Fuller sees three potential presidents of Marriott

The current president and managing director of Marriott Lodging International Ed Fuller told HotelierMiddleEast.com he could see three potential candidates within his staff to be the next president of the hotel giant.

Fuller was discussing his new book on leadership ‘You Can't Lead With Your Feet On the Desk’ when he revealed there were executives who he felt could continue the Marriott ethos when he decides to retire.

“Part of my job is to develop some key executives under me and that has always been part of my job,” he explained.

“There are three folks right now that could be the next round of presidents. I have total confidence in the fact they can do the job, but part of the most important thing is that I know they have understood the value system of Marriott.”

Fuller said it was important for executives to define the difference between a brand promise such as Ritz-Carlton’s ‘lades and gentlemen taking care of ladies and gentleman’ and the values of a company such as ‘take care of the associate and the associate will take care of the customer’.

“I would encourage anyone who is starting a business to make sure they develop their values and try to live them,” Fuller said.

“But if you don’t have a structure of people who are willing to buy into them and live them, then you can never do that.”

Fuller wouldn’t be drawn on which executives were being considered viable candidates for the role of president in the future, but he added that employees were always sensitive to the need to ask “what would Bill Marriott do?”

Gross sales at Marriott have increased from US $325 million to $7 billion since Fuller has been at the helm.