Biography
Passion for exceptional guest experiences fuels Alec Dalton’s leadership in hospitality and customer experience management. From hotels to headquarters, his background ranges from operating five luxury properties to holding various corporate positions with industry pioneers like Marriott International, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, and Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. He is a frequently-sought speaker on customer experience and quality strategy, and a co-author of several international best-selling books.
In 2022, the International Hospitality Institute named Alec among its lists of "100 Most Powerful People in USA Hospitality," "Global Top 20 Executives to Watch in Hospitality," and "Global Top 15 Trainers in Hospitality." A year prior, the Customer Experience Professionals Association recognized Dalton with the inaugural Emerging Leader in CX Award to acknowledge his rising contributions to the customer experience discipline. In 2018, Hotel Management Magazine named him to the “30 Under 30” list for rising hospitality leaders. Alec is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of the Hospitality Leadership Academy, a firm offering professional development programs and management consulting - all focused on service excellence. He simultaneously serves as Executive Director for Accelerating Leaders. His teams help boutique businesses and brand names alike develop five-star service, whether they be in hospitality or healthcare, restaurants or retail. He also serves on the Boards of the Customer Institute and HorizonCX, and he judges several global CX awards programs. Alec co-authored the international best-selling books Customer Experience and Customer Experience 2, collaborative guides to the strategy of experience marketing and operations. Along with Drs. Peter Szende and Michelle Yoo, he is also the co-editor of the textbook Operations Management in the Hospitality Industry. Alec’s scholarly research has been published in the Journal of Foodservice Business Research, in the International Journal of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism, and in Hospitality Management Learning Modules by Pearson. Previously, Alec held a variety of leadership roles within Marriott International's Global Quality office: Alec was chiefly responsible for developing quality management systems, tools, and training to help operators enhance the performance of over 7,500 hotels across a portfolio of 30 leading brands. He also served on advisory boards regarding operations and marketing research, luxury branding, loyalty management, and hotel experience design. Prior to his six years at Marriott International Headquarters, he served in managerial and operational roles within five luxury hotels - with brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, and Grand Heritage Hotel Group. The Customer Experience Professionals Association regards Alec as a Certified Customer Experience Professional, the Council for Six Sigma Certification recognizes Alec as a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt, and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute named him a Certified Rooms Division Executive and a Certified Hotel Industry Analyst. Alec holds senior membership in the American Society for Quality, founding membership in the World Experience Organization, and general membership in the Customer Experience Professionals Association. Alec graduated from Boston University with dual bachelor’s degrees in business and hospitality administration. In 2020, Boston University's School of Hospitality Administration recognized Alec as "Young Alumni of the Year" for his continued service toward the university and industry. |