Where Are They Now? Lisa Checchio

It might not seem like much, Lisa (Borromeo) Checchio says, but stand with arms extended wide in a T formation long enough and the challenge is real.

This bit of conditioning was a practice staple of Jeanne Gengler-Swiacki's GW women's tennis program, and Checchio has never forgotten the full-arm burn after testing her limits or the lesson behind the simple exercise.

"At the time, we could never really understand why," Checchio remembered. "In the end, she would explain that it's the small muscles that help to build strength."

Today, Checchio can appreciate her former coach's sentiment better than ever in her role as executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Overseeing revenue generation strategy for the world's largest franchised hotel company, she stresses to her team that the details make the difference.

"I think that's definitely reflected in my leadership style," said Checchio, who earned her degree in Economics through the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences in 2002. "It's the details, the small things that build strength. It's not all about the big moments and the big stories. It's how it all adds up."

For Checchio, the lessons, on and off the tennis court, piled up over her time at GW, and looking back, she's grateful to her alma mater for providing the foundation for a truly gratifying career path to her current position at Wyndham.

"To be at a school like GW, I think it just exposed me to the world – so many different cultures and languages and walks of life and experiences that I would not have had anywhere else," said Checchio, who added that atmosphere fueled her love of travel. "There was no box ever. There was no thinking, 'This is all it can be.'"

While Checchio devoted her younger years to the sport of tennis, she wasn't certain she'd continue her career into college. The New Jersey native knew she wanted to study in a city a reasonable drive from home and approached her search with fit in mind beyond athletics.

As a high school senior, Checchio made the trip to D.C. to visit another school before adding a stop in Foggy Bottom on a whim on the way out of town.

Tours had finished for the day, but a guide agreed to take them around solo. She was delighted to discover a campus that checked every box on her list.

"I was going to GW after that moment," Checchio said. "It was just meant to be."

Once at GW, Checchio approached Gengler-Swiacki about a tryout and earned her place on the roster as a walk-on.

As a student-athlete, she achieved at a high level in every way.

On the court, he secured a spot in the lineup for an improving program, helping the Colonials advance to the A-10 final as a junior in 2001.

There were fun times, like when her teammates teased her for not knowing how to pump gas on a road trip and then taught her how, and meaningful memories, including a trip back to her home state for a tournament at Princeton featuring squads from across the country.

"It was the first time my parents had come to see me play," Checchio recalled. "It was just a really special moment to be able to share with them. After all those years of practice, all those years of lessons that they paid for, that's as close to being a professional as it was going to get."

In the classroom, Checchio excelled, too. After starting out on a pre-med track, she settled on economics and graduated with honors.

Along the way, she discovered her passion for sports marketing under the tutelage of Dr. Lisa Delpy Neirotti. As an undergrad, she secured an internship with sports management giant Octagon before moving on to help pioneering tennis agent Sara Fornaciari at her Sports Plus firm run out of her Bethesda, Md., home.

Fresh out of GW, Checchio was renting a room from an acquaintance while helping organize pro tennis events around the globe.

"That's how it all began," said Checchio, whose projects included an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the WTA and the first US Open Pro-Am. "I was getting paid peanuts and living in an attic, and I loved every minute of it! As first jobs go, I had hit the jackpot."

In 2004, Checchio moved into the travel sector with JetBlue utilizing connections made when the new start-up sponsored a local tournament she had organized. She stayed there more than 11 years before moving to Wyndham in 2015.

As chief marketing officer, she's responsible for leading efforts to promote Wyndham's portfolio of 20 brands spanning approximately 9,000 hotels in 90 countries. She's been honored on Ad Age's 40-under-40 list and named one of Hotel Management's Most Influential Women in Hospitality.

Though she's left sports marketing, Checchio said her tennis background continues to pay dividends, especially amid the new challenges presented by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

"With tennis, it's all about the mental game because you're out there by yourself," Checchio said. "I think this year in particular I have dug into that more than I probably ever had in my entire career: The ability to just remain mentally tough. I think it's going to help us – myself and my team – to get through to the other side."

Tennis remains a part of Checchio's life through her sons Lorenzo (9), Gianluca (7) and Marco (5). The proud mom's game isn't what it used to be, but she still can get out on the court and dispense a few pointers.

And Checchio stays tied to GW through the people she met there. Two years ago, she and her husband David took the boys to a West Virginia lake for a Labor Day celebration with many of her college pals and their families. The Buff and Blue reunion provided a reminder of good times in Foggy Bottom that created an everlasting bond.

"These are friends for life," Checchio said. "We're scattered around the country and the world now, but every time we're together we still remember all these stories of being there at GW together, which is really special."

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