Creating a thriving business council in the world’s fourth most populous country comes with challenges, particularly in a country like Indonesia which is spread out across 17,000 islands.

The 2023 Stephen Garff Marriott Award of Excellence for Culture goes to Marriott’s Business Council Indonesia, led by General Manager of the W Bali Seminyak Titus Rosier. Titus partners with General Managers and Human Resources teams from across the 63 Marriott-operated hotels in the country to cultivate a culture that best reflects Marriott’s five core values: Put People First, Pursue Excellence, Embrace Change, Act With Integrity and Serve Our World.

The Indonesia hospitality industry was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 shutdowns. Titus and the other leaders knew that once hotels began re-opening, they needed to dedicate themselves to the challenging job of re-igniting a flourishing culture among associates.

Council leaders organized their efforts across the country and tracked activities in a common calendar to ensure consistency and representation in every area of Indonesia. They defined four priorities to realize their vision: associate wellbeing, associate development, associate recognition and establishment of an associate relief fund. Examples include:

• Associate Wellbeing. The Council focused on bringing the fun back to hotels. Activities included a badminton tournament, a three-month long futsal competition in Bali and Jakarta with 400 associates participating, and health-focused workshops and education sessions.
• Associate Development. Associates had opportunities to participate in development opportunities related to public speaking and storytelling. The Council also hosted a Women in Leadership conference for 150 female leaders or potential leaders which included keynote speakers and educational breakout sessions. Following the conference, they developed a mutual mentoring opportunity. Nearly every GM in the Council and the Marriott Indonesia area team is now mentoring female leaders and find that they are mentored in return with their mentees’ perspectives.
• Associate Recognition. The first-ever Business Council Awards were created to recognize associates who have gone above and beyond to bring back spirit, culture and engagement.
• Associate Relief Fund. The fund was created in response to the frequent natural disasters that occur in Indonesia. Recently, nine associates lost their homes due to flooding. Within one day, fundraising was mobilized, and the Council offered necessary funds to help the families get re-established.

The Council also focused on advocating for sustainability and enhancing Marriott’s reputation by establishing meaningful relationships with their communities. For example, in Bali, they partner with Bali Children Foundation to fund an education and development program for 1,000 children in four schools. In Jakarta and other areas of Indonesia, hotels partnered with an organization called Solar Chapter. Their partnership helped build a solar-powered water plant that gives access to clean water to over 1,000 villagers in a town called Tafuli on the island of Timor.

The Business Council has seen tremendous engagement levels as a result of their efforts. In 2022, nearly 2,500 events were held in Indonesia (a 50% growth over 2021), with countrywide engagement scores topping 95%.