Debbie Marriott Harrison
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL INC /MD/About Debbie Marriott Harrison
Deborah “Debbie” Marriott Harrison, age 68, has served on Marriott International’s Board since 2014. She is the daughter of Chairman Emeritus J.W. Marriott, Jr. and granddaughter of the company’s founders, and currently holds the role of Global Cultural Ambassador Emeritus at Marriott, bringing deep governance-relevant experience in culture, workforce, and government relations; the Board classifies her as not independent due to her family ties and former employment with the company .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriott International | Global Officer, Marriott Culture and Business Councils | 2013–2019 | Led culture and business councils; workforce/culture insights |
| Marriott International | Senior Vice President, Government Affairs | 2007–2013 | Government relations and public policy judgment |
| Marriott International | Vice President, Government Affairs | 2006–2007 | Government affairs leadership |
| Marriott Hotels/Marriott International | Operations and accounting roles (Key Bridge and Dallas Marriott hotels) | Prior to 2006 | On-property operational grounding |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation | Board of Trustees | Not disclosed | Philanthropy/governance experience |
| Bill and Donna Marriott Foundation | Trustee | Not disclosed | Philanthropy/governance experience |
| Bridges from School to Work | Board of Trustees | Not disclosed | Workforce development advocacy |
| Wilmer Eye Institute | Board of Governors | Not disclosed | Nonprofit governance |
Board Governance
- Independence: Not independent (family relationship and role as Global Cultural Ambassador Emeritus) .
- Committee assignments: Inclusion and Social Impact Committee – Member (focus on sustainability, social impact, associate well-being; committee met 4 times in 2024) .
- Attendance: Board met 4 times in 2024; no director attended fewer than 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; all 12 nominees in 2024 attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Director stock ownership guideline: 3x combined annual cash and stock retainers (≈9x cash retainer) within five years; directors must retain 50% of net after-tax shares until compliance; all non-employee directors with 5+ years have met the guideline .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component (2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $100,000 | Standard director retainer . |
| Deferred Share Award (equity) | $200,010 | Granted May 13, 2024; 837 shares at $238.96; vests pro-rata over term to the next annual meeting . |
| All other compensation | $24,404 | Perquisites including hotel stay benefits and limited items; no tax gross-ups . |
| Total | $324,414 | Sum of components above . |
Program design context (board-wide):
- Additional annual fees: Lead Independent Director ($60,000), Audit Chair ($35,000), other committee chair ($25,000), Audit Committee member retainer ($20,000) .
- Directors may elect to receive fees as SARs or defer fees into stock units or EDC; director SARs have 10-year term, become exercisable after one year .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Performance Metrics | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Director equity (Deferred Share Award) | None (time-based; no performance linkage) | Pro-rata daily vesting over term to next annual meeting; no dividend equivalents; distribution post-separation (or per election) . |
Policy safeguards:
- Anti-hedging: Directors prohibited from hedging or derivatives on Marriott securities .
- Pledging: Independent directors prohibited; non-independent directors not executive officers may pledge only with prior Lead Independent Director approval (no such approvals requested in 2024) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None . |
| Public company boards (past 5 years) | None . |
| Related-party hotel interests – JWM Family Enterprises, L.P. | Family-controlled entities held interests in 18 Marriott-operated hotels in 2024; Marriott earned ~$13.5M management fees + ~$123K services fees; procurement/tech/renovation services provided; no Marriott financial ownership in those hotels . |
| Related-party hotel interests – Dauntless Capital Partners (son and son-in-law) | Affiliates held interests in 10 Marriott-branded hotels (8 franchised, 2 managed); Marriott earned ~$5.9M in management, franchise and other fees in 2024; Twin Bridges Hospitality (two-thirds owned by son and son-in-law) acts as asset manager for 13 Marriott-branded hotels (Marriott not a party to AM agreements) . |
Governance note: All related-person transactions are reviewed under Marriott’s written policy; Audit Committee considers arm’s-length terms and materiality; certain categories are deemed pre-approved within thresholds and with management committee screening .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Culture and workforce: Former Global Officer for culture and business councils; insights into associate engagement .
- Government affairs: Former SVP/VP Government Affairs; public policy perspective .
- Nonprofit governance: Multiple trusteeships and board roles .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deborah M. Harrison | 27,133,279 shares | 9.83% | Includes shares held directly/indirectly via trusts/LLCs, deferred share awards; see footnotes for composition . |
| Deferred Share Awards/stock units (director) | 2,129 units within beneficial total | n/a | As of March 1, 2025 . |
| Director DS balances (granular) | 303 unvested; 1,826 vested | n/a | As of end of 2024 . |
| Pledged shares | 48,327 shares | n/a | Pledged by trusts where Harrison serves as trustee; policy permits pledging for non-independent, non-officer directors with prior approval . |
| Marriott family aggregate (J.W. Marriott, Jr.; D.S. Marriott; D.M. Harrison) | 13.08% combined | 13.08% | After eliminating double counting per proxy methodology . |
Insider Reporting and Trades
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Section 16(a) compliance (2024) | One late Form 4 filing by Deborah M. Harrison to report a gift to her spouse and one gift to trusts where her spouse is trustee; administrative error cited . |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Harrison brings significant cultural and stakeholder insights and nonprofit governance experience; active on the Inclusion and Social Impact Committee overseeing sustainability, DEI, and climate matters (committee met 4x in 2024) . Attendance thresholds were met across Board/committees in 2024 .
- Independence and conflicts: She is not independent; multiple related-party exposures exist via family-controlled entities and relatives’ investments in Marriott-branded hotels (fees to Marriott ~$13.5M JWM Family Enterprises; ~$5.9M Dauntless in 2024). These are governed under a formal related-person transaction policy with Audit Committee oversight, but constitute ongoing potential conflict vectors investors should monitor .
- Ownership alignment and red flags: Very high beneficial ownership (9.83%) strongly aligns interests; however, limited pledged shares (48,327) by trusts where she is trustee warrant attention given investor sensitivity to pledging, albeit allowed under policy for non-independent directors with oversight . Anti-hedging policy enhances alignment .
- Director pay structure: Balanced mix of cash and time-vested equity at market 50th percentile with robust stock ownership/retention guidelines; no performance-conditional director compensation, consistent with governance best practice for board independence from management performance outcomes .
- Shareholder sentiment: Say-on-pay support nearly 90% in 2024 signals general investor comfort with compensation governance and oversight frameworks, though not specific to directors .