEO since 2009.
“Greg’s experience, leadership and strategic approach are key contributors to the company’s track record of driving shareholder value,” said Philip Milstein, lead independent director of the board of directors. “The Marcus board is confident that now is the right time for Greg to become chairman as we continue to advance the company’s growth and performance.”
The current members of The Marcus Corporation Board of Directors are:
- Greg Marcus, chairman/president/CEO The Marcus Corporation
- Diane Marcus Gershowitz, real estate manager and investor
- Timothy Hoeksema, retired chairman, president/CEO, Midwest Air Group Inc.
- Allan “Bud” Selig, commissioner emeritus of Major League Baseball
- Bruce Olson, retired SVP, The Marcus Corporation and retired president of Marcus Theatres
- Philip Milstein, principal, Ogden CAP Properties LLC
- Brian Stark, former founding principal/CEO/chief investment officer, Stark Investments
- Katherine Gehl, former president/CEO Gehl Foods Inc.
- Austin Ramirez, CEO, Husco International