Maribeth Bisienere celebrated 30 years in leadership at The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World Resort and as Senior Vice President – Resorts, Transportation, Premium Services, Food & Beverage, and Merchandise. Bisienere is responsible for 33 Walt Disney World Resort Hotels that offer leisure and convention guests easy access to an extensive portfolio of recreation venues including four world renowned theme parks. It is a rare occurrence for women to hold a position of senior management in hospitality, but Bisienere has done so, demonstrating the advancements made by women in this field. She noted that “there are many, many more women at my level now than I was when I started out in the hospitality industry.” We have more women in leadership roles than you could ever imagine. We’re now well-represented in every area of our industry. We’ve certainly come a very long way.
Bisienere, who has a prominent role in the industry, is using her position to develop promising women talent and other leaders.
I have sought individuals out to show their talents and help them identify places they could grow and develop. She said, “It’s probably my greatest calling as a manager.” This priority is a result of her childhood. Bisienere is the fifth daughter of five. “My mother told me to help others achieve their goals,” she said. “I’ve focused my efforts on helping other women and providing a platform for them to grow in different fields.
She has collaborated with Disney and associations in the hospitality industry to achieve this goal. She said, “I’ve worked closely with Disney to help develop women over the years through Women’s Inclusion Network. It’s one of our affinity group.” Bisienere said, “We were looking for a space where women can mentor each other and build relationships.” Since the Women’s Inclusion Network was launched eight years ago it has been a success in helping more women to take on leadership positions at Disney. But mentorship is not just for women, Bisienere noted.
Men have also been great leaders who helped women.
Bisienere is also a champion of diversity and inclusion in her role as a board member at Johnson & Wales University and the Central Florida Hotel Association. She holds an honorary PhD degree in Business Administration and Management. Her appointment to the AHLA Board followed the COVID-19 Pandemic. She has been supportive of the diversity initiatives undertaken by the association, including FORWARD launched in 2018 by the AHLA Foundation, and its overarching aim to promote hospitality as a career.
She said, “We have been thoughtful in how we attract people who are interested in a rewarding career to the hospitality industry.” It was important that we do this, which I believe the board has done very well. We continue to concentrate on our foundation–bringing in new people to the industry as leaders or owners.
Early Career Moves
Bisienere has a family connection to the hospitality industry: Her father worked as a restaurant owner, and both she and her sister were involved in this business when they were young. Her fondest memories include watching the TV show “The ’80s” and being an avid fan.
The Hotel. She went to school to study politics, but soon realized that it was not her field. One of my best friends persuaded me to go on what is now called a “gap year” and ski in Colorado, and work as a housekeeper for a hotel. She said, “I did everything including the front desk and accounting.” But I didn’t know that my gap year was going to make me realize how much I loved this business.
Bisienere went on to earn a GMP certification in hospitality administration/management from Cornell University and acquire managerial experience at The Colonnade Hotel, a boutique property in Boston, and the Radisson Hotel Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. In August 1995, she moved to the Southeast and was appointed GM at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. She said that running a hotel with 2,200 rooms and more than 90% occupancy was a “big change”, but she loved it. The guests who stayed in my hotel were attracted by their Disney love. The guests had come for many generations, and they would always tell me why they loved Disney. “It was a completely different way of doing hospitality.”
What is the value of minorities’ representation?
Bisienere’s move from small Florida hotels to a major Florida employer and iconic property opened up a new world of opportunities for her. She went on to become GM at the Disney Institute, and GM at Disney’s Contemporary Resort by the end of the 1990s.
After a few years, she moved into VP positions in business development, alliance development and F&B at The Walt Disney Company. She later rose to the position of SVP at Walt Disney World and oversaw resort operations.
Walt Disney World is Central Florida’s biggest employer. It offers many career options in the hospitality industry and employs 80,000 cast members, a record number.
Disney is responsible for one in 32 Florida jobs. The company places a high value on employee engagement, retention and diversity. Bisienere noted that “in general, I think we are pretty open about all kinds of people being able to belong” in our industry. I would say also that guests are looking to see themselves in the staff at resorts.
Both our guests and the cast must reflect each other. We want to ensure that our cast is representative of the guests we are trying to bring in.
In addition to improving the customer experience, a greater ethnic diversity in the staff will also help inform operational decisions. She said, “It is a diversity of thought and culture.” When I hire people to be on my team, I do not want them all to look like me. When I have other people around me, I am much more productive. [working with me] “There are many people who have very different backgrounds from me, with different ideas, schooling and so on.”
The Retention and Development of Employees
Bisienere, like all hospitality operations executives, is committed to retaining the best team members.
Talent development plays a key role in this effort. Retention is crucial. She explained that everyone in the business wants to hire the best people, so the more we help them develop, the more likely they are to stay. Bisienere said, “I have never met anyone who didn’t want their career to grow.” She also added, “I am very aware of what each cast member has in terms of their skill set and I move them into a position that they may not have been exposed to before if there is a gap.” For example, I will move them from development to finance or commercial roles and vice-versa. If they have a lot of experience in operations, then this makes them a better leader.
Disney offers apprenticeships and certificate programs to help cast members advance their career. Disney Aspire is the education and career-development program of Walt Disney World, which offers tuition up-front for hourly and full-time employees. The Walt Disney World Leadership Conference, as well as the monthly leadership classes are designed to help staff who wish to advance to supervisory positions.
Walt Disney World also supports voluntary, employee led DEI resource group to foster community. These groups are based on shared interests, identity, and pursuits. These initiatives have facilitated career progression and retention as shown by HR statistics. In the last five years, over 3,700 Walt Disney World employees were promoted to salaried positions. Walt Disney World’s full-time professionals and skilled labor team members, on average have been working there for 12 years.
A positive work experience can also help to increase longevity as employees look forward each day.
The cast of Disney is so loyal to Disney, that the biggest incentive for them would be if they could light up and create an unforgettable experience for their guests. Bisienere continued, “They’re focused on being in a position to be able do this.” We just recently opened our Polynesian Tower, where our cast members can help create a true Polynesian Experience for our guests.
Welcoming Challenges
Bisienere, when reflecting on her career at Disney and the achievements she’s made over the years, cites how important it is to take up challenges. “I’m very fortunate that I have been able to achieve what I want. [faced] She emphasized her six-year tenure as SVP at Disney Springs.
She said, “I was able to take it from just a few restaurants to more than 150; that’s really amazing.” We have six James Beard Award winning chef restaurants and it is a wonderful retail dining and entertainment environment.
Her greatest challenge, and achievement, is being integral to the recovery of her resort after the pandemic. She said, “If I think back, I am most proud of how we opened after COVID. I own 33 resorts, with 30,000 rooms, and we all had to work together in order to open each resort as if it were the first.
We had a cast that was incredibly committed, we have a unique culture and everyone pulled together to achieve a goal. Everyone wanted to achieve the same result and guests were thrilled to see the Disney reopen.
“It was hard work, but gratifying. That’s the highlight.
Bisienere’s main piece of advice is to embrace every opportunity that comes your way.
She emphasized that women should “say yes” to any unique opportunities they may encounter. “I am a firm believer that you should be uncomfortable when something supports your goals. I find this to be very interesting. It’s probably a brand new skill. This is something you need to learn. Be the person who says “I will do something difficult.” Be confident and say, “I want to take on as many new challenges as I can.” Many people ask themselves, “Could I really do that?” The answer is yes. You should be confident you can do it, and willing to take risks to develop and learn.
