Marriott names four new senior appointments

Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) today announced four recent appointments to senior positions: Linda Bartlett as executive vice president, mergers, acquisitions and development planning; Carl T. Berquist, as executive vice president, financial information and enterprise risk management; Rita Cuddihy, as senior vice president, marketing; and Nancy C. Lee, as senior vice president and deputy general counsel.

Linda Bartlett, as executive vice president, mergers, acquisitions and development planning, will focus on growth planning and analysis and pursuing multi-unit transactions in support of Marriott’s brand strategies and growth goals. 

Prior to her appointment, Bartlett was senior vice president, finance and corporate controller for four years. Bartlett joined Marriott in 1989, and has served as chief financial officer for Marriott Vacation Club International and vice president of corporate financial planning and analysis. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in finance from Loyola College in Baltimore and is a certified public accountant. 

Carl T. Berquist, as executive vice president financial information and enterprise risk management, will oversee the controllership function, as well as a number of other key financial departments, including internal audit; accounting; financial analysis, budgeting and planning; and tax and risk management. 

Berquist joins Marriott from Arthur Andersen, LLP following a 28-year career there that included a range of leadership positions, including management of the worldwide hospitality and real estate practices. Most recently Berquist was the Office Managing Partner in the Mid-Atlantic Region, where his responsibilities included leading the audit and tax practices. Berquist holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Penn State University. He begins at Marriott on December 2.

Rita Cuddihy, as senior vice president of marketing, is responsible for Marriott’s lodging marketing efforts, including: strategy; advertising; promotions; strategic alliances and customer relationship management, including the 17 million member Marriott Rewards frequent travel program. She supports the Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites brands, representing nearly 2,500 hotels in 65 countries.

Cuddihy spent the past 10 years at US Airways as vice president, alliances and customer advocacy; vice president, marketing and distribution planning; and also served as the president and CEO of the US Airways Shuttle. She has also held top management positions at Continental Airlines and Braniff. Cuddihy graduated Magna Cum Laude from Metropolitan State College in Denver with a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management. 

Nancy C. Lee, as senior vice president and deputy general counsel, will assist the general counsel in oversight of the company’s Law Department, adding to her role of managing the Department’s Employment and Labor Law Group. She will also represent the general counsel in critical professional forums and venues in her new responsibilities, which begin in January.

Lee’s group provides legal advice and counsel regarding employment and labor related issues, policies and programs, and her focus is the development of employment strategies, including contingency staffing plans. Lee joined the Department as associate general counsel of the Labor & Employment Law Group in 1997, became senior vice president in 1998 and a corporate officer in 2002. Previously, Lee was deputy general counsel at Amtrak and earlier, was a partner at Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue. Lee earned her B.A. in 1972 from Wellesley College. She earned her J.D. in 1977, with distinction, from the Emory University School of Law, where she was Order of the Coif and Articles Editor for the Emory Law Journal.