Smith MBAs Discuss Sustainability with Marriott

Last Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016, MBA students at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business met with Denise Naguib, Marriott’s vice president of sustainability and supplier diversity, to discuss her role in the sustainability effort in the hotel industry.

Naguib was a junior, pre-med student at the University of Oregon when a Tropical Ecology class changed her path: “It showed me there were all these different things that one could do in their lives, including understanding and being a part of the natural environment,” she said. Since then she has spent her career executing various environmental programs and sustainability efforts in corporate hotels.

Naguib came to Smith to speak as a part of the Center for Social Value Creation’s (CSVC) Sustainability Lunch and Learn series. This was the first of a three-part event that focuses on the emerging opportunities and innovations in corporate sustainability.

After sharing her experience, Naguib invited input from the MBAs. “What are hotels missing?” she asked the table.  The students made suggestions based on their areas of expertise and study, but also as hotel consumers.

One student asked why hotel hall lights are always on. Another asked about in-room recycling. The big question of the afternoon dealt with the clash between luxury and sustainability, a topic Naguib is very familiar with.

As a corporate director of environmental programs for the Ritz Carlton, she had to work toward sustainability without ruining the luxury experience. In order to move sustainability forward, Naguib said business and revenue would need to be in good standing. “Winning the hearts and minds and wallets” of the consumers was her approach to marrying business with sustainability.

“The guest themselves have a connection to us and an understanding of the value we’re bringing as a company – a connection to their own values,” Naguib said. In her experience, customers receive sustainability efforts fairly well. In fact, the Marriot received negative reviews for locations that lacked in-room recycling and positive reviews in locations that included in-room recycling.

Progress in sustainability also relies on the inner workings of the business. Naguib stressed the importance of meeting departments halfway and sometimes more. She discussed how uniting employees and people in the efforts of sustainability takes different approaches. Goals look different because each department focuses on a variety of tasks. “Diversity of thought is critical in helping us solve problems,” she said.

Naguib discussed some brand standards and goals to reach by 2025. “I believe the organization must set a science-based target.” She referred to the need for more specific metrics when measuring sustainability efforts and changes. “I have a real sense the organization is ready for more,” Naguib said.

The next Sustainability Lunch and Learn session will be on October 20. 2016, with a guest speaker from Deloitte.

- Julia Reed, Intern, Office of Marketing Communications