Interview with Emil Leung | General Manager Finalist

First inspired by his elder brother to join the hospitality industry, Emil Leung has over 30 years of experience in the sector and a passion for being a positive influence on the lives of others, helping to motivate them and make them smile. Take a look at his story so far...

1.       Please give us a short introduction about you and your career background

With over 30 years in the hospitality industry, I have witnessed tremendous change and evolution in the industry since my initial start as a trainee. My interest was sparked when I was a boy, and my elder brother worked in the Concierge department at the Excelsior Hotel in Hong Kong. He always told me how beautiful the industry was and expressed his excitement working there every day. I first set my eyes on the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong when applying for jobs, influenced by my brother who believed it was one of the best hotels in the world. Soon after, I was working as a Reservation Clerk at the Mandarin Oriental, an exciting yet challenging time during the early 80’s, when the hotel's system was entirely manual.

For my first overseas role, I left Hong Kong to join Grand Hyatt, Taipei, which also allowed me to meet my wife Amanda. I spent a relatively short period of three years with Hyatt, working in both Taipei and Macau. Following this was a 21-year career at Shangri-La; it's almost unbelievable how long I was with them! It was a fantastic experience all around, from Junior Manager to Area General Manager. I worked in ten cities across multiple countries, from urban hotels to resorts, and was GM for two new hotel openings. A particular highlight was working at the China World Hotel Beijing as Area General Manager, looking after three operating hotels, plus performing pre-opening operations with Hotel Jen. I recently joined the Langham Hospitality Group with the exciting task of growing Cordis's new brand and I am very fortunate to have been promoted to Regional VP for Cordis China after two years of commitment.

2.       Can you share how you have decided to lead your team and your property through this recent turbulent period?

Teamwork was a major focus for us during the pandemic (and still is), as well as adapting our work to fit the situation, encouraging out-of-the-box thinking to get the optimum output. As a team, we worked to demonstrate our tenacity and flexibility to the owners, guests, and major stakeholders. The promotion of well-being among our guests and staff was also key. Ultimately, I think the pandemic showed us how important this is, and I am now determined to ingrain this into every facet of our business.

We have all learnt lessons from this challenging period. For me, a key learning is that we should be maximizing our flexibility so that we can adapt to rapidly changing situations. In the very early stages of COVID-19, I think many of us hesitated at a time that needed decisive action. We should accept the fact that the road to recovery will be bumpy. I believe that it will be a good three to five years before we see things as they were pre-pandemic.

3.       What is it you are most proud of in your career to date?

 I am very proud of the people I am associated with, including mentors, colleagues, and team members. I do not think I would be who I am today without those important relationships. I am also thrilled to have had the privilege of supporting at least ten General Managers in their promotions.

I am proud of my ability to really focus and get things done, as it has helped me achieve much in my career. I am delighted with my progress and development over the last thirty years even though the journey hasn’t always been smooth.

During my career so far, we have won multiple awards, including “Customer Delight Team of the Year 2012” by Shangri-La amongst 80+ hotels globally. Our hotel also won “Best Business Hotel in Shenzhen” by Business Traveller for five consecutive years when I was the Area General Manager and in 2021, The Cordis Shanghai Hongqiao won the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best.

Another achievement of which I am extremely proud and thankful for is my recent promotion to Regional Vice President – Operations, Cordis Hotels & Resorts, China. I truly believe all these results are a reflection of the supportive and loyal people I have had behind me throughout my career.

4.       Can you share what you believe is key in leading a successful hotel today? 

The fundamental cornerstone of the hotel industry remains its people, both staff and guests.

In these challenging times, organisations must elevate and leverage this important asset (people). By focusing on the fundamentals of management strategy — leadership, culture, talent, reskilling, and HR, companies can emerge stronger, more agile, more innovative, and better able to respond to an ever-changing environment.  We can often spend too much time and focus on resolving issues within the organisation but nurturing those around us and having a committed, effective and motivated team is crucial.

Whilst all managerial positions are important to the hotel, I believe having a good Director of Human Resources is essential. A simple philosophy of mine is that if we ensure we look after our team, ultimately our guests will be happy. The other thing is that we need to create a culture of transparency and open communication within the hotel. If staff are afraid of being honest or upsetting other people, we can miss out on a lot of fantastic opportunities and ideas for improvement.

We want to consistently promote a positive team attitude. It’s great for the hotel, and great for the guests, but most importantly it is great for the health and wellbeing of our staff.

Maintaining a strong relationship with our colleagues, guests, and stakeholders is my highest priority.  

5.       How are you and your team tackling the challenges that face the industry around hiring great people post pandemic?

We ensure that we have a comprehensive employee retention strategy. Creating a caring culture that ensures our colleagues know they are respected helps to retain skilled team members and attract quality talent.

Our existing team members are the hotel’s ultimate promoters, and they will spread the word about how good (or bad) the company is. We all understand that high salaries and employee benefits are important for recruiting staff, but it may not be the entire reason, particularly in this new generation. We are seeing more and more emphasis on creating an exciting and engaging workplace. For many, a higher wage does not matter if they hate their job, or the environment they are working in.

Employee facilities are one of the crucial areas that we are focusing on at Cordis. A good employee dormitory, recreation facilities and even an employee cafeteria can make all the difference.

We have shifted our focus to be on improving and promoting a rewarding work environment, and sharing positive stories to inspire prospective hoteliers. We need to keep emphasising these benefits and point of difference to attract the best talent.

6.       Aside from being a hotelier, what is your passion?

I am passionate about being a positive influence on the lives of others, helping to motivate them and make them smile.

7.       What is the motto that you live by?

The deadline is always ‘yesterday.’