Impact Interview: Jerome Tennille

Name: Jerome Tennille

Role/Function: Manager Of Social Impact & Volunteerism, Marriott International

What He’s Currently Working On: 

I work on the Social Impact team for Marriott International, one of the world’s largest hospitality and lodging companies. We have thirty unique brands, including Westin, The Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Courtyard Hotels and Residence Inn. Chances are if you’re an avid traveler then you’ve stayed at one of our many properties across the globe. On the Social Impact team, we work jointly with the Sustainability team to lead our sustainability and social impact platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, which drives our company’s commitment to create positive and sustainable impact in the communities where we do business.

One of our core values is “Serve Our World,” and while that’s been a principle that’s driven our company culture since our founding in 1927, our team is focused on our Serve 360 goals that extend out to the year 2025. We believe our commitment to serving the community not only perpetuates our company culture, but is core to our business because, in this day and age, business plays an increasingly critical role in tackling some of the world’s most pressing social, environmental and economic issues. And it’s because of our size and scale that we have a global responsibility and opportunity to be a force for good.

Some of these goals are focused on volunteerism and how we nurture our world during times of need and disasters, but also how we empower diverse communities through workforce development programs to employment opportunities that have ladders to positions of leadership. Last but not least, our Social Impact team also focuses on ensuring travel remains a tool for promoting peace and cultural understanding, and we do that by supporting inclusive pro-travel policies while advancing human rights and combating human trafficking.

My role on the Marriott International Social Impact team is leading the company’s global corporate volunteerism program, namely designing strategy and creating tools that empower and equip our associates globally to serve their unique communities in the very ways their community needs that support. 2020 was a year of great challenge and adjustment, but also one of great opportunity, and through 2021 and for the near-term, we’re adjusting to increased needs related to poverty and hunger, while providing new tools that encourage additional forms of volunteering like those that are virtual or hybrid in nature.

1. What was the “aha” moment that sparked your interest in social impact? 

For me the idea of service always existed, and that really started in the professional sense in 2004 when I joined the United States Navy. I served in the Armed Forces from 2004 to 2012, and it was through that period that I became more purpose-driven and duty-oriented as a professional. But it wasn’t until 2012, when I was transitioning from military service, that I struggled with finding that purpose as a civilian.

I accepted a job opportunity as a volunteer coordinator for a national 501c3 non-profit based in the Greater Washington, DC area, and it gave me a very different perspective of service. One thing I fundamentally believe is that you don’t necessarily have to serve in the military to serve your country. There are a myriad of ways to continue your service. It can be through other forms of National Service like AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps, a different form of government service, but it can also be in the private and non-profit sectors in roles that align with creating positive social, environmental and economic change. My interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) more specifically came through my work in the non-profit sector.

While working as a volunteer engagement professional, I recognized that there was often a disconnect between the programming of the organization and the companies that sought to serve. I often felt like I was the dog being wagged by the tail. But in this instance, I was a dog with multiple tails. Each tail being one of the many corporate partners that had strong expectations on volunteering, but also importantly how they wanted to volunteer. What I saw is that the expectations of how our corporate partners wanted to serve didn’t always align well with how the organization provided goods and services for those we cared for. Anecdotally, I heard similar stories from my peers at other organizations. I quickly realized that I couldn’t create that change as an outsider, someone outside of CSR. So, I very purposely chose to pursue a career path within CSR. The goal of course is to bridge that gap between companies and the communities they’re seeking to serve and making that connection in the most effective way while also advancing a more positive culture and practice of volunteering.

2. How did you break into the social impact space? 

I’ll admit, when I was working in the non-profit sector, I didn’t think of myself as a social impact professional. So, in this instance, even though I was working in the social impact field, it was in many ways “accidental” in how I found myself working within social impact. When I think about a deliberate breakthrough within the social impact space more broadly, I think about making the transition from being a volunteer engagement professional in the non-profit sector, to managing a global corporate employee volunteer program for a corporation with an international presence. To me that was the hardest deliberate choice when breaking into a specific segment of social impact.

For me, even though I knew I was qualified and well-experienced to do the work in CSR, I think I found the greatest challenge in convincing others (in CSR) that I was a good fit for the position. What I found through my experience is that a lot of recruiters, hiring managers and talent acquisition professionals didn’t think my non-profit background would transfer effectively within a for-profit company. And while this is speculation, I believe it had a lot to do with the fact that I didn’t have a traditional business background academically or professionally.

I was a veteran with military experience (which comes with its own set of challenges as a job seeker), but I also worked for a non-profit. And while I did attend undergrad, studied Operations Management, and attended grad school for Sustainability Leadership studies, I didn’t have an MBA. Nor did I have what most job posts call “relevant industry experience” for the companies I applied for.

I realized that I would have to take a more drastic measure. More specifically I had to re-brand myself personally and professionally. So, I did that. I had to reinvent myself in a way (both on paper and through my personal website) that recruiters and hiring managers could understand and value. I had to create an accurate representation of who I was while also shaping a narrative that others could see filling the role I applied for.

3. What most excites you about the social impact space right now?

Naturally, I get excited about presenting solutions that are new, not mainstream and those that have great potential but may not be common. I enjoy injecting non-traditional practices throughout my work to help challenge the status quo. And that’s something that often shows up in my work, my writing, presentations, and when I speak publicly. I enjoy challenging the systems of change that aren’t creating the positive transformation we want to see.

So, the thing that lights a fire in me, that gets me excited to show up, is designing programs and projects and championing ideas that challenge the traditional thought as it relates to volunteer engagement.

Too often do I see practices of volunteering that are traditional, mainstream, and often practiced, but in many ways may just perpetuate the issues we’re working to rid our society and environment of. Interestingly much of the disasters we faced in 2020 were the catalyst for creating an environment that has forced people to be more open-minded about potential solutions.

The Big Hairy Audacious Goals and ideas I shared in 2019 that were originally dismissed are now being accepted. I believe this is in part because there’s been an awakening that has in some ways underscored the fact that the traditional practices of volunteering, grant giving and other forms of service are not working. This has resulted in having more space and permission to introduce new ideas to create positive social change that historically would’ve been immediately met with resistance. And I suspect this is a case of drastic times calling for drastic measures. And there’s so much work to be done, that’s what excites me about the work I’m involved in.

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