Power 50 2014: Rudi Jagersbacher, Hilton Worldwide

Taking the top spot in the Hotelier Middle East Power 50 for the second year running is Rudi Jagersbacher, who in 2014 celebrates both his 40th year in the hotel industry and Hilton Worldwide’s signing of its 100th Middle East property.

Rudi Jagersbacher joined Hilton Worldwide in 1974 and was appointed to his current position in January 2011, following three years as vice president.

Arguably the most indomitable hotel group in the region, Hilton Worldwide boasts the Middle East’s biggest pipeline with 52 hotels under contract, totalling more than 17,308 rooms. The group has a strong operational portfolio in the region too, with 17,048 rooms across 51 operating hotels.

Over the past year it has been Jagersbacher’s aim to drive Hilton Worldwide’s strategic positioning by building awareness around the diversity of the company’s key brands across different customer segments.

In terms of new brands and new signings in the region, this period has been really quite remarkable for Jagersbacher. For the first time ever, Hilton Worldwide’s operational hotels number across the Middle East and Africa region is exceeded by the number of hotels in the pipeline.

While last year, Jagersbacher was lauded in our Power 50 List for overseeing the introduction of Hilton Worldwide’s luxury portfolio to the Middle East, with the openings of the Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai and the Conrad Dubai, this year the focus has shifted to upscale and mid-range brands.

Hilton now has 11 upscale DoubleTree by Hilton branded hotels planned for the region and has opened four hotels in the UAE and Saudi Arabia this year: DoubleTree by Hilton Dhahran, DoubleTree by Hilton Al Barsha, DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Beach and DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa, Marjan Island. In February the company announced the launch of mid-scale Hilton Garden Inn in the UAE with two properties set to open in 2015. This was followed by a third Hilton Garden Inn signing with Majid Al Futtaim at Mall of the Emirates Dubai.

“The introduction of Hilton Garden Inn was a particularly important moment for the company and also a very proud one for me, as it meant that five brands will now be in operation in the UAE by 2015,” comments Jagersbacher, adding that the addition of Hilton Garden Inn was “a real statement of intent”, which underlines Hilton’s “unequivocal support to the region’s tourism needs and priorities”.

Additionally, in June Hilton celebrated the Middle East launch of its new brand, Curio — A Collection by Hilton. The first signing is a 207-key hotel project in the Mall of Qatar with investors Al Jaryan Trading & Contracting. The hotel will add to Hilton’s six-strong Qatar pipeline.

Jagersbacher asserts he is keen to spearhead expansion of Hilton into new markets and if the right opportunity is available, he will commit the full backing of Hilton Worldwide to bring it to fruition.

“Since I have been in office we have made a significant commitment to Qatar and have seen it grow into an important market for us,” he says.

“We are also moving into Kurdistan and are currently working on major new hotel developments in Erbil. We are making good progress on fulfilling a promise to return to Bahrain and will hopefully be opening a new property there over the next year” he adds, referring to the 350-key DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bahrain — Juffair.

Currently responsible for over 20,000 team members across the Middle East and Africa, Jagersbacher says that this is a number “way short of what I hope to achieve by the time I’m ready to pass the baton to someone else” — a moment that still seems far-off.

Jagersbacher claims his team is working to “significantly increase the number of staff” in line with growth of the group’s regional pipeline.

“Growing the Hilton Worldwide business and ensuring that we have the right team with the right skills to uphold our brand values is something that inspires and motivates me every single day”, he adds.

However, as a leader of a rapidly expanding portfolio, Jagersbacher admits that his biggest challenge is continually ensuring that operational systems are fit to match growth and that the right levels of talent are available to deliver exceptional guest experience.

Aligning standards and best practices with other Hilton global leaders through Hilton’s combined operation effectiveness and centre of quality initiative — launched in the MEA this year — has helped him achieve this.

In addition to operations and development, Jagersbacher, a founding member of the Hilton in the Community Foundation — a grant-making organisation that fundraises to support disadvantaged children — is also committed to ensuring Hilton Worldwide is a good corporate citizen.

Each year, a Global Week of Service is hosted to serve the communities in which Hilton’s hotels are based. In October Jagersbacher and his colleagues renovated and refurbished two science laboratories at Al Garhoud National Charity School in Dubai, which are so far reportedly delivering a real benefit to the students and teachers at the school.

Humble and grounded, Jagersbacher doesn’t take credit for the aforementioned achievements however, acknowledging the team effort that has been required for Hilton Worldwide to become the powerhouse it is today in this region.

“Everyone at Hilton Worldwide has been directly responsible for the growth of our strong brand in the industry and our aim is to become the number one choice for guests, owners and team members like”, he says.

By The Numbers

Number of years in role: 3 Number of years with company: 40 Number of Middle East operating hotels: 51 Number of Middle East pipeline hotels: 52

Fun Fact: In 2006, Rudi Jagersbacher was awarded the Decoration of Merit in Gold (Goldenes Verdienstzeichen), one of 15 classes of national honours for services to the Republic conferred by the Austrian government.