The Mahler Team
Our experienced staff brings decades of expertise, from the staffing, private management and luxury sectors, to our business. We work closely with clients and candidates to help establish successful relationships that last.
Our experienced staff brings decades of expertise, from the staffing, private management and luxury sectors, to our business. We work closely with clients and candidates to help establish successful relationships that last.
Peter Mahler is the Founder and President of Mahler Private Staffing and a nationally recognized expert in the staffing, management and care of fine homes. Peter’s deep knowledge, experience, aesthetic and vision drive the Mahler Private Staffing mission to help our clients live well.
Under Peter’s direction, the firm serves over 1,000 of America’s leading families by providing staffing and consulting services for their homes, businesses and family offices. Peter is considered a trusted advisor to our highly discerning and exclusive clientele, who value expertise, privacy, discretion and excellence. Mahler Private Staffing offers impeccable service, combined with The Mahler Match process (TM), a proprietary method designed to match client preferences with the best candidates from our exclusive network of top household and office professionals.
During his high school and college years, Peter started a premium home cleaning service for 90 families along Milwaukee’s North Shore. After college, Peter founded Mahler Clean, a commercial cleaning business that maintained 10 million square feet of space per day over four states. In 2017, Mahler Clean was acquired by the company’s longtime executive team and continues to thrive.
Peter has also taken his passion for helping clients live well into the world of luxury real estate. In 2010, he founded the Mahler Real Estate Group, which ultimately became Mahler Sotheby’s International Realty in 2017. Peter is the Managing Partner of a real estate investment partnership, El Paseo Holdings LLC, in Palm Springs.
Peter divides his time between Milwaukee, New York City and California. He is engaged with the various communities through his support and involvement in civic, cultural and philanthropic activities. He is on the board of the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Peter is a member of YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization), and the Greater Milwaukee Committee. He currently serves as co-chair for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Capital Campaign and previously founded the Wisconsin AIDS Fund. Additionally, Peter is a donor to the Medical College of Wisconsin, Mayo Clinic, The Boys & Girls Clubs, the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, St. Olaf College, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the Humane Society of the United States, and the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Peter holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Marquette University and attended Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program.
Rachel proudly joined Mahler Private Staffing in early 2021 as the Security and Compliance Administrator. Based out of the company headquarters in Milwaukee, she oversees reference and background checks to ensure that our clients are presented with qualified, thoroughly vetted candidates. Rachel brings over 15 years of human resources experience, with a specialty in recruitment, to her role.
Rachel earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She loves neighborhood walks with her family and their dog, re-watching 90’s television and hosting epic game nights. In the summer, you can often find her enjoying a cool beverage on a rooftop patio and in the winter, she is quite content cooking-up soup or pasta in the kitchen.
Alicia joined Mahler Private Staffing in 2014 and is based in our Palm Springs office, where she manages several roles. She is the Executive Assistant for the Private Staffing West Coast team and reports directly to Peter Mahler on specific confidential matters. She handles the day-to-day management operations for El Paseo Holdings, which is the property management division of two historic retail properties and one private residence in Palm Springs. Alicia also serves as the primary contact for Mahler Offices across the US and embraces the diversity of her duties balancing demands of a number of enterprises with her advanced knowledge and skills.
Previously, Alicia excelled as an Executive Legal Assistant for litigation practices throughout an 18-year career.
Barbara Jensen is a staffing executive, key recruiting specialist, and client contact for Mahler Private Staffing nationwide, including a depth of experience in Chicago, Milwaukee, and both the East and West Coasts. Barbara has been with Mahler Private Staffing for more than 25 years and held a number of key leadership roles as our company had evolved and prospered. Barbara is committed to the Mahler team’s mission of providing personalized, thorough, and discreet staffing services to clients nationwide, and continues to develop and implement successful search strategies while fostering and maintaining key partnerships.
