Alec Dalton, CCXP, CHT

Bio

Service scientist Alec Dalton inspires guest experience excellence. In addition to his courtesy appointment within the Chaplin School, Alec serves as Executive Director of Accelerating Leaders: he and his team advise hospitality-oriented companies, non-profits, and government agencies with management consulting services and professional development programming … all with the goal of fostering five-star service. Alec’s expertise and passion were formed while leading and learning within industry innovators: for Marriott International, he led global quality management technology for 7,500 hotels across 30 brands; with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Alec operated two luxury hotels and held roles in global operating strategy and loyalty marketing; he also “made magic” as a recruiter and resort concierge within The Walt Disney Company.

Alec co-authored the first two best-sellers in the Customer Experience series, and he is co-editor of the textbook Operations Management in the Hospitality Industry. As an active researcher, his findings have been published in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, the Journal of Foodservice Business Research, and the International Journal of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism. He has also been featured in Hotel Management Magazine, Hotel News Now, and other trade media. Alec serves on the boards of the Customer Institute and HorizonCX, judges several international business competitions, and delivers frequent keynotes regarding service science, quality management, and hospitality trends.

Alec has been recognized several times by the International Hospitality Institute, most recently in 2023 as an honoree amongst the “100 Most Inspirational People in Travel and Hospitality.” The Customer Experience Professionals Association honored him in 2021 among its inaugural “Emerging Leaders in CX,” and Hotel Management Magazine included him on its 2018 “30 Under 30” list of rising hospitality executives.

Alec holds dual bachelor’s degrees in business and hospitality administration from Boston University, and he holds certifications as a customer experience professional, hospitality trainer, hotel industry analyst, Six Sigma Green Belt, and behavioral researcher. As a proud Panther, he is currently pursuing a master’s degree at FIU in hospitality management.