Five qualities of superior leadership and what makes effective digital talent
It’s all very well to say you want to embark on a “digital transformation” – as every company and his dog seems to be doing today – but it’s another thing to have the leaders and team who can deliver it.
In a global survey of views on leadership development, done in July and August 20 [...]
Hooray, we have moved on from toilet rolls: Hartman on innovation and integration
It was good to see veteran hotelier Richard Hartman on stage at Hotelsworld Sydney being recognised for his contribution to hospitality – he received the conference’s 2016 Global First Award – and in familiar fine fighting form.
One of the things I liked about Hartman, best known for le [...]
Do we need to be more ‘touchy feely’ in a high tech world?
In the BBC TV series, “Humans”, the world is now divided into humans and “synths”, human-like robots who work among us. They work in our police force, clean the house, look after our children and pets, and really they can do anything we can, just more efficiently and without question.
How [...]
Bowie by my bed, Old Clare is turning conventional hotel thinking on its head
The black-and-white framed photograph of David Bowie by my bedside got me at first sight. Next to it was a note that said, “We are big fans of David Bowie too … Hope you’ll enjoy one of our favourite quotes from the man. Life is not meant to be just black or white, we are constantly pushing an [...]
Nok Air’s Patee on the emotion of social media and Pokemon Go
As far as Patee Sarasin, CEO of Nok Air, is concerned, social is the biggest phenomenon influencing the airline industry.
“Mobile is just a technology but social is about emotions, and it’s harder to manage emotions,” said the Bangkok-based executive who set up the low cost airline 12 years [...]
Asia and digital will transform aviation, says Qantas’ Alan Joyce
Asia and the digital revolution are two of the global forces that will have a longterm impact on aviation, according to CEO of Qantas group, Alan Joyce.
Speaking at the CAPA Australia Aviation Summit in Brisbane last week, he said that although the US remains Qantas’ largest market, [...]
Letter from Australia: Pokemon On The Go
Pokemon Go, the augmented reality game where players collect in-game items and catch Pokemon characters or monsters, could either be the best thing to happen to gamers and travellers or the biggest social disaster waiting to happen.
I found myself having near collisions with people in Melbourne. [...]
Accor’s Issenberg talks Fairmont, culture and content
For a man who’s spent the past seven months leading the integration of a US$3 billion acquisition, involving 115 hotels across 40 countries, Michael Issenberg, the chairman of AccorHotels Asia Pacific, was looking decidedly relaxed when I caught up with him in Sydney.
Since Accor’s acquis [...]
Letter from Bethnal Green: Discovering a new hood, and the street art of Brick Lane
I have to confess that I never thought I’d ever write a letter from Bethnal Green – because, prior to last month, I didn’t even really know where it was and the name had only been on the periphery of my consciousness, associated with inner city London, gangs and crime.
It didn’t seem to b [...]
How a corporate hippie is reimagining George Town heritage + hotels
The day I went to check out the Jawi Peranakan Mansion, Chris Ong’s newest boutique hotel in Penang, a Chinese family of about 12, with young kids, were checking in.
They had booked on Expedia, were taking two rooms and the staff were wondering how to tell them that each room only had capacity [...]
