Name: Rocio Hammershaimb
Title: Sustainability Manager—The Americas
Organization: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Years with organization: 27
Years in current position: one
Primary responsibilities: “I support our hotels so they can reach their sustainability goals. We want sustainability embedded in everything we do.”
Organization’s most significant sustainability-related accomplishment: “Working with organizations that help children. We have also had success in reducing energy and water and carbon. We just launched a Starwood Cares for the Community program.”
Organization’s most significant sustainability-related challenge: “Keeping up with all of our initiatives and maintaining a consistent approach for our guests.”
STAMFORD, CONN.—If you chat with Rocio Hammershaimb about her sustainability role with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, you will quickly discover that she is not only passionate about her day-to-day work tasks but also excited about her volunteer work with area children. “Last summer I mentored a youth,” she says. “Currently, a group of us help to teach healthy cooking skills to youth in a group home. It’s good to be embedded in the community.”
The volunteer work of Hammershaimb and others at Starwood is a reflection of the company’s focus on global citizenship. That commitment includes not only community volunteerism but also measurable energy, water and greenhouse gas reduction goals. With a baseline year of 2008, Starwood’s goal is to reduce energy consumption by 30 percent per built hotel room by 2020 and water consumption by 20 percent per built hotel room by 2020. With a baseline year of 2013, the company’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020.
In her role as Sustainability Manager—The Americas, Hammershaimb works with a management team dedicated full time to sustainability, reporting directly to Jennifer Bauchner, Director, Rooms Operations & Sustainability North America. Hammershaimb interacts with Starwood’s more than 600 sustainability champions at the property level, helping to train them while also assisting with the writing of programming guidelines for new initiatives.
“Every day is different,” Hammershaimb says. “I spend a lot of time talking to our hotel teams and our partners. I collaborate with our brand and operations teams.”
Accountability for Sustainability
Not all companies have full-time staff dedicated to sustainability. Hammershaimb says having such a team at Starwood ensures that there is accountability for sustainability within the organization.
Hammershaimb, who has a Master’s degree in Business Quality Management from Loyola University, New Orleans and her Bachelor’s degree from the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, says Starwood’s progress toward meeting its 2020 goals has been “fantastic.” Hotels are asked to report data on a monthly basis.
Hammershaimb said Starwood is working to develop its use of clean energy sources and has partnered with numerous suppliers to reduce waste as well as energy and water consumption. Paperless folios, uniforms made from fibers derived from recycled plastic bottles, and refillable chafing fuel containers are a few examples of green products mentioned by Hammershaimb.
“One of our proudest accomplishments has come through our relationship with Clean the World,” Hammershaimb says. “Two million bars of soap have been created with them and 389,869 pounds of soap have been diverted so far. We have a fantastic partnership with them.”
Years of Leadership Experience
Prior to joining the sustainability team at Starwood, Hammershaimb played a key role in the continuous development of the North America Rooms & Operations Support teams and process improvement. She additionally helped launch Power of Innovation & guest satisfaction improvement initiatives and facilitated visits and sessions after being trained as a Six Sigma Green Belt. She worked in hotel leadership operational roles over a 16-year period before assuming her corporate roles.
When asked what she enjoys most about her work, Hammershaimb says, “I really enjoy working within each group to help make new initiatives happen. I enjoy visiting the properties and seeing the initiatives played out.”
Hammershaimb, who says she has long had a personal interest in sustainability, not only walks the talk of sustainability for her company, she drives it in her personal life—an all-electric Fiat that has a range of 80 miles on one charge.
Go to Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
