Special RepoRt : Change Makers
The outdoor view at Kimpton ’ s Vitale , San Francisco
nounced in January . Raffles ’ purchase of Swissotel in 2001 was her first experience in a merger . Her second was more than three years ago , when Joie de Vivre joined Thompson hotels to create Commune . “ I was the second official Commune employee hired to integrate the two different companies ,” she says .
The Commune-Destination tie-up is her first at a senior management level , and the stakes are higher , too . Once again she will be employing her diplomatic skills , this time to integrate two revenue and distribution squads into a single , dynamic team . Pre-merger , she had seven direct reports and a larger team in the field of about 50 . Post-merger , that field team will be doubled . She ’ ll be tackling an unprecedented level of complexity to combine the best of the two systems and to integrate a team that can ’ t afford to be bogged down by the cultural challenges of a merger .
The human aspect is perhaps the most sensitive , as she re-forms a team whose dynamics will shift .
“ I believe in strong communication ,” she says . “ If you work for me , you ’ ll always know where you stand . I ’ m open and direct , with compassion . I can relate to people . I can know my job really well , but if I can ’ t relate to people , I ’ m not going to be successful .”
She says she didn ’ t predict the transformation that technology has imprinted on her job , and she ’ s not predicting her long-terms plans .
“ I continue moving forward as long as I can make an impact . I like to look back and say , I did that , I put this into place , I created this team of high performers . I ’ ve thought about working with institutional owner companies and seeing that side of the business . I work with them now , but I find it intriguing .”
HEr paTH :
Cullen started in operations at a hotel in Boston and rode the information technology wave to Chicago and albuquerque , New Mexico , as hotel revenue and distribution systems evolved . Now she ' s working in San Francisco for Commune Hotels & resorts , which recently announced a merger with Destination Hotels & resorts .
HEr gOaL :
Merge two different hotel cultures into a dynamic revenue team .
HEr MaNTra :
" almost every single position in a hotel is revenue-impacting ."
36 HOTELS April 2016 www . hotelsmag . com