Jimmie Paschall’s boss, Marriott CEO J. W. “Bill” Marriott, is a powerful champion for diversity, and he declares that companies must lead by example. In 2003, the company established its Committee for Excellence, a board consisting of external directors and Marriott senior leadership. The body, the first of its kind in the hospitality industry, is responsible for identifying the goals and objectives of Marriott’s diversity efforts and regularly measuring the company’s progress. At Marriott, executives’ compensation is tied to the success of their diversity efforts. For employees who report directly to Bill Marriott, an individual’s performance on this dimension accounts for 13 percent of his or her annual bonus. Bill Marriott also chairs the company’s internal diversity council, which meets quarterly. With Marriott’s emphasis on diversity, more than 50 languages are spoken among its workforce. Because English fluency is important to meet U.S. customer needs, in 2007 Marriott introduced “Sed de Saber,” an English-language program for Spanish-speaking associates. As the program’s popularity grew, Marriott expanded Sed de Saber—in English, the name means “thirst for knowledge”—to offer Spanish instruction for English speaking associates. Marriott offers an additional resource, Global Language Learning, to encourage associates to build their language fluency. Using Rosetta Stone language-learning software, Marriott associates can learn up to 30 languages. Marriott International has won recognition for its diversity programs from well-known publications and organizations Black Enterprise magazine, DiversityInc., Fortune, Latina Style, Working Mother, and others. For the ninth consecutive year, Fortune named Marriott the Most Admired company in the hospitality industry for its work on behalf of women and minorities.

• Marriott CEO Bill Marriott has said the company’s approach to diversity is more than a goal: it’s their business. Do you think he is right about Marriott’s diversity strategy? If so, how can Jimmie Paschall safeguard her company’s leading position? 

• Bill Marriott has also said the company’s associates are its greatest asset. The company spends a great deal of time training and developing its employees’ skills. What else could Jimmie Paschall do to ensure that Marriott’s associates understand the important role they play in the company’s success?