Carlson is a global, privately held hospitality and travel company with a strong portfolio of leading brands. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Carlson encompasses more than 1,085 hotels in 77 countries; more than 900 restaurants in 60 countries; and a majority stake in Carlson Wagonlit Travel, the global leader in business travel management.

Carlson is one of the classic success stories in the American free-enterprise system. Starting in 1938 with an idea and a USD 55 loan, Swedish entrepreneur Curtis L. Carlson (1914 – 1999) founded the Gold Bond Stamp Company in his home town of Minneapolis. His company allowed grocery stores, drug stores, gas stations and other independent merchants to use his collectible “Gold Bond Stamps” to drive customer loyalty and to distinguish themselves from their competitors. In the 1960s, when the trading stamp market reached its peak, the Gold Bond Stamp Company expanded into the hospitality industry with the acquisition of the Radisson Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. In the 1970s, the company acquired dozens of additional businesses, including T.G.I. Friday's® and Ask Mr. Foster, a leading travel agency. To reflect its diversification, Gold Bond changed its name to Carlson Companies in 1973. In 2006, to demonstrate that we are one company serving a variety of needs, we became known as Carlson.

In 2008 – 2009, we evolved our business portfolio to focus on hospitality and travel. We are now a global leader in that space thanks to the strengths of our hospitality and travel brands — Radisson®, Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM, Park Inn®, Park Plaza®, T.G.I. Friday's®, Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) — and our strong geographic footprint.

In 2010, we announced “Ambition 2015”. We want our brands to be leading brands in their segments; we want to be the number one hospitality and travel company to work for; and we want to be the number one hospitality and travel company to invest with.

With such an ambition, we introduced the process called Lots® to ensure better decision making and alignment across the business. To meet the planned growth of our business, and to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise, it is critical that we are aligned in our actions and resource allocations. To help us accomplish this, we decided to invest in our talents by providing this opportunity to learn a new business driven process. During 2010 we trained all corporate leaders and General Managers of our managed hotels. Gunnar Johansson from Lots® certified 4 facilitators in Lots® who trained close to 200 leaders in one year. Feedback from participants says “the whole concept of outside-in thinking is one that I think is very important and that we (myself included) don’t do enough of”. “I think the process overall is the biggest value. It took me a while to get there and be comfortable with it, but in the end I think it will help us achieve our goals efficiently and effectively throughout Carlson hotels”.

Lots® has also been introduced to Carlson hotels Asia and has been used in The Rezidor Hotel Group since 1989. Carlson owns 50.1% of Rezidor which means that Lots® has become our global common language. This is a huge benefit to our leaders who are typically promoted from within. They will quickly learn by reading a hotel, department or specific “Issue” the present situation and future challenges of that specific location and can take over leadership and lead the future rather than spending time on the past.

In addition to leading People Development in both Rezidor and now Carlson, I have been a regular board member at the end of each course. Seeing the passion in which leaders present their “Issues”, ambition, belief and determination gives inspiration and confirmation to believe that introducing Lots® as a business planning tool has been one of our best long term decisions.

Beathe-Jeanette Lunde
Executive Vice President at Carlson Hotels Worldwide Americas