Yvette Vincent is the continent information technology leader for the United States and Canada at Marriott International, where she oversees technical aspects of openings and deployments, property technical and field services, and compliance for more than 5,800 properties. She joined Marriott two years ago after 24 years at Delaware North, most recently as chief technology officer. She is active in Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG) where she has served on the board of directors. She currently is a member of HTNG’s Executive Leadership Group.

Much of Vincent’s emphasis is on execution, security and efficiency. “There’s a lot of talk in our industry about the ‘next big thing,’ but I spend a great deal of time focusing on core IT management,” she said. “I’m interested in getting the most value out of Marriott’s investments and in using existing as well as emerging technologies to provide the greatest experience for our guests and associates.

One of Vincent’s biggest technology initiatives is supporting the deployment of a new property management system. In December, it was announced that Marriott International had selected Agilysys’ cloud-native PMS for its luxury, premium and select service hotels across the U.S. and Canada. Marriott will be replacing multiple property management solutions that are currently in use. The multi-year project is the largest in the company’s history.

Additionally, her team recently deployed several digital initiatives. “It was hugely challenging,” she said, referring to the sheer number of pandemic-related disruptions.

Cybersecurity also is a focus for Vincent. She takes a big picture approach and partners with the security team and other areas of the company to protect customer information. “World cybercrime rates continue to rise as does the complexity of compliance and data privacy requirements,” she said. “Technology plays a critical role in reducing the threat landscape and protecting data.”

When it comes to security, Vincent would like to see vendors become more innovative, both to reduce risk and make it easier to manage compliance. “We see features being added to products, but we don’t see a lot of products making it easy to comply with data privacy laws,” she concluded. “When I consider new technology, I think about functionality that will benefit guests and associates, of course, but I also think about security and how the systems will be managed. The hospitality sector is a target for cyber-criminals, so we have to push technology to continuously improve guest data protection.”

YVETTE’S BEST:

• Family: Two adult children, four dogs, two cats and fish.
• Hobbies: Cycling, Airstream glamping, and attending festivals and airshows. “In years past, I was a competitive ballroom dancer at the championship level.”
• Go-To Periodical or Website: LinkedIn. “I like the crowdsourced content.”
• Book: The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico by Bernal Diaz del Castillo. “The author was in Cortez’s army, and it’s an account of his experiences. It’s equally engrossing and terrifying.”
• Music: “I like all genres but tend to fall back to my ballroom days, so anything that’s danceable.”
• Travel Destination: Moab, Utah. “When I’m there, I connect with the beauty of our planet.”
• Advice to Young People: “Never compromise your integrity. Also, take time to enjoy your journey, and remember that it’s your journey and not someone else’s.”
• Dinner With: Henry VIII. “I’m a big Tudor history junkie. The dinner conversation would be fascinating.”