Edwin D. Fuller
Encyclopedia
Edwin D. "Ed" Fuller is the President and Managing Director of International Lodging for Marriott International
, a position he has held since 1991. He is a published author and considered a leading authority in the global hospitality industry. Fuller led Marriott to expand from 16 properties outside the continental United States and Canada to 400 operating and 175 under construction in 70 countries with $7B in revenues. He created 72,000 new jobs globally since joining Marriott in 1972.
Fuller began his career at Marriott as a management trainee and was promoted throughout his career into executive leadership roles in marketing, sales, and operations. Titles held have included Director of National and International Sales and Reservations, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, and Regional Vice President. He was promoted to the global leadership role of International Lodging Operations as Senior Vice President and Managing Director and later to Executive Vice President and Managing Director. In addition, he chairs the International Development Committee.
Fuller is an award-winning and active alumnus of Boston University
(BU). He was recognized with the Alumni Award in 1998. He currently serves on the Board of Overseers and as chairman for the Advisory Board at BU. He is also chairman of the Advisory Board for the University of California, Irvine
's Mirage School of Business and was appointed to the California State University
Hospitality Industry Advisory Board.
: Building Relationships, Breaking Down Barriers, and Delivering Profits, which was published by Wiley
in March 2011. Drawing on nearly 40 years of professional experience with Marriott, he shares insight on methods for dealing with employees, partners, suppliers, and customers in a manner that breaks down cultural and language barriers. He offers guidance on managing in any culture through the use of respect and sensitivity for diverse customs and practices. The book also explores his own career journey, describing how he built Marriott International's global presence to become one of the largest and most successful hotel chains in the world.
In his book, he credits learning "the art of leadership and relationship building" from J. W. Marriott, Jr., William Shaw
, Al Le Faivre, Paul Reed, Bill Tiefel, Sergeant James, his Sigma Alpha Epsilon
fraternity brothers at Boston University, and the many individuals he served beside in the U.S. Army. He continuously stresses the significance of trust, values, and responsibility throughout the publication.
The book focuses on Fuller's belief in how leaders must be present to build relationships, understand culture, and advance business. He writes, "... if you are spending your days meeting with other managers or sitting at your desk doing paperwork, it's time to broaden your horizons and get closer to your business." He also provides numerous real-life accounts of maintaining operations and profits through hurricanes, war, and political unrest.
With the ability to use storytelling
as a method for inspiring and teaching others, he lists ways to improve management skills throughout his book by sharing his own experiences. His storytelling is also used to promote career advancement for others, such as illustrations regarding his own career launch, which was as a waiter. Fuller shared that "Storytelling has made me more effective in doing my job."
In a first-person account he states, "I was hired as a management trainee in 1972 and spent the next 39 years learning—everything from cleaning potatoes to cleaning rooms and lessons in marketing, sales, and operations."
. Fuller served in a sales leadership role, and was subsequently promoted to the position of national sales manager of the Northeast Region in 1973, located in New York City
. With a vision for national (and ultimately international) expansion, he accepted the position of Director of National and International Sales at Marriott International Headquarters in Bethesda
, Maryland
from 1976 to 1978.
Fuller's drive and capability led to the global executive position of Vice President / Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. He served in this role from 1978 to 1982, during which time he spearheaded aggressive sales and marketing initiatives across the United States, Asia
, and the Middle East
. He is credited with establishing Marriott's original international reservations network, as well as the entire sales and marketing organization in Europe
and the Middle East.
Fuller became general manager of the Long Island Marriott Hotel in 1982, where in one year he launched the newly-constructed 300-room suburb
an hotel
in Hempstead, New York
. From 1983 to 1985, he served as General Manager of the Boston Marriott Hotel at Copley Place, leading the development of a 1,200-room convention hotel which opened in 1984. As Regional Vice President of Midwest and Canada, he relocated to Illinois
from 1985 to 1989 to lead operations, marketing, human resources, and financial aspects of hotels in the Midwest and the first Marriott in Canada
. From 1989 to 1990, Fuller grew revenues to $1.5 billion as Regional Vice President of the Western and Pacific Regions in Santa Ana
, California
.
In 1991, he was promoted to his current executive role of President and Managing Director of the International Lodging Division. During his tenure, he has logged more than 10-million miles of air travel while expanding Marriott's global footprint to more than 150 countries. In his current position, Fuller leads operations and expansion in the Middle East and Africa
and is charged with guiding Marriott's global growth strategy. He reports directly to the chief operating officer
(COO).
