What inspired you to take up a career in hospitality?
What drew me to the hotel industry was the opportunity to work in a diverse and multicultural environment, where the interconnected nature of our work and the long hours would forge us into a strong family. It was a unique perspective at the time as you could easily build strong friendships and each day would present different and complex challenges which were in itself interesting to resolve.
What are some of the responsibilities in your role?
In a nutshell, I am responsible for all accounting and financial requirements of the hotel. A key aspect of this would be offering support, advice and financial expertise to the general manager of the property, as well as Hyatt International. On a daily basis I find myself managing accounting records, preparing financial reports, ensuring effective control procedures, developing and implementing industry best practices in financial accounting and control procedures, managing the internal and external audit of the property, and supporting, advising and developing my team.
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How has finance in hospitality evolved over the last 35 years?
Over the last 35 years, finance has significantly evolved from an ideological standpoint, from being another back-office function — which wasn’t considered important — to an integral department of a hotel. In fact, the emphasis in the current age is for finance executives to become ‘strategic business partners’ which shows just how far finance has come. Technology has also played its part in this evolution, of course, over the years, as it has taken over the more cumbersome, tedious and manual processes allowing executives to focus on the tasks that generate value for the hotel.
Having worked with Hyatt for 35 years, what evokes brand loyalty?
When you see a group that truly cares for its employees and looks after them well, it can only have positive repercussions. Hyatt’s purpose is to take care of people so that they can perform at their best. From the time I joined Hyatt I have been supported by the group, I have been made to feel part of a family, given room to grow, to make mistakes and to build my career. This is all part of the ‘Hyatt way’.
Does ‘employer loyalty’ exist with the new generation of hospitality professionals — i.e. millennial hoteliers?
It does exist but it is a declining trend. Often it is seen that the newer generation are interested in career advancement and if given room to grow and meet personal and professional goals, they will remain loyal.
Having worked across the region, what’s your take on the hospitality industry in the other GCC countries compared to the UAE?
The major differences between other countries and the UAE are in the legal and regulatory setup and the ever-changing technology which gets incorporated into business activities much faster than other countries. This means you can never get complacent.
How do you ensure a hotel’s budgets stay in check?
This is done through constant monitoring of budgets and frequent adjustments to incorporate latest market data or updated trends. It is important to ensure updated information is used so that the figures reported are relevant to the current market conditions. There are multiple measures available to executives to control costs, which include restrictions on recruitment to changing procedures to make them more efficient, which result in lower costs.
What would you say are the most significant achievements in your career so far?
I would say that my most significant achievement was when I became the director of finance for multiple properties during my time with Hyatt, after I started at the bottom as an operational trainee.
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