An award-winning 30 year veteran of the hospitality industry, Bruce J. Himelstein is a recognized authority on innovative brand marketing and creation of a luxury lifestyle image for the highest quality services and consumer products. As a speaker, his range of experience qualifies him to cover topics from the importance of developing a culture of service, sales intensity, brand innovation and disruption.
Bruce Himelstein spent many years as the dynamic leader behind many highly successful campaigns for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. As Chief Marketing Officer, among his most notable accomplishments were his campaign to “Blow the dust off the Lion and Crown” at Ritz-Carlton, a company once known for its classic design and conservative approach to marketing the brand. He is prominently featured in Joseph Michelli’s New York Times Bestseller… The New Gold Standard.
Mr. Himelstein introduced a highly acclaimed global print advertising campaign to update the Ritz-Carlton image with customers. The campaign was recognized with multiple awards and moved both market share and hotel occupancy. He also assembled a team of award-winning Hollywood talents to produce a trio of cutting edge short films, featured as a highly successful web campaign. They were hailed for their quality and creativity from The Wall Street Journal and won the Platinum Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association (HSMAI). He has proven change and disruption into an organization is always a challenge, yet achievable.
Prior to joining The Ritz-Carlton, he was the Senior Vice President, Sales for Marriott International. From a beginning career as a hotel bellman to a recognized expert on sales and marketing breakthroughs, Himelstein brings candor and experience to the discussion. Since 2012, Himelstein was selected to lead the S&M strategies for Loews Hotels & Resorts as Chief Marketing Officer. Loews first campaign in five years was recognized with five HSMAI Adrian Awards, including Creative and Social Media efforts.
An active and involved professional, Bruce is on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Travel Association, a member of the Luxury Institute Advisory Board, sits on Florida Atlantic University’s Advisory Board and is a former Global Chair and current Executive Board member of HSMAI. He was inducted into the American Marketing Association Hall of Fame in 2007 and was named one of HSMAI’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in 2006.
Recently, Himelstein has been featured on The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania’s Sirius radio channel discussing his experiences in marketing lifestyle brands. Additionally, Forbe.com’s Jennifer Rooney interviewed him as part of her CMO video series, which showcases CMO’s from all different industries.
Himelstein’s presentations embrace a natural gift for story-telling, and are filled with case studies of brands that embraced change, made strategic decisions quickly, and prospered in a rough economy. Creative, stylish, and savvy, it’s easy to see why Himelstein was named “One of The Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing” by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association. His perspective is relevant, educational, and receptive to the challenges of the changing marketplace.