Carlson | 701 Carlson Parkway, Minnetonka, MN 55305 | Phone: 763-212-5000


In March, Hubert Joly succeeded Marilyn Carlson Nelson as president and CEO of Carlson, the hospitality and marketing company founded in 1938 by Curt Carlson. From 2005 to 2008, he served as president and CEO of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, the world’s leading travel-management company—expanding its sales from $8.9 billion in 2003 to $25.5 billion. In addition to Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Carlson encompasses the Carlson Hotels, including Radisson Hotels & Resorts; Carlson Marketing; and T.G.I. Friday's restaurants. Before joining Carlson, Joly was Executive Vice President of Vivendi Universal (VU) in charge of overseeing the company’s American assets.


Age: 48 years old, born in Laxou, France

Spouse: Nathalie

Children: Stanislas, 21 and Agathe, 18

Education: Business administration graduate of HEC Paris and a public administration graduate of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris

Career History: President and CEO, Carlson, March 2008-present; p resident and CEO, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, July 2004-March 2008; e xecutive Vice President, Vivendi Universal, 2002-2004; CEO, Vivendi Universal Games, 1999-2001; v ice president, Electronic Data Systems Europe and president, EDS France, 1996-1999; and c onsultant and then partner for McKinsey & Company, 1982-1996.

Activities: Vice chair of the Rezidor Hotel Group Board of Directors and a member of the supervisory board of the Aspen Institute France, a non-partisan, international forum designed to promote the exchange of ideas on economic, social, and political issues. Also a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in France.

Awards: Honored as one of the 25 Most Influential Executives of the Business Travel Industry (2006) by Business Travel News magazine. Also elected a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum (Davos, 1997-1999), a young executive of the year by L'Expansion magazine (1996), and IT CEO of the Year in France (1998).

Key achievements: Fourth CEO in Carlson’s 70-year history. While he led Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), sales increased from $8.9 billion in 2003 to $25.5 billion in 2007. CWT has become the largest player in the travel-management space, surpassing American Express in the process.