Top hotel executives have shared the substantial support they received regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
During last week’s summits, Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano addressed attendees about the cultural and workplace shifts DEI has prompted, recalling his surprise at receiving tens of thousands of encouraging emails from colleagues.
“The day the DEI executive order was announced, I gathered with the senior leadership team to consider our position in the industry. We needed to critically examine not just our philosophy but also the language we employ,” Capuano remarked on stage.
“There’s a significant conference called the Alice Conference for hotel industry investments,” he added.
“The following morning, I participated in a media breakfast, conducted six individual media interviews, and orchestrated a CEO panel. This was the primary question in all eight of those discussions.”
Former President Donald Trump ordered the closure of all DEI offices in the federal government during his initial week in office, signing numerous executive orders aimed at rolling back initiatives put forth by the previous administration.
Trump’s actions included not just shutting down federal DEI offices but also issuing two additional executive orders in January. One targeted DEI efforts related to workplace discrimination and preferences based on race and gender, while the other memo sought to eliminate the Biden administration’s focus on DEI employment within the Federal Aviation Administration.
As a consequence, several major companies throughout the U.S., including Amazon, Meta, McDonald’s, Boeing, Ford, Harley-Davidson, John Deere, Lowe’s, Nissan, Toyota, and Walmart, have scaled back various DEI policies.
When asked about Marriott’s stance on these issues, Capuano reflected on conversations with Bill Marriott over the decades, noting their long history in the industry, especially across nearly 150 countries, where political circumstances have varied widely.
“We are open to all hotels and strive to create opportunities for everyone. Essentially, that remains unchanged,” Capuano continued.
“Though the terminology may shift, our core identity as a company does not.” He then mentioned returning to his room, wondering if he had communicated effectively. Within 24 hours, he received around 40,000 emails from Marriott associates worldwide expressing gratitude.
