La-Z-Boy Names Erika Alexander to Board

November 8, 2021  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry   

Alexander serves as the chief global officer, global operations for Marriott International. In this role, she is responsible for Marriott’s enterprise-wide programs and platforms, such as Quality Assurance, Food & Beverage, Hotel Systems Optimization, Procurement, Sustainability, and Supplier Diversity.

Prior to her current role, Alexander was chief lodging services officer for The Americas division. She has held a variety of senior leadership roles throughout Marriott, including area vice president of Americas - Eastern Region, account manager and director of sales, as well as a director of operations and hotel general manager.

Alexander has extensive experience working with many of Marriott’s iconic brands. She also serves as an associate member of the Inclusion and Social Impact Committee for Marriott International, which is a board-level committee that focuses on the inclusive advancement of women and underrepresented groups throughout the world, company efforts to promote diverse hotel owners, customers and vendors, and company efforts to address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. In addition, Alexander serves on the executive committee of the board of directors of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

“We are thrilled for Erika to join our Board,” said Melinda D. Whittington, president, CEO and director of La-Z-Boy. “With a 32-year history across multiple areas of the Marriott organization, including leadership roles for several of Marriott’s largest brands, Erika will bring a wealth of operational experience, perspective, and expertise to La-Z-Boy as we launch Century Vision, our winning strategy for growth through our centennial year in 2027 and beyond.”

Kurt L. Darrow, chairman of the board, said, “Erika’s keen understanding of brands, consumers and the dynamics associated with their ever-evolving needs and preferences will prove invaluable to us as we move forward. She also has expertise in the areas of sustainability and human capital management that will serve us well. Our Board and Executive Leadership Team look forward to working with her and benefitting from the insights she will undoubtedly bring to the company.”

Alexander’s many achievements and accomplishments include being named an International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation Fellow, being recognized by the Atlanta Business League as one of the Top 100 Influential Women in Atlanta, and being recognized by the YWCA as a Corporate Woman of Achievement. A past recipient of the company’s Diversity and Inclusion Trailblazer Award, Erika was also recognized by Diversity Women Media in its first-ever Elite 100 list. She has also served on numerous non-profit boards, including Leadership Atlanta, the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, the International Women’s Forum of Georgia, and The Ron Clark Academy. She holds a BA from the University of Virginia and an MBA from George Mason University.