Thad Shepherd serves as Global Officer, Compensation & Benefits for Marriott International, Inc., where he leads the global strategy, design, governance, and administration of the company's total rewards programs. Supporting more than 700,000 associates across over 10,000 properties and corporate offices in 145 countries and territories, he is responsible for ensuring Marriott's compensation and benefits programs drive business performance, attract and retain top talent, and reinforce the company's people-first culture.
Thad oversees Marriott's comprehensive portfolio of compensation, benefits, and wellbeing programs, including base pay, annual and long-term incentive plans, paid time off, equity compensation, retirement and pension programs, health and insurance benefits, and Marriott's signature Explore by Marriott Bonvoy® associate hotel discount program. He also leads all aspects of executive compensation, aligning with the Human Resources and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors to ensure the Company’s compensation and benefit programs support the company's business strategy, talent priorities, and governance objectives.
In addition, Thad serves as Chair of Marriott's Retirement Plan Committee and Stock Fund Committee and acts as Plan Administrator for the company's retirement plans, which collectively represent more than $13 billion in assets.
Since joining Marriott in 2000, Thad has held positions of increasing responsibility across the Human Resources organization, with leadership roles spanning virtually every area of compensation and benefits. Prior to Marriott, he worked at T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. as a Retirement Plan Coordinator, supporting recordkeeping services for large defined contribution and defined benefit plans.
Thad earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business Administration from McDaniel College and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Loyola University Maryland. He resides in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with his family and is the proud father of three daughters and one son.
