The next generation of hotel leadership is coming , and more than ever , especially when layering global financial and geopolitical issues on top of the day-today challenges of running a hotel company , strong leadership matters . In a competitive , disintermediated industry , what does the future of leadership look like , and what is on their minds ? Hint : It ’ s not always technology .
To answer just a few of those questions and more , HOTELS identified 20 rising stars , all 40 and under , and brought some of them together in person and others via a series of interviews to find out what ’ s on their minds . Here , in Q & A format based on a Wall Street Journal-sponsored roundtable held in Los Angeles in January just before the start of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit , we sat down with nine leaders to learn their opinions about career fulfillment , key leadership traits and other timely and topical issues of the day . Then we offer short takes from 11 more leaders on some of the issues that matter most to them . All 20 leaders are profiled at hotelsm . ag / NextGenList .
HOTELS : What matters most to you to feel fulfilled in your jobs ? Sheila Farahpour : Work-life balance . Andrea Chapur : Freedom and empowerment . The way that my dad works is completely different . He ’ ll go to the office at 6 a . m ., maybe have fast food , not go work out and leave to the office at 11 p . m . And I feel like now the younger generation only takes care of themselves . They want to have the independence also to travel and have vacation days . My dad hasn ’ t taken vacation in 20 years . That ’ s just crazy .
James Mabey : Younger leaders are very driven , ambitious and focused on one particular goal . What I found to be helpful was letting go of the idea that
MUCH MORE ONLINE
hotelsm . ag / NextGenVid1 and hotelsm . ag / NextGenVid2 to watch short videos with more from roundtable participants
hotelsm . ag / NextGenAudio for annotated audio of the complete roundtable
hotelsm . ag / NextGenList to an index of individual Q & As with all 20 rising stars
May 2018 hotelsmag . com 21