Lisa Checchio, svp and chief marketing officer at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, has been with the Parsippany, NJ-headquartered hotel franchising company for three years. It has 20 brands, 15,000 team members and nearly 9,000 hotels in 80 countries.

“I’ve never been a ‘sit at the desk and do same thing day in, day out’ kind of person,” Checchio explains. “Throughout my career, I’ve been driven by the energy, creativity and variety that comes from working in marketing.”

Marketing, she says, is the “heart of an organization, bringing together its people, strategy, product and operations, and presenting who we are to our customers. The ability to work with smart, innovative and passionate people in all of those disciplines makes me excited to come to work every day.”

Checchio started her professional career in live events and professional sports, and led brand marketing for a major airline, prior to joining the Wyndham family.

“I really love working on value brands because they each in their own way make an experience attainable for the many, not just the few. The world is an amazing place. Experiencing something together with family and friends makes me a richer person, and helping someone else do that is very meaningful to me,” she says.

Checchio, who has a degree in economics and business administration from The George Washington University, leads consumer marketing for Wyndham’s 20 iconic hotel brands, its loyalty brand, its master corporate brand, development marketing, global sales marketing, franchise marketing and communications, integrated media and the guest experience.

“And I love every minute. For me, it is, and will always be, the people. When you’re surrounded by smart, talented people who are as passionate as you are, you will not only do your best work, but you will also have the most fun doing it.”

Checchio and her colleagues recently completed the spinoff of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from former parent company, Wyndham Worldwide - becoming the largest pure-play hotel franchising company in the world.

“At the same time, we also acquired La Quinta Hotels - the largest acquisition in our history. It’s been a landmark year of change and transition, where we had to build on our collective 80 years of history to establish a brand-new company.”

Those interested in hospitality should interview the employer as much as they interview you, she believes. “Get a sense if it’s an organization that has an authentic culture, with people and energy that resonates with you. Whatever you do, you may not always remember every project, but you will remember the people who were there with you.”

She further advises you being passionate about what you do, loving your work and caring about your legacy. “This is your life and you should be able to look back and be proud of what you did and how you did it,” she underscores.

“In this field, we’re welcoming and serving people 24/7/365 all around the world. It’s inspiring and humbling. To work at this pace and on this scale means you have to love it.”

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