Prior to joining Mahler Private Staffing, Barbara served as Director of Development for Junior Achievement of Wisconsin for 15 years, providing support for students engaging in a global economy, found success in the Chicago real estate market, and worked as an active volunteer and served on the Board of Directors for the Sojourner Truth House of Wisconsin.
Penny Lopez is a Senior Staffing Executive for Mahler Private Staffing—heading our Palm Beach office to oversee client relationships and work with candidates who are seeking their next long-term position. She is dedicated to the thoughtful search process that allows Mahler Private Staffing to present our clients with carefully considered candidates.
Having lived abroad extensively as both a child and as an adult with her family, Penny brings an international perspective to our team. Most recently, Penny lived in Abu Dhabi where she spent ten years as the Director of Admissions at the American Community School of Abu Dhabi. Penny is a graduate of Tufts University in Massachusetts.
Susanne Murphy is a staffing executive for Mahler Private Staffing’s West Coast opportunities. She has been part of the Mahler team since 2016, and has used her passion, drive, and experience to source the best qualified candidates to meet the expectations of Mahler’s discerning clients. She has personal experience in the private service field, giving her a key advantage in understanding these exclusive and unique markets.
Susanne has additional experience in corporate staffing as a recruiter and senior account executive for a boutique staffing agency in Michigan and as owner of her own travel agency prior to starting with Mahler Private Staffing. She has lived in several diverse areas across the United States, including Chicago, IL, Washington, D.C., and Indian Wells, CA.
Alexander joined the Mahler Private Staffing team in October of 2014. Initially, he provided administrative and writing support to the staff while assisting Client Services colleagues with key searches. Today, he additionally assists with key company projects to improve efficiency, serves as primary point of contact for candidates through the application process and online system, and provides additional support at all levels of the Mahler team’s activities.
Alexander is based in the headquarters office in Milwaukee and is a graduate of Carroll University with a degree in writing. He currently uses his broad skillset and diverse abilities to provide the best possible experience for candidates, clients, and colleagues.
Laura Schnicke serves as a key member of Mahler Private Staffing’s Midwest team as a recruiting specialist, administrative support professional, and friendly and helpful contact for our broad base of candidates. Laura joined the Mahler team in 2017 and has been a key part of our continued success.
Laura has previous experience in the non-profit arena, the public sector, and the airline industry. She holds a degree in Sociology from UW-Madison and a Master’s Degree in Public Health. She enjoys traveling locally, domestically, and internationally.
Linda joined the Mahler Private Staffing team in November 2021 to take on a hybrid recruiting and administrative role within our Palm Beach office. Linda came to Mahler Private Staffing after a career in high-level hospitality—most notably from the gold standard of resorts, The Breakers in Palm Beach.
A native of the Bahamas with Irish roots, Linda left the Bahamas to attend school in Dublin, Ireland and then Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management.
Linda has been a resident of the Palm Beach area since 2002 and she enjoys the endless summer with her family in beautiful Palm Beach Gardens.
Hanna Walsh has been a key member of the administrative team at Mahler Private Staffing since 2020. Based at our Milwaukee headquarters office, Hanna assists with each of our searches nationwide in the role of Administrative Assistant while also serving as the first point of contact for most of our candidates and associates. She brings extensive experience in marketing and client relations from a diverse background in office administration and marketing.
Hanna is originally from Kansas City, MO and obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She enjoys barre classes, hiking, cooking, and caring for her rescue dog, Luna.
Jennifer serves as Vice President, Operations for Mahler Private Staffing. Based in our Milwaukee headquarters, she oversees all general operations for our company, including recruiting, client management, security, compliance, and administration. Jennifer joined the Mahler team in 2008 to assist with a large-scale process improvement project, and has continued in her mission to provide greater service and team efficiency through each position she had held with our company.
Jennifer was born and raised in the greater Chicago area and held a number of positions prior to her career at Mahler Private Staffing, including in hospitality management, journalism, and office management. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, where she was valedictorian of her college class. She also attended graduate school at the University of California-Davis.