Ray Bennett
President, U.S. and Canada, Franchising, and Managed by Marriott Select Brands for Marriott International Inc.
Raymond “Ray” Bennett has recently been appointed President, U.S. and Canada, Franchising, and Managed by Marriott Select Brands for Marriott International Inc.
In this new role, Mr. Bennett will oversee the company’s domestic franchising efforts as he retains P&L responsibilities for Managed-by-Marriott Marriott Select Brand hotels in the U.S. He joins a growing franchise community with over 1,100 franchise management companies across more than 4,500 hotels in the U.S. and an additional 1,000 pipeline hotels.
Mr. Bennett’s experience in the hospitality industry spans over two decades. Since 2015, he served as Chief Global Officer, Global Operations for Marriott International, Inc. He led the design, development, and deployment of products and services for all 30 lodging brands globally. He had responsibility for brand standards, quality assurance, procurement, and the Lodging Program Management Office. Disciplines overseen included Food and Beverage, Rooms Experience, Property Management Systems, Spa & Fitness, Retail, and Engineering. Mr. Bennett also had P&L responsibilities for the 400+ Marriott-managed select brands in the U.S. and oversaw global operations for Marriott’s 100+ Luxury residential properties.
Prior to this role, Mr. Bennett was Chief Lodging Services Officer, The Americas, where he led the development and implementation of products and service strategies at more than 3,400 hotels in North, Central, and South America. He was also responsible for driving brand differentiation in Food & Beverage, Room Operations, Information Resources, Engineering & Facilities, and Safety & Security. In addition, Mr. Bennett served as both the strategic and tactical business partner to the group’s Chief Operations Officers and Area Vice Presidents.
Mr. Bennett served the Western Region of The Americas as an Area Vice President, Midwest States, overseeing the operations of Marriott-managed full-service hotels. He also served in various management roles in hotel operations and relating to the pursuit of management and franchise contracts in lodging development. These roles included Senior Vice President, Lodging Development; Area Vice President, Lodging Development; General Manager of the Residence Inn Pentagon City; Resident Manager, Crystal Gateway Marriott; and Vice President of Operations, Eastern Region, Marriott Distribution Services.
Prior to joining Marriott in 2001, Mr. Bennett worked for Pepsi Bottling Group for over 11 years in multiple managerial positions overseeing sales, delivery operations, manufacturing, warehousing, fleet & transport operations, supply chain management, customer service, personnel management, information technology, marketing, and finance.
Mr. Bennett serves on the National Board of Directors of KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now), a nonprofit organization that provides recreational opportunities to children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities. He also serves on the board of CollegeTracks, a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing low-income, first-generation-to-college students in Montgomery County, Maryland with financial aid and continued support through tutoring and mentoring to help them graduate. In addition, Mr. Bennett serves as a member of the Academy of Hospitality & Tourism Industry Advisory Board for Washington, DC Public Schools. He is also a member of The Executive Leadership Council, a national mentoring, networking, and development organization comprised of African American CEOs and senior executives from Fortune 500 and equivalent companies. Finally, Mr. Bennett serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Equity Residential, one of the largest publicly traded apartment real estate investment trusts in the USA.
Mr. Bennett earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, where an honorary Doctoral Degree in Business Administration was bestowed upon him in 2018. He currently resides in Germantown, Maryland with his wife and their four children.