CFO & Executive VP of Development, Marriott International
Search every verified Kathleen Oberg interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Kathleen Oberg, CFO and EVP of Development at Marriott International, has discussed the company's growth strategy and operational model in media appearances. In a 2024 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Oberg stated that Marriott was the first hotel chain to separate real estate ownership from management, a model she said allowed the company to focus on building brands and growing more quickly. She noted that the company holds only about 7% of global market share and sees "lots of opportunity for future growth." Oberg cited the StudioRes brand as an example of Marriott entering the mid-scale extended-stay segment based on customer research and feedback from owners and franchisees. She also said that returns on investment for hotel owners are driven by efficient costs and revenue from customers, and that amenities such as multi-use bar and lounge spaces have shown "tremendous returns." In a 2021 interview with Bloomberg, Oberg addressed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Marriott, describing it as "a shock" and "a kick in the butt." She said the furloughs and layoffs the company implemented were "necessary to survive." Oberg noted that Marriott had hired 40,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic and emphasized the importance of technology, such as mobile key entry, in improving productivity for both customers and owners. She described the CFO role as having broadened beyond financial oversight to include communicating strategy and value to all constituencies. Oberg also stated that over 60% of her global finance team are women and over a third are people of color, which she said makes the company better in terms of ideas and performance.
Marriott International Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Development, Leeny Oberg talks with CoStar News Hotels' Bryan Wroten at the 2026 Americas Lodging Investment Summit. With her retirement coming at the end of March, she talks about her experiences at Marriott, her favorite moments, the 2016 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide deal and what's next.
Marriott International’s Leeny Oberg joins the HNN podcast from the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference to discuss Marriott’s new Project Mid-T brand and her thoughts on interest rates, development and more.
05/06/2025 Q&A: 19:25 Marriott International, Inc. engages in operation, franchising, and licensing of hotel, residential, timeshare, and other lodging properties worldwide. It operates its properties under the JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, St. Regis, EDITION, Bvlgari, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Le Meridien, Delta Hotels by Marriott, MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy, Tribute Portfolio, Gaylord Hotels, Design Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy, Cour…
02/11/2025 Q&A: 19:30 Marriott International, Inc. engages in operating, franchising, and licensing hotel, residential, timeshare, and other lodging properties worldwide. It operates its properties under the JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, St. Regis, EDITION, Bvlgari, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Le Meridien, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Tribute Portfolio, Gaylord Hotels, Design Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Courtyard by Marriott, Marriott BonvoyA, Fairfield by Marriott, Residen…
Marriott—by many measures—is one of the largest hotel chains. With over 30 brands including the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Bonvoy and a presence in 139 countries and territories, the company still sees room for future growth. WSJ sat down with CFO and EVP of Development Leeny Oberg, who shares why this is just the beginning of growth for the hospitality giant and what amenities have the highest returns on investment for its hotel owners. Chapters: 0:00 Marriott’s size 0:31 Role as a brand company 2:51 Power of branding 9:41 Where the industry is going #Marriott #Hotels #WSJ
05/01/2024 Q&A: 16:20 Marriott International, Inc. engages in operating, franchising, and licensing hotel, residential, timeshare, and other lodging properties worldwide. It operates its properties under the JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, St. Regis, EDITION, Bvlgari, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Le Meridien, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Tribute Portfolio, Gaylord Hotels, Design Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott…
This episode of Chief Future Officer focuses on Marriott International CFO Leeny Oberg. Shery Ahn explores how she's helping the world's largest hotel chain through a challenging period for the hospitality industry, facing labor shortages, changing customer expectations, and a sharp falloff in business travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Leeny Oberg, Chief Financial Officer at Marriott International, spoke with CNBC's Seema Mody at Skift Global Forum 2019 on the topic of "Financial Leadership: How Marriott Is Competing Globally and Scaling Its Brands." Get details about future Skift events at http://forum.skift.com.
Marriott International EVP and CFO Leeny Oberg talks with Hotel News Now’s Robert McCune about how the company’s loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, is positioned to buck the trend toward an overall performance growth slowdown in the hotel industry, and about Marriott’s spending priorities for 2019 and 2020.
Marriott International EVP and CFO Leeny Oberg speaks with HNN's Bryan Wroten about highlights from 2017, tax reform, pipeline trends and more at this year's Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles.
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