IRVING, Texas—La Quinta Inns & Suites hotels announced the hiring of Vicki Cutwright as vice president of consumer insights & analytics and David Sims as vice president of loyalty marketing. Both will be based at La Quinta’s headquarters in Irving, Texas and will work cross-functionally across the organization to collaborate with members of the marketing, finance, sales, operations, and information technology teams on various strategic initiatives.
As vice president of consumer insights & analytics, Cutwright will lead guest insights and analysis for La Quinta Inns & Suites and will manage the brand’s market research function as well as the internal analysis team responsible for measuring performance and providing actionable insights to drive incremental revenue and profit. In this role, she will provide data-driven insight that will help optimize the guest experience, as well as programs in marketing, ecommerce, media, loyalty, and sales.
In the role of vice president of loyalty marketing, Sims will be responsible for the design, development, ongoing management, and long-term enhancement of the La Quinta Returns program, which has more than nine million members. He will create and drive the strategy to improve member acquisition, activation, and retention of customers through various initiatives and promotions. Sims will also partner with franchisees to share strategic insight and articulate the benefits of the La Quinta Returns program.
“At La Quinta, market research and the feedback we receive from our La Quinta Returns members are two critical areas that help us develop new innovations to further engage our guests. We are delighted to bring Vicki and David on board to help shape those initiatives,” remarked Julie Cary, La Quinta’s chief marketing officer. “They each have more than 15 years of experience in their respective areas of expertise and their insights will be very beneficial to our team as we work to continually provide our guests with the most refreshing and engaging experiences.”
Cutwright has robust consumer insights, analytics, and strategy expertise in the hospitality, financial services, and packaged goods sector. She joins La Quinta from CROS Partners, a consumer insight and analytics consultancy where she led brand strategy, research, and analytics for corporate clients. Prior to CROS Partners, Cutwright was vice president of portfolio strategy and research at Marriott International, where she led a research team focused on customer experience, brand equity, marketing and communications, program evaluation, and portfolio strategy. She also previously held marketing positions at Capital One Financial and PNC Bank.
Sims joins La Quinta from General Nutrition Centers (GNC), where he was the vice president of CRM, responsible for the company’s Gold Card member program, which accounts for over 80 percent of the company’s sales. During his tenure, he led the rebranding and relaunch of the Gold Card program, developed the company’s CRM strategy and also contributed to the company’s email, mobile, social media, and direct mail marketing efforts. Prior to GNC, Sims held customer loyalty and marketing positions at Toys R Us/Babies R Us, DSW Shoe Warehouse, and Procter & Gamble.
