Nancy Johnson reflects on her journey and offers advice to young women looking to break into hospitality.

1. Cover Story
A Foundation For The Future
A long-term Carlson
executive and an
industry pioneer,
Nancy Johnson shares
the story of her journey
to success, how she’s
mentoring a new
generation of hoteliers
and Carlson Rezidor’s
road map for the future
By Jonathan Springston,
AAHOA Lodging Business
N
ancy Johnson, who serves
as executive vice president
of Development, Americas,
Limited Service Brands, for the Carl-
son Rezidor Hotel Group, reached an
important milestone in 2011 when she
became the chair of the American Ho-
tel & Lodging Association (AH&LA),
adding to her already-impressive list
of career achievements. “Women have to realize that the
“When I started in the business, opportunity is there should they
I was in development construction. choose to have it. They can have
It was kind of a lonely place for a what they want. They can be the
woman,” Johnson said during an in- top executive of a corporation.”
terview in May with ALB. “I identified
with AH&LA. It was a place I could go “It really is so women can net- “What I see with this new
to get educated on what’s going on.” work [and] be educated on devel- generation of women coming up is
In 2003, Johnson was the found- oping their careers by women who they do want to make their mark on
ing chair of AH&LA’s Women In have been through it,” Johnson said. society. They want to do it hand in
Lodging Council. “It is a great opportunity for the in- hand with their spouse but they’re
“The initial mission of the coun- dustry to identify a new workforce not going to be taking a second
cil was to really create a network [and] new leadership.” position. They will be doing it in
of executive women who could In recent years, the women of partnership,” Johnson said. “The
become more visible in the industry AAHOA have become more visible women have been shown to be very
to show students and young women within the association, with ris- smart business people and I see a
coming up in the industry that there ing participation at WIHL sessions lot of this new generation will make
were role models of women who at Regional meetings and annual the Indian culture proud of what
have made a successful career in WIHL conferences. Johnson sees they leave.”
hotels,” she said. second and third generation women Johnson said that many women
Today, there are nearly 1,700 hoteliers attempting to strike a bal- in the industry try to strike a good
members from several state chap- ance between what they’ve learned balance between work life and
ters across the United States partici- in the United States and the rich, home life but encouraged women to
pating in Women In Hotel Leader- cultural heritage they inherited take advantage of the growing op-
ship (WIHL). from first generation hoteliers. portunities before them.
52 AAHOA Lodging Business JULY 2012

2. Cover Story
“Women have to realize that the talented individuals, each fueling getting into the business of hotel
opportunity is there should they the passion of the other, is what led construction, who offered her a job.
choose to have it. They can have Johnson into hospitality. “I was with them for 10 years
what they want. They can be the “One of things about this indus- and built 48 hotels,” Johnson said.
top executive of a corporation,” she try is you meet so many wonderful “I wore a hard hat, dealt with
said. “There have been more small people. You really have to have a plumbers, electricians, carpenters
businesses started over the last 10 passion for helping people,” she - you name it, zoning, municipal
years by women than by men. There said. “If you’re going to do any- approvals. The education was
are opportunities for women to own thing, you should make sure you’re amazing.”
hotels, run hotels [and] to be in- having fun doing it, which brings Johnson held various leadership
volved in vending to hotels. Women an intensity to it. You should care positions with Brutger before mov-
are seeing that they don’t necessar- deeply about what you’re doing.” ing on to eventually become vice
ily have to give up the family life, president and COO of Hospitality
the balance in their life, whatever Family Matters Development Corporation.
that might be. They can still be ex- While working for the Sunwood In the late 1980s, Johnson
ecutives who give a lot back.” Inn & Convention Center, a full reached out to Carlson, a
service hotel in St. Cloud, family-owned, Min-
An Occupation of Necessity Johnson had a chance en- nesota-based com-
Johnson knows well the challenges counter with the presi- pany launching
of balancing work life with duties dent of Brutger the Country Inns
at home. As a single mother of two, Companies, & Suites brand at
Johnson went to work for a hotel in Inc., a around the same
St. Cloud, Minn. that allowed her local time AAHOA came
to work nights while keeping her firm
children during the day.
The hard work paid off, afford-
ing Johnson a stream of new oppor-
tunities rather quickly. When she
became a vice president of market-
ing, Johnson enrolled in marketing
courses. When she started in real
estate acquisition, Johnson earned a
real estate license. When she didn’t
understand how to read blueprints,
Johnson enrolled in drafting
courses.
“I started educating my-
self and doing whatever it
took to reach the positions
I was being handed,” she
said. “I was given so many
opportunities and people
were so good to allow me to
grow and do things. That’s
probably one of things I see a
strong need for - the ability to
lift people up, whether that be
employees, whether it be peo-
ple in your church or society.”
The sense of community is
one trait about AAHOA that
impresses Johnson most.
“Nobody can replicate the
bond they have in helping one
another,” she said. “They are
so giving and so open about
helping their fellow Asians “I was given so many opportunities and people were
up into the business, to edu- so good to allow me to grow and do things. That’s
cate them. That is what we need probably one of things I see a strong need for - the
ability to lift people up, whether that be employees,
in society in general.”
whether it be people in your church or society.”
The ability to meet kind and
JULY 2012 AAHOA Lodging Business 53

