During the relocation, Starwood announced that it will increase its MEA portfolio by more than 60% with nearly 50 new hotels set to open over the next five years.
Boundless Energy
In a world that is “changing extraordinarily quickly”, van Paasschen says his goal is to achieve these targets by creating a company that has agility and fluidity.
“The most important thing for any company is the ability to be able to change quickly and see what’s happening, try new things and be willing to make mistakes.”
As a result of the real time, dynamic nature of the business, van Paasschen says it would be pointless for him to be based in an office. He doesn’t have a computer — everything he needs is on his iPad.
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“We’re so far past the point where there can be one smart person sitting in a headquarters somewhere making all the decisions and having people come in and ask for permission. What’s much more important today is as business leaders all of us to be clear about what the role of the company is and to constantly read and hear about what’s happening and make decisions.
“At the heart of it this company and the brands that we have are built upon a belief that people want a better way to experience the world. Our job at Starwood is to create different opportunities and access points for doing that,” he adds of the underpinning strategy.
The fast-moving pace of the business is something that seems to suit van Paasschen’s own approach to life and work. As an avid runner and cyclist, who has completed several marathons and now moved into the even more challenging sphere of triathlons, pushing the limits comes naturally.
“I don’t think I have a ‘sit in one place, think deeply and patiently mentality’ right? What’s energising for me in a job like this is spending time with people and all of us, if we’re in business for the right reason it’s because we want to explore human potential, right? We want to see what we can do and we want to create opportunities for other people to see what they can do. And if that energises you, then sitting behind a desk is almost separating you from the chance to do that.”
Indeed, where he finds the closest bonds with his team — including fellow athlete Guido de Wilde, regional VP for Stawood here in the Middle East — is out on the cycling track. Not only are they gaining some control over their hectic schedules — with exercise becoming almost a ritual — but all barriers are broken down.
“I have to say that the best moments that I’ve had at Starwood and otherwise at work have been those moments when you get to run or ride with someone that you work with because after a few minutes the titles have sort of fallen off behind you and you’re two people having a run or a cycle or a sweat and you get to know each other in a different way and after you’ve done that you sit at the same level.” De Wilde says this is one reason why people like to work for “Frits the biker”, whose first activity upon landing in Dubai was an 85km cycle in the desert.
“If I do a six-hour triathlon and I’m thinking about ‘am I ready to keep going and how do I keep track of my own fatigue’ — in a way [it’s the same during] a month like this,” van Paasschen concludes of the relocation. “There is a bit of a sports mentality, both in the pushing as well as knowing when you are getting close to the edge.”
As a marathon runner myself, I know where he’s coming from; but sense there’s quite a bit more pushing to come before this hotelier gets too close to that edge.
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