Madeleine Lesser’s professional journey reflects steady progress, adaptability, and a strong understanding of brand communication in the hospitality industry. Currently a Customer Success Manager at Marriott Digital Services, she brings hands-on experience across public relations, studio operations, finance, and digital analysis. Her story is about building expertise one step at a time, with a focus on solving real business problems and creating smoother digital experiences for customers and internal teams alike.
This blog post explores Madeleine’s career in detail—from early internships to her current leadership in customer success. It’s a path shaped by learning on the ground, growing within one of the world’s leading hospitality brands, and staying focused on results.
Starting Out: Public Relations Roots at the University of South Carolina
Madeleine began her academic foundation in Public Relations at the University of South Carolina, where she studied from 2015 to 2019. This choice of major set the tone for her initial interest in messaging, branding, and audience engagement. It gave her the building blocks for strategic thinking, writing, and managing client needs.
During this time, she actively pursued practical experience. She worked as a teaching assistant at Reverie Dance Academy from 2013 to 2015—an early signal of her people-oriented mindset and ability to support others in achieving goals.
Internships and Early Industry Exposure
While still in school, Madeleine jumped into professional internships that introduced her to fast-paced environments. She joined Eventus in Columbia, South Carolina, as an intern in the summer of 2016. This position exposed her to real-world event planning, campaign coordination, and client interactions.
In the summer of 2017, she worked as a server at The Members Club at Woodcreek and Wildewood in Elgin, South Carolina. Though not directly related to public relations or digital media, this hands-on customer-facing role taught her valuable lessons in service, patience, and communication—skills that continue to matter in her customer success role today.
The Entry into Marriott: Climbing the Ladder
Madeleine’s journey with Marriott International began in 2018 when she joined as a Public Relations Intern. That role marked her formal entry into the corporate side of hospitality. She worked in the Public Relations department for The Americas, where she contributed to messaging strategies, press communications, and media outreach.
Later in 2018, she was promoted to Program Specialist for Public Relations. The shift from intern to specialist within a few months reflected both her ability to take initiative and Marriott’s recognition of her reliability. She began to develop long-term projects and handled responsibilities that required autonomy and critical thinking.
Cross-Functional Experience: Broadening Her Understanding
From May 2019 to October 2019, Madeleine worked as a Senior Program Specialist in the Field Performance and New Solutions division. Her role supported innovation and field operations, helping hotels test and implement new service concepts.
In October 2019, she transitioned into Global Brand Management, serving as a Senior Program Specialist for Distinctive Select Brands. These months allowed her to dive into how brand standards are shaped, maintained, and evolved across Marriott’s global network. She wasn’t just helping tell Marriott’s story—she was helping shape it for brands within the portfolio.
Strengthening Operational Skills: The Global Finance Chapter
In March 2021, Madeleine entered a completely different side of the business: finance. As a Senior Administrative Assistant for Global Finance, she supported leadership and played a key part in coordinating budgets, reports, and administrative logistics. Working with numbers, audits, and executive-level planning introduced her to the backend systems that keep hospitality businesses running smoothly.
Although this role was outside her earlier branding and public relations scope, it proved critical in shaping her attention to detail and understanding how high-level decisions are made and executed.
Stepping into the Digital World: Analyst and Operations Lead
By June 2022, Madeleine had taken on the role of Senior Digital Analyst in Marriott Digital Services (MDS), particularly within Studio Operations. Here, she analyzed performance data and contributed to optimizing digital campaigns for Marriott’s hotel properties. This position allowed her to combine her experience in branding with new technical skills in data analytics and workflow coordination.
She began working more closely with internal digital tools, tracking how campaigns were performing across platforms, and adjusting resources to ensure high delivery standards. Studio Operations is where branding meets analytics—something Madeleine seemed to thrive in.
Present Role: Customer Success Manager at Marriott Digital Services
Since April 2023, Madeleine has served as Customer Success Manager at Marriott Digital Services. In this position, she works directly with Marriott hotel partners and internal stakeholders to ensure that digital marketing strategies meet property goals. She helps troubleshoot delivery issues, align brand objectives, and provide performance feedback. In short, she serves as a bridge between technical teams and customer-facing hotel operators.
This role requires a combination of clear communication, strategic planning, and a deep understanding of digital platforms. Madeleine’s previous experience across public relations, brand management, and analytics gives her the toolkit to address client concerns and help Marriott properties make the most of their digital investments.
A Skillset Built on Variety and Application
What stands out about Madeleine’s career is the variety of roles she has taken on within a single organization. Rather than climbing a straight ladder, her journey has followed a more lateral and integrative path. Each stop along the way added a new dimension to her skillset:
- Communication & Storytelling – honed through PR internships and brand work
- Client Engagement & Support – developed through customer-facing roles and current customer success leadership
- Operational Coordination – strengthened through her time in finance and digital studio operations
- Analytics & Reporting – refined as a digital analyst and carried into her success manager role
This combination allows her to speak multiple “languages” within Marriott—from creative teams to financial analysts to hotel managers.
Navigating Challenges: Adapting to Change
Throughout her years at Marriott, Madeleine has experienced internal restructuring, brand shifts, and industry-wide changes caused by external events like the pandemic. Adapting to these changes has required flexibility and an ongoing willingness to learn. Whether transitioning from PR to finance or taking on more digital-heavy responsibilities, she has consistently embraced what the next challenge required.
In today’s corporate world, especially in hospitality and tech-enabled services, the ability to pivot is not just useful—it’s necessary. Madeleine’s career demonstrates how adaptability, when paired with a clear sense of purpose, can lead to meaningful progression.
What Makes a Good Customer Success Manager?
In Madeleine’s current position, success is measured not just by KPIs, but by how well she understands the client’s goals and translates them into actions. Her job is not to sell Marriott’s digital services but to ensure that clients are actually benefiting from them. That means active listening, problem-solving, and regular performance reviews.
Key tasks include:
- Onboarding new hotel partners to digital systems
- Reviewing campaign performance and offering feedback
- Identifying and escalating delivery issues
- Collaborating with creative, technical, and sales teams
- Guiding clients through platform updates or strategy shifts
These are not tasks that can be completed with a one-size-fits-all approach. Each hotel has unique challenges, and Madeleine’s ability to respond thoughtfully is a major asset.
Looking Forward: Continued Growth in Digital Hospitality
As Marriott continues investing in digital personalization and global online strategies, roles like Madeleine’s will become even more important. With artificial intelligence, dynamic pricing models, and personalization engines entering mainstream use, digital success will depend on people who can balance data with human insight.
Madeleine’s history suggests she’s well-positioned to grow within this evolving space. She understands the customer journey both online and on-property. She knows the internal mechanisms that power large organizations. And she’s shown the ability to switch tracks and still perform.
Conclusion
Madeleine Lesser’s career offers a strong example of how professional development isn’t always about dramatic shifts—it can be about building from within. By taking on new challenges and applying her communication background in different contexts, she’s become a key figure in Marriott’s digital service team.
From assisting in PR campaigns to managing digital performance across hotel portfolios, her work is grounded in clarity, service, and strategic execution. She’s not chasing titles—she’s delivering value where it matters. And in doing so, she’s creating a model for what it means to grow with purpose in today’s digital-first hospitality world.
