20 Questions With Jennifer McCardell, Senior Director, Customer Promise, Hilton

Jennifer McCardell is the senior director of customer promise at Hilton. She is a strategic leader with over 10 years of experience in new brand development, brand management and strategy, program management, and consulting for global hospitality, food and beverage, consulting, and technology companies. As a member of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality, we wanted our community to get to know Jennifer better. Therefore, we asked her a series of questions about her work, goals, leadership philosophies and more.

1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
   “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight
2. What do you love most about the industry?
   The tangible impact and reach I can have while working in hospitality. At Hilton, the initiatives and brands I’ve helped launch will impact hundreds of thousands of guests and thousands of team members. What other industry gives you this opportunity?
3. What is something the community may be surprised to learn about you?
   I was a computer science major in college. While I didn’t pursue a technical career path, computer science taught me how to think both strategically and analytically, as well as break down complex problems into smaller pieces. I’m extremely grateful for the strong foundation it provided me.
4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge?
   You frequently need to make big decisions without having full context or much time. It’s critical to move forward while balancing the information you have, the outcomes you ultimately want to achieve, and an understanding of the potential impact to key stakeholders.
5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?
   There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Everyone is unique and has different motivations. It’s critical to spend time with each team member to understand their passions, strengths and individual goals. I then try to define projects that align with these as much as possible and recognize team members for big and small wins along the journey.
6. What woman inspires you right now and why?
   My mom — always. She epitomizes leadership, hard work, integrity, love and strength. She completed her MBA by age 22, was a CEO by age 34, and has placed over 275 CEOs of leading organizations — all while being the most dedicated and best mother and wife in the world. I hope to achieve even half of what she’s accomplished personally and professionally.
7. Where do you believe the future of the industry is headed?
   I see demand for “wellbeing” travel continuing to grow. Whether it’s business travelers who want to maintain their fitness and nutrition programs on the road or leisure travelers who want to disconnect and recharge physically, mentally or spiritually, I believe lodging brands will continue to invest in programming and partnerships that address these growing desires.
8. What’s one thing you look for when interviewing a job candidate?
   A combination of agility, a desire to learn, and a collaborative spirit. The industry landscape can evolve rapidly, so it’s critical to build a team that can adapt quickly, work through ambiguity, be comfortable learning new things, all while having fun working together.
9. What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year?
   That it’s important to keep things in perspective and always put on your own oxygen mask first. In times of stress or high pressure, a natural reaction is to deprioritize exercising, eating well or taking mental breaks. However, to be your best for your family and bring your best self to work, it’s critical to do the opposite and prioritize your own wellbeing.
10. What’s your favorite podcast?
    “How I Built This” by Guy Raz. I love hearing how entrepreneurs built iconic brands and the ups and downs that came with their journey.
11. What values are most important to you as a leader?
    Integrity, passion, ownership and teamwork
12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you?
    When I do something — whether personally or professionally — I put my absolute all into it and always try to exceed expectations. Someone told me, “If you ask Jen for ice, she’ll build you an igloo.” This was one of the best — and perhaps funniest — compliments I’ve received.
13. Do you prefer to work in the office, at home, or hybrid?
    Generally the office. I enjoy meeting with colleagues in person and having spontaneous conversations in the hallways or our cafeteria. I am in hospitality after all!
14. Where is your favorite place you’ve traveled to?
    A toss up between Bora Bora and Anguilla
15. What is a top item on your bucket list?
    I would love to go to Wimbledon or the French Open to experience the energy of a Grand Slam tennis tournament.
16. What do you do to recharge?
    I love spending time with my husband, two golden retrievers, family and friends. I enjoy traveling to new destinations (preferably those with beaches), trying new restaurants, and going antiquing. As a former college tennis player, I have also recently taken up pickleball. My husband and I have even entered a few tournaments together.
17. What is your biggest accomplishment?
    Professionally, launching Tempo by Hilton, Hilton’s approachable lifestyle brand, from an idea on a piece of paper to a brand that will ultimately scale to hundreds of hotels around the world. Personally, I’m proud of the meaningful relationships I’ve built with my husband, family and friends.
18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
    Lean in and say yes to opportunities that will stretch you. It’s amazing how much you can grow by taking advantage of career opportunities that make you a bit uncomfortable.
19. What gets you up in the morning?
    My family
20. What do you like most about being a member of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality?
    I love that WLTH brings together so many successful women and offers a forum for conversation and learning.