GeorgiaCMO ORBIE Leadership Award recipient: For Heather Balsley, Global Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts, the best career path isn’t always a straight line
When Heather Balsley thinks about what makes a leader effective, she thinks about two ideas: trust and influence. “Leadership isn’t about winning every argument,” she said. “It’s about building trust and creating the influence needed to move an organization forward.”
Balsley, Global Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts, has spent nearly two decades at the company, now leading brand strategy, marketing, commercial performance, analytics, and the customer experience across IHG’s 21 brands and more than 7,100 locations worldwide.
From poultry butcher to commercial and marketing executive
Balsley grew up in Philadelphia, and from a young age was interested in business. She was inspired by her mother, who built a successful finance career while always being present for the family. Her first job, as a poultry butcher at a farmers’ market, may have been an unlikely start to a career, but “it taught me a lot about hard work, customer service and how a small business operates,” she said.
She studied economics and sociology at Duke, where she played lacrosse, and later went on to earn her MBA from Harvard Business School. For seven years, she worked as a consultant at Marakon Associates, advising Fortune 500 companies on performance-enhancing strategies. In 2007, she joined IHG as Vice President of Strategy for the Americas.
What drew her to marketing was the way it brings together “business strategy, human behavior and creativity…When I came to IHG, I was particularly drawn to the experiential side of building brands in hospitality.” Even as AI changes the tools and channels, “the fundamental challenge remains the same: understanding what matters to people.”
Asking the right questions
Balsley’s IHG career has spanned strategy, global marketing for brands including Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, and global loyalty and partnerships. Along the way, she helped launch several new brands, designing them from the ground up and then localizing for different markets.
Balsley’s first major brand role was an inflection point: she was leading people who often knew more than she did about their areas of expertise. “It taught me that leadership doesn’t mean you have all the answers,” she said. “It’s about asking the right questions, listening and empowering great people.”
Among her proudest achievements is leading the relaunch of the company’s loyalty program, IHG One Rewards, which now has more than 160 million members who account for 67% of bookings globally at IHG branded hotels. Members are 10 times more likely to book directly and spend about 20% more than non-members.
“Seeing loyalty become such an important driver of performance and growth is something I’m tremendously proud of,” she said.
Adapting without changing who you are
Balsley says leadership requires both persistence and adaptability. Early on, she thought a strong point of view backed by facts was enough; she now knows how you bring people along matters just as much.
As a woman, she has also had to navigate implicit biases that can come with being direct and having strong opinions. An early mentor helped her see the answer wasn’t to change who she was, but to adapt her style more thoughtfully to the people around her. “I’ve learned to listen more, be patient, pick my battles, and invest in relationships,” she said.
As part of her work with IHG, Balsley has volunteered alongside colleagues with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to support those facing food insecurity and Wellspring Living, which supports survivors of human trafficking— two issues she and IHG are passionate about solving. “Community involvement is really an extension of leadership,” she said.
Advice for the next generation
Balsley encourages emerging marketing leaders to embrace “squiggly careers,” the idea that the best path isn’t always straight up. Sometimes the most formative experiences come through lateral moves and stretch assignments. “Don’t become too focused on the next title,” she said. “Stay curious, raise your hand for new challenges, and don’t be afraid to move outside your comfort zone.”