Diverse Leaders, Diverse Hotels

Anthony Capuano is President and CEO of Marriott International, Inc. In his role, Mr. Capuano presides over the world’s largest hospitality company and some of the most iconic brands in travel. Mr. Capuano joined Marriott in 1995 and was instrumental in its steady growth over the years, which culminated in the acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in 2016. The company now has nearly 8,300 properties across 138 countries and territories and 30 brands. It also enjoys the travel industry’s largest customer-loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, with more than 177 million members. 

Before his appointment as CEO in February 2021, Mr. Capuano was Group President, Global Development, Design and Operations Services, where he led the strategic unit growth of all of Marriott’s brands while overseeing the global design team as well as Marriott’s global operating standards and protocols for thousands of properties around the world. Mr. Capuano was also responsible for oversight of the EDITION Hotels, a unique concept in the luxury lifestyle hotel space conceived by hotelier Ian Schrager and Marriott International.

With more than 20 years of international hospitality experience, Bernd Pichler’s core background lies in operations and sales. He joined SH Hotels & Resorts at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge in 2019 and, since 2021, manages 1 Hotel Central Park. 

Like many hospitality industry experts, Mr. Pichler’s passion for his trade has introduced him to many different parts of the globe. Prior to joining SH, he held various roles in the U.S., most recently as Hotel Manager at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe; previously as Director of Operations at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa; and additional positions with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr (Abu Dhabi, UAE), Fairmont Grand Del Mar (San Diego), Fairmont San Francisco, and Fairmont Pittsburgh (PA). 

Prior to his 10 years with Fairmont, Mr. Pichler operated SEB Restaurant in Valencia, Spain. Before his time in Spain, he opened The Langham London (UK) and held various sales and marketing roles at The Chelsea Toronto (Canada) and The Leading Hotels of the World representing the UK, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, and Israel (UK based).

In his role as the General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, Matthew Felix strategically led his team through an extensive public space renovation, including a bold repositioning of the hotel’s restaurant. The restaurant, now critically acclaimed, has helped to reintroduce an established hotel to a rapidly evolving market. Under Mr. Felix’s leadership, the property also achieved outstanding results across the balanced scorecard, including improved RevPAR, ADR, house profit, net operating income, guest satisfaction, and associate engagement. 

Prior to his current position, Mr. Felix held various sales, revenue management, and operational leadership roles throughout his Marriott career. He spent time as a General Manager for other Marriott brands, including Renaissance Hotels, Marriott Hotels, and Residence Inn by Marriott. At the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel, Mr. Felix’s associate-centric leadership style was highlighted when the hotel reached its highest-ever AES score in 2019. In addition, as the Resident Manager of the Marriott Marquis Washington, D.C. in 2015 the hotel ranked first in guest satisfaction survey scores among all Marriott convention network hotels.

Yvette Thomas-Henry is Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Nevis. Born in St. Thomas, USVI, and raised in St. Croix, Ms. Thomas-Henry becomes the first female and first Caribbean native to take the helm of the 350-acre resort. In addition to her role in Nevis overseeing a property that recently completed a multimillion-dollar enhancement project and is ranked by travelers and travel experts as one of the top Caribbean resorts, Ms. Thomas-Henry is responsible for the operational oversight of several properties.