Fuller operates from Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. He is credited with growing international operations from 16 hotels valued at $325 million to a network of 400 and 175 in development with gross sales of $7 billion. He created and directed global brand
creation of JW Marriott Hotels
and Marriott Executive Apartments. Fuller is credited with reducing costs $1 million per hotel by developing and implementing the "Infinity" property audit process, which was launched globally within Marriott and Ritz-Carlton
brands.
in Business Administration from Boston University
in 1968, and is also a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Advanced Management Program. Actively involved with several higher education initiatives, Fuller serves on the Board of Overseers at Boston University and as Chairman of the Schools Advisory Board at the University of California, Irvine
. Fuller was formerly the Director of the United Way International Board.
Fuller was an integral leader of the executive team that led the company to rank in Fortune
magazine's "100 Best Companies To Work For" and "All Star" lists.
Fuller was recognized with the Veterans Advantage TopVet award in December 2010. As a former captain in the United States Army
, he received the Bronze Star Medal
and an Army Commendation Medal for his exemplary service to his country during missions in Vietnam
and Germany
.
and for his support of "green
" organizations around the world. He has represented Marriott International at high profile environmental events, including one hosted by Charles, Prince of Wales
. He also served as International Tourism Partner (ITP) chairman for 8 of 16 years on the board of directors. Fuller has also impacted the protection of the Amazon Rainforest
.
He is quoted as saying, "I believe we are standing at a crossroads. While the science behind climate change may still be debated, few argue that temperatures are rising globally and that this change will potentially have a devastating effect on destinations and populations. As an industry, it is too risky to sit back and watch. We need to take an active part in understanding the change and doing our part to mitigate this trend."
Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Founded by J. Willard Marriott, the company is now led by son J.W. Marriott, Jr...
, a position he has held since 1991. He is a published author and considered a leading authority in the global hospitality industry. Fuller led Marriott to expand from 16 properties outside the continental United States and Canada to 400 operating and 175 under construction in 70 countries with $7B in revenues. He created 72,000 new jobs globally since joining Marriott in 1972.
Fuller began his career at Marriott as a management trainee and was promoted throughout his career into executive leadership roles in marketing, sales, and operations. Titles held have included Director of National and International Sales and Reservations, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, and Regional Vice President. He was promoted to the global leadership role of International Lodging Operations as Senior Vice President and Managing Director and later to Executive Vice President and Managing Director. In addition, he chairs the International Development Committee.
Fuller is an award-winning and active alumnus of Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
(BU). He was recognized with the Alumni Award in 1998. He currently serves on the Board of Overseers and as chairman for the Advisory Board at BU. He is also chairman of the Advisory Board for the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
's Mirage School of Business and was appointed to the California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
Hospitality Industry Advisory Board.
Publication
Fuller is the author of You Can't Lead With Your Feet on the DeskYou Can't Lead With Your Feet on the Desk
You Can't Lead With Your Feet on the Desk: Building Relationships, Breaking Down Barriers, and Delivering Profits is a book by Edwin D. Fuller, first published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc...
: Building Relationships, Breaking Down Barriers, and Delivering Profits, which was published by Wiley
John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., also referred to as Wiley, is a global publishing company that specializes in academic publishing and markets its products to professionals and consumers, students and instructors in higher education, and researchers and practitioners in scientific, technical, medical, and...
in March 2011. Drawing on nearly 40 years of professional experience with Marriott, he shares insight on methods for dealing with employees, partners, suppliers, and customers in a manner that breaks down cultural and language barriers. He offers guidance on managing in any culture through the use of respect and sensitivity for diverse customs and practices. The book also explores his own career journey, describing how he built Marriott International's global presence to become one of the largest and most successful hotel chains in the world.
In his book, he credits learning "the art of leadership and relationship building" from J. W. Marriott, Jr., William Shaw
William Shaw (businessman)
William J. Shaw is the Vice-Chairman of Marriott International Inc. He has held this post since May 2009. Shaw received his BA from University of Notre Dame and MBA from Washington University in St. Louis in 1972. He joined the Marriott hotel company in 1974, was elected Corporate Controller in...
, Al Le Faivre, Paul Reed, Bill Tiefel, Sergeant James, his Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
fraternity brothers at Boston University, and the many individuals he served beside in the U.S. Army. He continuously stresses the significance of trust, values, and responsibility throughout the publication.
The book focuses on Fuller's belief in how leaders must be present to build relationships, understand culture, and advance business. He writes, "... if you are spending your days meeting with other managers or sitting at your desk doing paperwork, it's time to broaden your horizons and get closer to your business." He also provides numerous real-life accounts of maintaining operations and profits through hurricanes, war, and political unrest.
