Executive thinking, made relatable.
Executive thinking, made relatable.
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Author of JOB JOY: Solve the Riddle, executive coach, and HR and organizational development leader. David has spent his career inside hospitality, luxury retail, and healthcare — leading through crisis, culture change, and turnaround.
Chief Beliefs Officer, The Relatable Exec. SHRM-SCP. 35+ years turning around organizations at Marriott, DFS/LVMH, Mercy Health and Navitus Health Solutions — now building JOB JOY and TRE to make executive thinking relatable to everyone.
David Simmons spent over two decades leading human resources and talent development inside some of the most demanding operations in hospitality and luxury retail — the kind of environments where employee engagement isn't a slide in a deck, it's the difference between a business surviving and closing.
At Marriott International (1987–2010), he rose from Operations Manager to Director of Human Resources across multiple properties, leading through crises most executives never face — including chairing the Katrina Remediation Task Force, which located, supported, and redeployed over 1,700 displaced employees from 14 hotels after Hurricane Katrina, and averting a labor strike in Detroit through contract negotiations that saved the company over $1M.
At DFS Group (LVMH) in Hawaii (2010–2014), he ran luxury retail operations at the Honolulu and Maui airports, posting the best sales results in company history for that store classification, before moving into Division Talent Management Director.
At Mercy Health in St. Louis (2014–2018), David served as VP of Talent Development & Optimization, redesigning the organizational structure for six integrated service lines — Clinical Education, Talent Development, Organizational Development, eLearning, Diversity & Inclusion, and Engagement — supporting 46,000 co-workers system-wide.
After a career spent inside the systems that decide whether people thrive at work or quietly check out, David turned his focus to a simpler question: what actually makes a job feel like more than a paycheck? That question became JOB JOY — Solve the Riddle, and it became The Relatable Executive: executive thinking, made relatable, direct, and unfiltered — for anyone trying to build a career and a life that fit together.
BS, Human Resource Management — New England College. Strategic Leadership & Management — Michigan State University, Eli Broad College of Business. Certified Labor Relations, Michigan State University. Certified Professional in Human Resources, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Ten cities. Three industries. Thirty-five years. The full story behind every stop is below.
1Operations ManagerMarriott · 1987-19912Sales & Restaurant LeadershipMarriott · 1991-19953Director of HR Marriott · 1995-20004HR & Rooms Operations DirectorMarriott · 2000-20055Task Force LeadKatrina Task Force · 20056Operations & Multi-Unit HR DirectorMarriott · 2005-20087HR DirectorJW Marriott · 2008-20108GM & Division Talent DirectorDFS Group (LVMH) · 2010-20149VP, Talent DevelopmentMercy Health · 2014-201810Founder & PresidentSimrock & TRE · 2018-present1987–1991
Operations Manager, Omaha Marriott
Learned the fundamentals of running a business from the ground floor.
1991–1995
Sales & Restaurant Leadership, Omaha Marriott
Grew into sales management and Director of Restaurants — broadening from operations into people leadership.
1995–2000
Director of HR, South Bend & Memphis Marriott
First HR Director roles — culture and employee engagement became the throughline of his career.
2000–2005
HR & Rooms Operations Director, Kansas City Airport Marriott
Ran HR and operations side by side — a rare dual seat that shaped how he thinks about business and people together.
2005
Katrina Remediation Task Force, New Orleans
Led the task force that located, supported, and redeployed over 1,700 displaced employees from 14 hotels after Hurricane Katrina.
2005–2008
Operations & Multi-Unit HR Director, St. Louis & Detroit Marriott
Averted a labor strike and saved the company $1M+ in contract negotiations — rebuilding trust between management and labor.
2008–2010
HR Director, JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes
Led 125+ managers and 950 associates through a turbulent period, improving employee engagement and cutting turnover.
2010–2014
GM & Division Talent Management Director, DFS Group (LVMH), Hawaii
Delivered best-in-class sales results across luxury retail at Honolulu and Maui airports, then led talent strategy division-wide.
2014–2018
VP, Talent Development & Optimization, Mercy Health
Redesigned talent strategy across six service lines, supporting 46,000 co-workers system-wide.
2018—Present
Founder, Simrock & The Relatable Executive
Author of JOB JOY — Solve the Riddle. Now building TRE to make 25 years of executive thinking relatable, real, direct, and unfiltered.
For event organizers, producers and press — bios at three lengths, ready to copy. Photography and topic sheets available on request.
David Simmons is the author of JOB JOY: Solve the Riddle and founder of The Relatable Exec, with 35+ years leading talent and culture inside Marriott, DFS Group (LVMH), Mercy Health and Navitus Health Solutions.
David Simmons has spent 35+ years leading human resources, talent development and operations across hospitality, luxury retail and healthcare. He led the task force that relocated more than 1,700 displaced employees after Hurricane Katrina, averted a labor strike that saved over $1M in contract negotiations, and redesigned talent strategy for 46,000 co-workers at Mercy Health. He is the author of JOB JOY: Solve the Riddle and the founder of Simrock, LLC and The Relatable Executive.
The full career record — every role, city and outcome from 1987 to today — is set out in The Journey above. For a tailored biography, headshots or topic descriptions, get in touch.
