Marriott Worldwide has one of many largest—and happiest—workforces on the earth.
The corporate boasts greater than 800,000 associates at its lodges and resorts around the globe. Notably, it has a robust tradition, rating No. 8 on Fortune’s 100 Greatest Firms to Work For listing in 2025. A formidable 90% of Marriott staff endorse the corporate, in contrast with a 57% common.
A lot of the corporate’s success is pushed by belief in management—together with former chairman Invoice Marriott, present chairman David S. Marriott, and CEO Anthony Capuano.
In an interview on the Nice Place to Work For All Summit in Las Vegas with the group’s CEO, Michael Bush, Capuano spoke a few latest crossroads—and the way he responded.
The management occasion hosted 1000’s of executives from greater than 800 firms—and plenty of are featured on the Fortune 100 Greatest Firms to Work For listing.
Whereas Marriott leaders have publicly mentioned that they aspire to be a pacesetter within the variety, fairness, and inclusion (DEI) house lately, President Donald Trump’s govt orders and insurance policies in opposition to the initiatives threw their plans into uncertainty.
The brand new insurance policies might result in adjustments in hiring, promotions, and coaching. Failure to conform might result in cuts in federal funding to those non-public sector firms, though the legality of those adjustments continues to be being debated.
Marriott’s CEO speaks out
After Trump introduced sweeping adjustments to DEI in January, many executives and corporations have been left reeling.
Capuano says he met along with his govt management workforce in Bethesda, Maryland, the place they determined to take every week to analysis and course of earlier than assembly once more. The CEO then flew to Los Angeles for the Americas Lodging Funding Summit. Whereas there, he was inundated with questions on Marriott’s method to DEI sooner or later.
Moderately than keep silent, Capuano recalled many conversations along with his mentor and former chairman Invoice Marriott, and determined to talk.
“The winds blow, however there are some elementary truths for these 98 years,” Capuano mentioned. “We welcome all to our lodges and we create alternatives for all—and essentially these won’t ever change. The phrases would possibly change, however that’s who we’re as a firm.”
Capuano says he went again to his resort that evening hoping he had mentioned the best factor.
Capuano’s message was easy, however it didn’t go unnoticed by associates. He was overwhelmed by how his staff responded.
“Inside 24 hours, I had 40,000 emails from Marriott associates around the globe, saying ‘thanks,’” he mentioned. Many expressed appreciation to work for a corporation whose values aligned with their very own.
Marriott is amongst Fortune’s Greatest Firms to Work For which might be sticking up for DEI insurance policies proper now. Others on the listing embody Delta and Cisco.
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
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