Bill Marriott

Hotel executive whose “35-cent receipt” anecdote in Turnaround anchors the book’s “details matter” theme. As the story is told, Marriott insisted on a receipt for a trivial 35-cent expense — the point being that everyone back at headquarters who heard about it would know “Bill Marriott cares about 35 cents,” that he is careful with money. The book frames it as a symbolic act consistent with everything at Marriott: that the details are important, a lesson Mitt Romney carries into his own operational thinking.

Context: J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr. (b. 1932) led Marriott International for decades as CEO and chairman, building it from his father’s restaurant and motel business into one of the world’s largest hospitality companies.

Where this appears

• Turnaround — the 35-cent receipt anecdote as a parable for attention to detail and financial discipline