Courtesy of Diana F.
Name: Diana F.
Position: Global Technology Procurement and Asset Manager
Location: Marriott HQ
Dream destination: The United Kingdom
Drink or treat of choice: I’m from Cuba and we have a non-alcoholic drink called Malta that is brewed from barley, the same as beer (ironically, I hate beer) — that’s my favorite. As for alcoholic drinks, I must recommend my top choices: mojitos, piña coladas and daiquiris.
In fall 2022, Diana found herself sitting in the audience of a guest speaker panel at her business school (University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, to be precise) listening to executives from Marriott give an overview of life at the hospitality company, its culture, and what it’s like to be an associate. Suddenly, Diana knew where she needed to be.
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“The way they were talking about the company, its values and even about Mr. Marriott, made me realize that I wanted to be part of a company — if not Marriott, another one — where I could speak proudly of it, as they were doing that day,” recalls Diana.
Diana came to the U.S. from Cuba to pursue her master’s degree in supply chain management. While in Havana, she worked as the manager of her family’s boutique hotel — so hospitality is close to her heart.
Courtesy of Diana F.
“I really loved meeting people from all over the world and helping them enjoy their stay in the city,” says Diana.
Fast forward to January 2023, when it came time to start applying for summer internships, and Diana promptly went to the Marriott Careers site to apply for the HQ Fellowship/Internship Program. “Marriott was my first choice,” says Diana.
Luckily, she was accepted and after a summer working in Marriott’s Global Technology Procurement department, she knew what she wanted.
“I knew I wanted to come back but wasn’t sure if it was going to be possible, so I focused on graduating from my master’s and applying in the future if the opportunity presented itself. Luckily for me, they opened a position and contacted me to see if I was interested. I didn’t even need to know what the position was or what I would be doing, I immediately said yes. My dream had come true!”
“Being back at Marriott and at the same department I did my internship in is truly amazing. I was on cloud nine when I finally got the offer letter and had a start date. I’m extremely grateful to be working with this amazing team again and can’t wait to help them in any way I can.”
Learn more about Diana’s journey from fellowship to full time associate, in her own words, below.
What did your Marriott fellowship mean to you?
I’m an international student from Cuba, so the fact that I’m working, for the first time, in an American company as global as Marriott, it’s, so far, the highlight of my life. I took that internship very seriously. It was an amazing opportunity for me to introduce myself to the job market, especially in the hospitality industry which I love.
Courtesy of Diana F.
Why did you choose Marriott for an internship?
I was actually accepted by another company, with better pay and located closer to home, but I was absolutely sure I wanted to work for Marriott. The company’s culture, its values and the possibilities to grow as a professional here were too important for me.
What do you do on your new role?
I work for the Global Technology Procurement department, specifically in the Hardware & Software Asset Management team. We are responsible for the negotiation, purchase, delivery, tracking and management of technology products, services, contracts, and supplier relationships throughout their lifecycle. Right now, I’m doing a bit of everything as part of my training, but I’m mainly focused on Data Integrity Process Improvement and assisting with the migration of our department to a new platform.
What’s your favorite part of the new job?
I like that it’s in my same line of study. My master’s degree is in Supply Chain Management and here we take care of the life cycle of the assets, from their purchase until their disposal, we manage the relationships with our suppliers and our clients, we do forecasting, inventory analysis, and tracking. Also, working with people I already knew is a plus, it makes the transition from student to full-time employee way easier.
What makes Marriott stand out?
Working directly with people is complicated, especially in the hospitality industry, because we have numerous subjective factors to measure our satisfaction with the hotel, the service, the staff, but that’s what makes the job interesting and different every day. If you love this industry like I do, you want to work for a company that’s constantly trying to improve the customer’s experience at their properties and that focuses on the service quality, while at the same time prioritizing the needs of its employees. A company that creates an environment where both customers and employees feel that they are listened to and respected, where they work together with the community and where everyone feels welcome. Marriott does that impeccably.
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