MARRIOTT
The cluster leaders report to Marriott ’ s continent procurement leaders , and they grow into their roles in order to ensure a seamless supply chain .
“ We support the growth of our people ,” says Masson . “ When we identify a person who is doing an amazing job , a person we believe can grow further , we promote them within our procurement structure .
“ Most of our people already come from the industry and understand the requirements of procurement . Our job is to develop them further to develop their skills and meet the needs of Marriott International .”
Mergers and restructures With expertise , reputation , and a dedicated staff in place , Marriott is prepared to create new success stories . One of its most impressive successes has been the recent acquisition of Starwood Hotels , a group of 1,200 properties . The deal to merge was finalised in September 2016 , and the two companies now operate under the same Marriott name .
One would expect a deal of this size to cause some disruption , even to a hospitality giant like Marriott , but such was the level of preparation , the potential for difficulties were avoided .
“ What we tried to achieve has never been done before ,” Masson explains . “ At least on this scale . In the US , the Starwood integration went very smoothly – we had far many more hotels and a solid structure to absorb 600 or 700 hotels . Outside of the US , where procurement is more complex , the process was potentially more difficult . The integration of Starwood spurred us to divide
56 October 2017