A look at Marriott International CEO Bill Marriott
NAME: J.W. "Bill" Marriott Jr.
AGE: 79. Born in Washington D.C. on March 25, 1932.
EDUCATION: Prep school at St. Albans in Washington D.C.; University of Utah, B.S. in banking and finance, 1954.
FAMILY: Married Donna Garff in 1955. They have four children, 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
PARENTS: John Willard Marriott and Alice Sheets Marriott. They founded the company in 1927 with a nine-stool root beer stand.
MILITARY EXPERIENCE: Served as a lieutenant in the Navy, USS Randolph, an aircraft carrier from 1954-56 overseeing everything from the barber shop to the retail store and eventually meals for the ship's officers.
CAREER: Joined father's restaurant chain, 1956 and oversaw the first hotel in 1957. Became president of Marriott in 1964 at the age of 32; CEO in 1972 and chairman of the board in 1985, following his father's death.
HOBBY: Collecting and driving sports cars.
THOUGHTS ON GOLF: "I played a little bit and said: This is too much time and too difficult and I don't have the patience for it."
TYPICAL DATE NIGHT WITH WIFE DONNA: Action movies and hamburgers from Five Guys. "I don't understand all the stuff that these celebrity chefs are putting on their menus."
BLOGGING: Marriott doesn't use a computer — he never learned to type — but with help from an assistant produces a blog, which he composes in long hand or by dictation.
MORALE BUILDING: He writes 200 personal notes to customers and another 300 to employees each year. "The two best words in the business are 'thank you.' I want to thank our people for going the extra mile. I want them to know that I've noticed."
2010 COMPENSATION: $9.6 million.
BOOK RECENTLY READ: "Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero" by Chris Matthews.
LAST MOVIE SEEN: "My Week with Marilyn."
FAVORITE HOTEL: JW Marriott Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, Ariz.