3. Cover Story
to life. The connection between women develop their role in the each AAHOA Annual Convention.
Carlson and AAHOA was immedi- industry. “When I come to AAHOA, I
ate and powerful. “The philosophy of helping always get energized because peo-
Carlson Chairman Marilyn people is something we believe in,” ple are so positive,” she said. “You
Carlson Nelson and her family in Johnson said. “The contribution we always feel like you’re coming home
the earliest days of the association make every year to the educational when you come here because they
invited the AAHOA Board of Direc-
tors to her home in Minneapolis.
Johnson recalls fondly that meeting. We tell employees to make eye
contact and have empathy for what
“It was the Carlson family say-
ing we know what you’ve been
through,” Johnson said. “It was
Carlson saying we believe in the
immigrants from India coming in
the customer went through to reach
and we believe in what you have
contributed to the hotel industry the hotel
and we support and applaud it.
[Carlson] at that time was so family-
oriented and AAHOA is family- fund for AAHOA is purely because are a great boon for us.”
oriented. It was a magic connection we love the people. We want the Indeed, 33 percent of all Country
that took place.” next generation to be just as enlight- Inns & Suites licensees are Asian
In addition to serving as an ened and innovative as the past has American.
AAHOA Founding Member, Carl- been.” “They have really helped us
son set up the idea of an educa- grow the brand. We feel they have
tion fund, to which the company Country Pride a vested interest in making sure
contributes every year, and helped For 22 years, Johnson has attended we stay successful and we just love
that,” Johnson said.
Country Inns & Suites has
proved wildly popular with the
traveling public and inspires an
intense loyalty from its employees.
“The building embodies some
place you would like to sleep. The
‘home-iness’ of the product touches
people’s spirit. The people who
work there feel passionate about it,”
Johnson said. “We have a culture
within Country that has been there
forever and that we call now ‘Be
Our Guest.’ We train for it. We tell
[employees] when you see a cus-
tomer walk through the door, you
make eye contact. We want you to
have that empathy, that passion for
what they’ve been through to get to
your hotel.”
The Carlson Rezidor Group
is in the middle of its Ambition
2015 strategy that calls for a clear
identity for each flag in its portfolio
while accelerating growth and driv-
ing revenue. Within this strategy,
Country has evolved to become the
first midscale product to serve its
breakfast offering with real silver-
ware and dining ware.
Johnson on Country: “The building “It’s one of those things that has
embodies some place you would like to gained so much attention and now
sleep. The ‘home-iness’ of the product our owners are saying once you get it
touches people’s spirit. The people who in, it is no more expensive,” Johnson
work there feel passionate about it.”
said of the new dining ware program,
54 AAHOA Lodging Business JULY 2012

4. Cover Story
“One of things about this
industry is you meet so many
wonderful people. You really
have to have a passion for
helping people.”
which came to life in late 2011. “Our is the evolution that has taken place ter relationships because of that.”
customers go, ‘Wow, a real plate, naturally internally from our own- While she believes a recovery is
real silverware. Thank heavens!’ In ers and operators.” upon the industry, Johnson said the
your own home, you wouldn’t serve Carlson launched its sweeping effects of the downturn will shape
someone breakfast on a styrofoam Ambition 2015 during a time of the future for some time to come.
plate and styrofoam cup. Not only is great economic difficulty but the “The unfortunate thing is you
it environmentally irresponsible, you won’t see as many novices come
wouldn’t do it to your guests.”
Carlson Rezidor is working If you listen to the into the industry as we’ve had in the
last 10 years,” she said. “You’ll see
on the Generation 4 prototype for
Country that executives believe will advice of people people with multiple hotels be able
to get financing. I think you will see
who have been
propel the brand into more urban a steady growth but I don’t think
markets while keeping it fresh for you’ll see any dynamic growth.”
guests. Running a hotel is no easy task
While the second year of
Ambition 2015 put much focus on
through it, you but Johnson loves it because it’s
never boring.
refreshing Radisson properties and
launching the Radisson Blu brand, will learn a lot “If you have a passion for the
industry and you take care of your
some Country Inns & Suites owners customers, business dollars will
may feel like their brand has taken company has worked diligently come. I believe if you take care of
a temporary back seat. But Johnson with franchisees to help them [the guests] and your hotels, you
looks at it differently. weather the storm. will be successful,” she said. “Don’t
“Country is their homegrown “We did a lot of forgiving, over-leverage your property. Have
brand. Carlson loves Country and putting online, drawing out. We had the best brand you can for your
what it has done,” Johnson said. improvements in place we relieved,” property. Don’t rule with emotion,
“It’s one of things where if it ain’t she said. “If one of our licensees rule with intelligence. Allow people
broke, don’t fix it. Country isn’t works with us, we help them make to advise you. If you listen to the
broken. It will go through its evolu- it through. We helped wherever we advice of people who have been
tion. One of the things I’m proud of could and we’ve come out with bet- through it, you will learn a lot.”
JULY 2012 AAHOA Lodging Business 55