CHEVY CHASE, Md., Sept. 3, 2013?– Edward French has been named as the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. As a member of the Corporate Operating Committee, he will oversee the strategic positioning of one of the world’s most iconic and powerful luxury hotel brands.
In his role, French will serve as the strategic business partner to the President and Global Chief Operating Officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, and play a critical leadership role for the Marketing, Global Sales and Revenue Management discipline. With oversight of Sales, Marketing, Revenue Management, eCommerce, CRM, Public Relations and Social Media, he is responsible for driving top-line revenue for The Ritz-Carlton brand, ensuring the strategic priorities of the discipline are aligned and designed to yield profitable sales, increased market share, and expanded competitive advantage.
As French moves into his Ritz-Carlton role, there will continue to be increased focus on making meaningful connections and deepening the levels of engagement with guests through digital, CRM and mobile platforms. “The digital evolution that we see is shifting the marketing landscape dramatically,” said French. “The Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts are truly beloved by consumers who have many wonderful memories of personal experiences. I am delighted at the opportunity to take a truly iconic luxury brand and continue to bring it to life in a multitude of ways with those who connect with us.”
Prior to his current role, French was Senior Vice President, Marketing Platforms, which included overseeing the operations, marketing and strategic direction of the award winning loyalty programs, Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards. This included guiding the hotel reward programs’ communications, customer service, partnership development, database, and member acquisition efforts. Additionally, French led total customer relationship management, marketing systems and segmentation, incentive and gift card marketing for the company, as well as the internal creative agency.
French joined Marriott from American Airlines, where he led the Advantage program, the world’s largest customer loyalty program. In that role, he was responsible for direct operations, marketing and customer service for the airline’s frequent flier program. Ed started his career at American Airlines in 1992 as an analyst in revenue management. Previously, he worked for Chase Manhattan Bank.