Rena H. Reiss

Rena H. Reiss

EVP and General Counsel at Marriott International
Company Tenure: 16 years
Education:
Harvard University (JD) Princeton University (AB)
Biography:

Rena H. Reiss serves as EVP and General Counsel for Marriott International. Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Reiss has worked for Marriott International for 16 years. Outside of her professional occupation, Reiss is also affiliated with the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, the Legal Services Corporation Leaders Council, the Association of General Counsel, the Georgetown Law Hotel and Lodging Legal Summit Advisory Board, the DE&I Advisory Board of the ACC National Capital Region, and the Princeton University Alumni Schools Committee. Her educational background includes a JD from Harvard University and an AB from Princeton University. Additionally, she has engaged in political giving, donating $1000 to Democrat causes.

Profile Details

Total Political Contributions More information

Republican Support
Democratic Support
$0 $1,000

Affiliated Companies

Key Statements

So the board committee that you mentioned, which was founded about 20 years ago, we've actually just changed the name of the committee, and it's the Inclusion and Social Impact Committee and it's board members working with members of management. To really dig in, dig into statistics and say, what is it that we can really do to advance the cause of inclusion in the company? An inclusive opportunity. Our hiring numbers at sort of junior and entry level jobs are great and people fall out of the system. Why is that? How can we change that? I think there is an argument, we've all heard it, that inclusion is an economic issue. But I also think that we're all finally acknowledging that confronting issues of racial and social justice, it's a moral issue. We have a lot of work to do in this company. And I know if I can say to the folks on my team, I'm troubled by what happened in Louisville with the indictment. And we have a lot of work to do, and let's just start it with what feels comfortable to you guys and what you want to do. So I think the other challenge that we face is that Black Lives Matter is obviously very much on the radar screen of my team in the US. But I have a team throughout the world. And how do you sort of translate that to people around the world who live in different cultures? There are different levels of understanding of what's going on. Again, I think so much of it is just a willingness to have open conversations and to listen to one another. And I think fundamentally one of our challenges is to help people understand. By saying that we're looking at increasing opportunities for some people doesn't mean we're foreclosing opportunities for other people.