Marriott Organizational Update: Michele Pajot Named AVP, Franchise Operations
I am pleased to announce that Michele Pajot has accepted the position of Area Vice President, Franchise Operations.
In this role, Michele will work on continuing to strengthen our relationships with our North American full service franchisees. She will be responsible for negotiating the business terms for any hotels in her portfolio that change owners. Michele will also be responsible for ensuring that our franchise partners understand and comply with the brand initiatives that we require. In addition, Michele will work closely with our Global Design team as well as A&C leaders to ensure that PIPs and renovations are completed in alignment with our brand design standards.
Michele has been Vice President, Full Service Franchising Operations for the past four years and has done an amazing job of advocating for Marriott with our franchisees while also advocating for the franchise community through her work at Marriott Headquarters. Most recently, Michele has also been a member of the Global Integration team working on the Starwood merger, of which she will continue to be a member for the coming months.
Michele has a strong resume that includes a variety of leadership roles. Prior to joining the Full Service OFS team, she was the General Manager at the Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg, MD and brings 25 years of Marriott hotel operations experience to this critical franchise role. In her previous roles, Michele’s leadership and efforts led to unprecedented increases in guest satisfaction, associate satisfaction and RevPAR.
Michele also held the role of General Manager at the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark and has held roles as the Director of Finance and Director of Operations for the Philadelphia Airport Marriott. Her career highlights include several other leadership positions within the finance discipline. Michele started her Marriott career in 1991 as a banquet server while attending Bentley College to receive her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. She has received numerous awards while with the company, including Charlotte Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” and Marriott’s Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year and Financial Leader of the Year.
Michele currently resides in Boyds, MD with her husband Jerome and their two daughters. In her free time, Michele enjoys playing tennis, running and cooking for her family. She will transition fully to this position on May 21, 2016.
Please join me in congratulating Michele on her new position.
Thank you,
Kip Vreeland
SVP, Full Service Franchising
