STEVE WEISZ

PRESIDENT & CEO, MARRIOTT VACATIONS WORLDWIDE, ORLANDO

Though Weisz graduated from Cornell University in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in hotel administration, he has been back several times over the years as a faculty member and guest lecturer.

In 2001, Weisz received an honorary doctoral degree in business administration in hospitality management from Johnson & Wales University.

A longtime Marriott employee, Weisz joined the company in 1972 as a front office trainee at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Va.

In his 47-year career, 39 with Marriott International, Weisz has held several key executive positions, including senior vice president of sales and marketing for Marriott Hotels, Resorts and Suites; regional vice president for the Mid-Atlantic Region; vice president of revenue management; senior vice president of rooms operations and related services and general manager of Bethesda Marriott in Maryland.

Weisz was president of the Marriott Vacation Club International from December 1996 to 2011, when Marriott Vacations Worldwide was established as a separate, public company from Marriott Vacation Club International.

As president, he led the vacation ownership division and oversaw three brands: Marriott Vacation Club, the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Grand Residences by Marriott.

In 2018, Weisz led the initiative to acquire ILG, which provides membership and leisure services to the vacation industry. The combined company has more than 100 resorts and more than 660,000 owners and members.

The combined company, which includes seven vacation ownership brands, also has exchange networks and membership programs comprising more than 3,200 resorts in more than 80 nations and approximately 2 million members.