In this capacity, she is responsible for the oversight and implementation of the company’s Diversity Initiative, as well as for government affairs, diversity relations, and community affairs, including corporate philanthropy and the employee-funded Voice Foundation.

Prior to joining the hospitality industry, she held the position of Senior Vice President for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Mathur worked for the LVCC for six years. She has also owned and operated small businesses.

Active in the community, Ms. Mathur currently sits on the United Way of Southern Nevada Board of Trustees, is a board member of the Regional Business Development Advisory Council, and is a board member of the Las Vegas After School All-Stars.

Ms. Mathur was nominated by Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn to serve as a commissioner for the Nevada Commission on Tourism. She was also appointed by former Governor Bob Miller to serve on the Governor’s Task Force on Welfare Reform. Additionally, she serves as Co-Chair of the American Gaming Association’s Diversity Task Force, in 2004 was named to the Board of Directors of the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council, and is Co-Chair of the Clark County Regional Business Development Advisory Council.

She is the proud mother of two amazing sons and a spectacular daughter.

The Carlson family of brands and services include: Regent® International Hotels, Radisson® Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson®, Park Inn® hotels, Carlson Marketing Group, Carlson Wagonlit Travel®, Cruise Holidays, America’s Vacations Stores, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises®, and T.G.I. Friday’s® restaurants.

In 2004 and 2005, Forbes magazine selected Marilyn as one of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.” She is a regular on Fortune magazine’s “Most Powerful Women in Business” and has been ranked by Travel Agent magazine as “The Most Powerful Woman in Travel” annually since 1997.

Marilyn serves on the board of the Singapore Tourism Board, and outside her industry is a board member of Exxon-Mobil and the Mayo Clinic Foundation. She recently completed a Presidential appointment as Chair of the National Women’s Business Council, an advisory group to the U.S. President and Congress.

Marilyn is a member of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum and in 2004 co-chaired the forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. She currently serves on that organization’s Board of Governors for Travel and Tourism.

Marilyn holds the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship from the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars; Sweden’s Royal Order of the North Star (bestowed upon her by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf); and Finland’s Order of the White Rose Finland, awarded by President Martti Ahtisaari

JOHN MIMS
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales Starwood Hotels & Resorts

John Mims, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales serves as the function head for worldwide sales, where he is responsible for the selling functions at the Corporate and Division levels of the company. John has direct responsibility for the Global Sales Organizations and functions around the world and indirect responsibility for Sales at the Division level.

Prior to this role, John led Starwood’s Asia-Pacific sales and marketing team that encompasses the functional areas of Global Sales, Distribution Marketing, Revenue Management, Customer Care Centers and Brand Marketing. John also led a team of Regional Directors of Marketing that work closely with the sales and marketing teams in 90 Starwood properties in 17 countries in Asia-Pacific.

Prior to joining Starwood, John was the Chief Operating Officer of GetAsia.com, a premier network of Asian websites specializing in on-demand leisure and entertainment information for the region. John’s career in sales and marketing includes various senior sales and management positions at Procter & Gamble, Coca Cola and later with Pepsi Cola in both the US and international divisions.

John holds a B.A degree in Business Administration from Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia. He was also a two-time award recipient of ‘Who’s Who Among Young Men In America’ prior to his service in the United States Air Force in1982-1987.