With the ability to use storytelling
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
as a method for inspiring and teaching others, he lists ways to improve management skills throughout his book by sharing his own experiences. His storytelling is also used to promote career advancement for others, such as illustrations regarding his own career launch, which was as a waiter. Fuller shared that "Storytelling has made me more effective in doing my job."
In a first-person account he states, "I was hired as a management trainee in 1972 and spent the next 39 years learning—everything from cleaning potatoes to cleaning rooms and lessons in marketing, sales, and operations."
Professional history
In 1972, he launched his career as the sales director of Twin Bridges Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Fuller served in a sales leadership role, and was subsequently promoted to the position of national sales manager of the Northeast Region in 1973, located in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. With a vision for national (and ultimately international) expansion, he accepted the position of Director of National and International Sales at Marriott International Headquarters in Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
from 1976 to 1978.
Fuller's drive and capability led to the global executive position of Vice President / Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. He served in this role from 1978 to 1982, during which time he spearheaded aggressive sales and marketing initiatives across the United States, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. He is credited with establishing Marriott's original international reservations network, as well as the entire sales and marketing organization in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Middle East.
Fuller became general manager of the Long Island Marriott Hotel in 1982, where in one year he launched the newly-constructed 300-room suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in Hempstead, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. From 1983 to 1985, he served as General Manager of the Boston Marriott Hotel at Copley Place, leading the development of a 1,200-room convention hotel which opened in 1984. As Regional Vice President of Midwest and Canada, he relocated to Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
from 1985 to 1989 to lead operations, marketing, human resources, and financial aspects of hotels in the Midwest and the first Marriott in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. From 1989 to 1990, Fuller grew revenues to $1.5 billion as Regional Vice President of the Western and Pacific Regions in Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
In 1991, he was promoted to his current executive role of President and Managing Director of the International Lodging Division. During his tenure, he has logged more than 10-million miles of air travel while expanding Marriott's global footprint to more than 150 countries. In his current position, Fuller leads operations and expansion in the Middle East and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and is charged with guiding Marriott's global growth strategy. He reports directly to the chief operating officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
(COO).
Fuller operates from Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. He is credited with growing international operations from 16 hotels valued at $325 million to a network of 400 and 175 in development with gross sales of $7 billion. He created and directed global brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
creation of JW Marriott Hotels
JW Marriott Hotels
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, namesake of John Willard Marriott, Founder, Chairman & CEO of is a luxury hotel chain. Found in major cities as well as vacation destinations world-wide, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts are becoming known in the hospitality industry for their practical approach to luxury...
and Marriott Executive Apartments. Fuller is credited with reducing costs $1 million per hotel by developing and implementing the "Infinity" property audit process, which was launched globally within Marriott and Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
brands.
Education and academic affiliations
Fuller obtained a Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Business Administration from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
in 1968, and is also a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Advanced Management Program. Actively involved with several higher education initiatives, Fuller serves on the Board of Overseers at Boston University and as Chairman of the Schools Advisory Board at the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
. Fuller was formerly the Director of the United Way International Board.
Awards and recognitions
Fuller was formally recognized with the Boston University Alumni Award in 1999 and School of Management Alumni Award for Service to Alma Mater in 1992. Recognized with several awards throughout his career, Fuller won the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) Aatithya Ratna Award, 2010 China Hotel Investment Summit, 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award; and Marriott Chairman's Award, 1999.Fuller was an integral leader of the executive team that led the company to rank in Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
magazine's "100 Best Companies To Work For" and "All Star" lists.
Fuller was recognized with the Veterans Advantage TopVet award in December 2010. As a former captain in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, he received the Bronze Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
and an Army Commendation Medal for his exemplary service to his country during missions in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Commitment to the environment and global community
Fuller is recognized for his dedication to developing and implementing strategies that preserve the environmentEnvironmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
and for his support of "green
Sustainable energy
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
" organizations around the world. He has represented Marriott International at high profile environmental events, including one hosted by Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. He also served as International Tourism Partner (ITP) chairman for 8 of 16 years on the board of directors. Fuller has also impacted the protection of the Amazon Rainforest
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
.
He is quoted as saying, "I believe we are standing at a crossroads. While the science behind climate change may still be debated, few argue that temperatures are rising globally and that this change will potentially have a devastating effect on destinations and populations. As an industry, it is too risky to sit back and watch. We need to take an active part in understanding the change and doing our part to mitigate this trend."