Raman Bukkapatnam will join Marriott Vacations Worldwide as CIO, the company announced Thursday. Bukkapatnam’s appointment is effective July 10.
Bukkapatnam replaces the company’s current CIO, Dwight D. Smith, who is retiring after 35 years with the company.
Bukkapatnam — a strategic leader with over 25 years of experience in technology consulting, retail, consumer products, manufacturing, media and supply chain — will be responsible for leading Marriott Vacations’ global technology strategy, transformation and modernization.
As part of Marriott Vacations’ executive committee, Bukkapatnam will report directly to John Geller, the company’s president and CEO.
“I am thrilled to add Raman to our executive team given his experience with some of the world’s most iconic brands and his knowledge in navigating large scale hybrid technology landscapes to deliver solutions that make the customer experience easier and more intuitive,” said Geller in the company’s announcement.
“With Raman’s leadership, I am confident that we’ll be able to quickly and effectively deliver technology solutions for the next generation of travelers who seek flexibility and access, personalization, and simplified, seamless digital experiences when vacationing.”
Bukkapatnam will lead Marriott Vacations’ efforts to modernize its technology footprint across global sites and resorts, as well as improve processes to maximize productivity for associates, drive adoption of automation and use new digital tools to improve the vacation experience for owners, members and guests.
Bukkapatnam joins Marriott Vacations from Nike, where he was vice president of global technology. At Nike, he reshaped digital retail, improving enterprise resource planning and supply chain platforms, as well as made significant contributions to productivity, growth and margin improvements.
Under his leadership, Nike successfully migrated to a cloud-based global enterprise resource planning application that allowed for better scale, performance and operational efficiencies. He also led the company’s retail store technology footprint, sustainability-related tech initiatives and digital connectivity with factories and suppliers.
Before Nike, Bukkapatnam held various leadership roles for more than 20 years at Starbucks. As a global vice president, he oversaw global supply chain and finance technologies, data engineering and analytics and store development. He also led digital transformation initiatives, including Starbucks' introduction of customer mobile apps.
Marriott Vacations offers vacation ownership, exchange and rentals, as well as resort and property management. The company’s global portfolio includes over 120 vacation ownership resorts spanning seven brands and serving 700,000 owner families. Its exchange network and membership programs comprise more than 3,200 affiliated resorts.
Marriott Vacations Worldwide introduced Marriott Vacation Clubs in April, bringing a collection of more than 90 Marriott, Sheraton and Westin Vacation Club branded resorts under one umbrella.
