Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Strategic Leadership

The only two-time recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the service category, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company manages 36 luxury hotels in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. All have received four- or five-star ratings from the Mobil Travel Guide and diamond ratings from the American Automobile Association.

The Ritz-Carlton competes against nearly 10 hotel groups in the “luxury” and “upscale, deluxe” categories in the industry. Sales totaled almost $1.5 billion in 1998, with services provided to meeting and event planners accounting for 40 percent of the total. Independent business and leisure travelers constitute the next largest customer
segment.

More than 85 percent of the company’s 17,000 employees—known as “The Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton”—are front-line workers in hotels. Through extensive training programs and by offering opportunities for professional development, the company encourages personnel to advance in the organization. Ritz-Carlton President and Chief Operating Officer Horst Schulze began his career in the hospitality industry as a waiter’s apprentice at a hotel in Europe.
An independently operated division of Marriott International, Inc., since 1997, the 16-year-old company is headquartered in Atlanta.

Corporate Governance

http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/en/LeadershipCenter/TeamBios/Bio_SimonCooper.htm

Simon Cooper is the President and CEO since 2001

Cooperative Strategy

http://www.ritzcarltonclub.com/ritz-carlton-real-estate-alliances/

Ritz Carlton has an alliance with American express and Marquis Jet. AE offers its customers for preferred options for Membership in the Ritz Carlton Desitnation Club. The Marquis Jet card offers world class aviation accessible to its customers; up to 25 hours of use.