Drew Pinto Is one of TIME's 2026 Executives of the Year: Tech and Data - Time Magazine

Hotel giant Marriott is replacing reservation, property management, and loyalty systems—some of which date back 40 years—across roughly 10,000 properties, all while changing how 280 million Bonvoy members can soon find its hotels, using AI. It’s a big job, but chief revenue and technology officer Drew Pinto says the company is roughly 30% through the rollout.

The behind-the-scenes redrawing of the firm’s operations is a massive undertaking, but not one most customers will see. They will simply encounter Ask Bonvoy, a conversational search tool launched in June; instead of starting with dates and destinations, travelers can ask for somewhere warm with a beach, shopping, and room for children and pets. Next, Pinto wants Marriott employees and hotel teams to build their own AI agents on company infrastructure, while automating manual work and surfacing operational insights. “You should get the best information when you come to us directly,” he says.