Shannon Rinella

In a career that has taken her from the front desks of Walt Disney World to the headquarters of the world’s favorite travel company, Shannon specializes in helping iconic brands deliver exceptional guest experiences.

As Senior Director of Performance + Brand Talent at Marriott International, Shannon leverages her expertise in luxury and premium hospitality operations, consulting, and training to translate business initiatives into performance solutions for associates worldwide. During her time at Marriott she has crafted bespoke training solutions for Marriott’s portfolio of luxury brands, including St. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton, EDITION, The Luxury Collection, and W Hotels. Prior to joining Marriott, Shannon spent several years with Interstate Hotels & Resorts and with LRA by Deloitte, where she led engagements for a variety of hotel and service industry clients, including Hard Rock Hotels & Resorts and the San Diego Zoo.

Shannon’s career all began with a mouse – Mickey Mouse, to be exact. After graduating from Duke University, Shannon joined the cast of the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida; in less than a year with the company, Shannon was promoted to Guest Service Manager at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort, where she supported her Cast Members in creating “magic” daily for thousands of guests.

A strong advocate for developing the next generation of industry leaders, Shannon is an adjunct faculty member in Georgetown University’s Masters in Global Hospitality Leadership program, where she received the Outstanding Faculty Award in 2019. Over the past five years, Shannon has designed and taught courses in guest service, human capital management, and global contemporary issues in hospitality. Recognized as a Certified Hospitality Educator by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Shannon currently serves on its Education Certification and Advisory Committee, and was recently appointed to the Workforce Development Committee for the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation. Her thoughts on hospitality leadership have been quoted in Skift and published in HotelExecutive.com, as well as Lodging and Hospitality magazine.

Shannon is a proud graduate of Duke University and earned her MBA with a focus in strategic management from Villanova University.