Carmen Baker, 42, is settling into the newly created position of Carlson Hotels Worldwide's vice president of responsible business. Baker, who previously served as the company's vice president of diversity, is charged with guiding Carlson's efforts in areas like environmental sustainability, charitable giving and community relations. The former independent consultant also serves on the board of directors for Minnesota's Multicultural Development Center, among additional community involvement.

HOTELS: When you hear the phrase “responsible business,” what comes to mind?

Baker: If you had asked me that a week ago even, I would have said environmental sustainability, but I've come back to Carlson's five pillars of responsible business. Environmental sustainability is a specific focus for Carlson Hotels Americas, but we really see responsibility as including business ethics, community involvement, our charity involvement and our work in diversity and inclusion. It's really the manner in which we conduct all facets of our business.

HOTELS: How does your previous experience as vice president of diversity affect the way you approach your current position?

Baker: A lot of the industry is finding that [many] responsible business officers are coming from the field of diversity and inclusion. A lot of the thinking and a lot of the skill set—a lot of the way you go about getting the work done—is very similar. The ability to do the right thing and measure your success at doing the right thing is very similar. When I stepped into this role, I saw it as an extension of the cultural responsibility of doing the right thing.

HOTELS: How does the hotel industry measure up in terms of responsible business? What does it do well and what can it improve upon?

Baker: It absolutely recognizes the need—you won't find anyone in the hotel industry denying that an opportunity exists—to improve. There is a lot of energy and a lot of passion, but there are also a lot of processes and services that go along with that energy. We have [seen] an evolution in tools and technologies in the ways of constructing, and the ways of designing, and the ways of serving our customers, that has social and environmental responsibility in mind—that is what it does well.

The challenge is to measure the impact of the changes we are making. You really have to understand where you are starting from in order to understand where you are going. [That] can be difficult, as it requires a lot of information and data, so we have to get really good at setting a baseline and being able to measure that.

HOTELS: What is your top priority related to corporate responsibility?

Baker: Top priority is around the development and the implementation of our environmental program. We are doing a lot of great things, like the work that has been done by our partner, Rezidor, in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. They have been at this for seven years, so I don't feel like we are starting from scratch. They have a lot to contribute from where we're starting from with our formal program. There is a lot of good work that has been done already, but it is a matter of understanding it and identifying where it is.

HOTELS: At the property level, what can hotel staff do to meet their social responsibilities?

Baker: There is so much they can do, from making sure recycling is available in their localities to making sure they are taking full advantage, or creating their own recycling programs for glass, plastics and paper. It can be anything as small as making sure that proper equipment is turned off when it is not in use. The little things really matter. They can put together their own formal programs to look at conservation, waste reduction, increasing efficiency—taking a look at the quick hits, the low-hanging fruit, and thinking long term about how to be more efficient and more sustainable.

HOTELS: Responsible business is not always the most profitable way to do business. How do you balance those sometimes competing interests?

Baker: It is a philosophical decision that has to be made. You can make a positive impact without a lot of capital spent up front by just doing things differently, by becoming more efficient at managing the plant or the facilities that you're using. That needs to be considered first and foremost.

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