Jennifer Silberman

By Tamara Copeland

It wasn't too much of a stretch for hometown boy Christopher Nassetta to want to move Hilton Worldwide from California to the greater Washington area. Christopher, the president and CEO of Hilton Worldwide, was born and raised in Arlington and after two years living in California, moved back to the region with his wife and six daughters. Earlier this summer, I met with Jennifer Silberman who Christopher hired only a year ago to plan and implement the company’s corporate responsibility and philanthropic strategy not just for the region, but for the company worldwide.

Profile July 2011 Jennifer Silberman

According to Jennifer, Hilton Worldwide’s corporate responsibility framework has four overarching pillars that leverage its business strategy and global growth while connecting to the relevant social, economic and sustainability issues that matter most to its business and the communities where its more than 3700 hotels operate:

• Creating Opportunities: Great guest experiences begin with a talented and inclusive workforce, therefore education will be the linchpin of work in this pillar. Hilton Worldwide is already working on numerous programs and partnerships to train and nurture future leaders in hospitality around the world. Ultimately, the company will seek to support education efforts through training, apprenticeships, mentoring and strategic partnerships that also support its business strategy.
  
  
• Strengthening Communities: Entrepreneurship and community development will be the focus of this pillar. Not only will Hilton Worldwide consider the economic ripple effect of its business coming into a community, it will also look at the role that hotels l could play in helping communities support economic development and better prepare for disasters.
  
  
• Celebrating Cultures: This pillar focuses on leveraging the power of travel to celebrate cultural understanding and heritage. One example is the Hampton Inn brand’s "Save-a-Landmark" program, a community-outreach campaign dedicated to refurbishing historical, fun and cultural landmarks across America. This program recently engaged local Team Members in the renovation of Abraham Lincoln's cottage in Northeast D.C.
  
  
• Living Sustainability: This pillar focuses primarily on sustainability in the daily operations of Hilton Worldwide’s 3750 properties around the world. In 2010, the company launched LightStay, its proprietary sustainability measurement system, to help improve hotel performance and profitability while decreasing the company’s overall impact. Future work in this area will address how Hilton Worldwide can further preserve the natural resources its business uses to deliver great guest experiences.
  

Though she has only been with Hilton Worldwide for a year, Jennifer is not new to the world of corporate responsibility or to our region. Having lived here for over 20 years, it struck me that she clearly recognized the importance of viewing the area as one coherent region. She emphasized that she is "thinking about the best types of partnerships" as she begins to implement what sounds like a comprehensive strategic plan with local, national and international implications.

I’m excited to welcome Jennifer to WRAG.