Barbara Talbott
Chair
Barbara Talbott is a senior business leader with wide-ranging global experience as a top executive, strategist and advisor to leading organizations. She began her career with the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and went on to become Vice President Marketing for the award-winning cruise line, Royal Viking, before joining Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, where she recently completed a notable 20-year career. As Chief Marketing Officer during a period of rapid and successful growth, Ms. Talbott led the effort which positioned Four Seasons as one of the world's most valuable brands, introducing it to more than 30 countries and delivering superior results through many business cycles. In 2009 she founded GlenLarkin Advisors, LLC, where as CEO she provides strategic counsel to senior management in industries including hospitality, health and wellness ; retail, finance and professional services.
Author of "The Power of Personal Service", Ms. Talbott is a respected authority on global branding and service innovation, recipient of a lifetime achievement award from HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International). Others who have received this honor in recent years include Sir Richard Branson, Michael Eisner and Barry Sternlicht.
Invited to join C200 in 2004, Ms. Talbott has served on both the Foundation and Governing boards. She became Chair in January 2010. Her work with C200 is part of a larger, career-long commitment to encourage and develop other leaders: through mentorship, writing and education. A sought-after speaker on leadership and corporate culture, she was a founding partner and advisory board member of Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research. Ms. Talbott earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. A native of Pennsylvania, she resides in Miami and San Francisco with her husband, John Riley.