40 Under Forty: Emily Bird-Hrivnak

Senior Marketing Manager, Marriott

Kathy Strong 40 under Forty 2014

 

Emily Bird-Hrivnak
Senior Marketing Manager, Marriott
Age: 39

 

When Emily Bird-Hrivnak visited the desert 14 years ago from the Pacific Northwest to oversee the renovation of the then–Palm Desert Town Center, she didn’t plan to stay.

“This is the kind of community you fall in love with,” says Bird-Hrivnak, who met her husband a few months after moving here.

Bird-Hrivnak, who is now a senior marketing manager for Marriott, loves not only her community but also her work — especially the evolution of marketing.

“It has changed so much with the integration of technology,” says Bird-Hrivnak, whose territory includes Napa/Sonoma, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. “I love being a part of the new social world and how it has changed our marketing platform over the past few years.”

At the time of this interview, Bird-Hrivnak was anticipating the birth of her first baby at age 39 and is facing the challenge of balancing career and motherhood.

“Life is so fast-paced that you need to find time to be in the moment,” she says. “I had to work hard for what I wanted to be in life, and my hard work and drive to succeed got me there.”

 

VIDEO: Emily Bird-Hrivnak talks about becoming a Mom and balancing career and family.