Meet Michael Ganster | 2022 General Manager Finalist

From starting out as a culinary trainee to now being a luxury hospitality veteran with over 20 years of experience, take a look at how Michael Ganster has risen through the ranks of the industry, achieved remarkable results despite multiple challenges, and continues to inspire and guide those around him.

Please share a short introduction about you and your career.

I do remember the kindness and genuine hospitality received everywhere in Austria from an early age. When I was growing up in Salzburg, our family visited heritage hotels and restaurants every weekend. I fell in love with the staff, who treated us like family and welcomed us back every weekend with a genuine smile. They laughed with us, shared stories of what was happening in their lives, and listened with interest to what was happening in ours. They always thanked us for visiting them. It was this welcoming feeling that made me fall in love with the world of hospitality. I wanted to have that same impact on the lives of others.

My first internship was as a culinary trainee at the iconic “Hotel Sacher.” The Hotel is known worldwide for creating the Sacher chocolate cake. Now I am a luxury hospitality veteran with over 20 years of experience, evolving from that initial internship to Front Office Manager and then rising through the ranks to General Manager. I have had the privilege to work for prestigious brands such as Hilton, Raffles, Dusit, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, in locations such as London, Beverly Hills, Dubai, Egypt, Thailand, and China.

I joined Niccolo Chengdu in August 2019, taking full fiscal and operational responsibility as General Manager. Having achieved remarkable results despite the circumstances throughout the pandemic, I was given the opportunity to take over Niccolo Changsha in July 2022 as General Manager, which included an expansion to the role as we will be opening a new lifestyle brand hotel next year in the tower adjacent to Niccolo. I am honored to be trusted to bring this new brand to life with our exceptional and committed team. Outside of hotels, I am a passionate outdoorsman enjoying tennis, hiking, running, and scuba-diving.

What best practices have you implemented to manage the stop-and-go pandemic situation in China?

Our strategy was to quickly adapt to the ever-changing COVID-19 situation while keeping our workforce protected, engaged, and productive.

Niccolo's workplace culture cultivates trust and excellence – where we work, play, and excel together. We learned all safety protocols and applied them to every touchpoint throughout the hotel to ensure that our guests’ stay under our care was pleasant, comfortable, safe and enabled them to leave Niccolo with fond memories.

Furthermore, agility is essential throughout the pandemic. Everchanging advisories, alerts, and measures are often shared last minute by government agencies. It is a challenge to cascade to operations, but with proactive teamwork, open minds, and agility in place, employees could quickly adapt and operate seamlessly.

Finally, we devised a plan to expand on our customer segments and to not be too dependent on certain segments or feeder markets.

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

I was guided by many extraordinary people who have shaped my career and continue to inspire me. I am thrilled to say that nine have already become successful General Managers in their own right, with dozens of others becoming Executive committee members. To witness so many thriving in their career development fills me with pride, this is my most distinguished achievement.

I aim to be an inspirational leader to my team and help develop the next generation of passionate hoteliers. It is my top priority to plan career progressions for my executive team and mentor, coach, and empower junior team members, advising them in planning their career paths.

I have learned that dedication to service is about humility and caring for others. A good leader must inspire his team to go beyond the call of duty, not because it is their job, but because they want to excel at service and be part of the overall success.

With my extensive travels and experience working abroad, I have also developed an appreciation for different cultures and the strength diversity brings to a business. I firmly believe that putting people first must be every General Manager's priority, as a focused, motivated, diverse, and engaged workforce strongly influences the success of any business.

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

I think the role of a General Manager has been changing for years and COVID has only expedited this process. I believe that a dependable executive team is paramount in leading a successful hotel. Conflict among the executive team can have detrimental effects on the overall performance of a business unit. A cohesive, inspired, and engaged team will cascade these values down to department heads and supervisory levels, thus ensuring everyone keeps working towards one shared vision. As a result, all colleagues care for guests enthusiastically, bringing guest satisfaction to unseen heights and strengthening guest loyalty. All the above ultimately results in the financial success of the hotel.

Additionally, providing personalized services is of paramount importance. Having spacious guest rooms, expensive art collections, or many Food & Beverage outlets is not enough. Luxury used to be about the physical elements of a hotel, but not anymore.

Consumers have evolved away from the material to the experiential. Heartfelt service and recognition are more valued. How do guests feel when they come to stay with us? How can we go above and beyond what our guests were expecting? That is what is most important, and for Niccolo Chengdu, being market leaders in service and guest engagement is a testament to our talented and dedicated people.

As a leader, how do you manage to continue energizing and motivating your team throughout a crisis [pandemic] that has lasted years?

My top priority is to ensure every employee is meaningfully engaged. While the pandemic has taken its toll on people’s mental well-being, and their livelihood, our employees are assured that we will support their psychological and emotional well-being.

We have invested in mental wellness sessions that provide the necessary coping mechanisms for the impacts of COVID-19. On that note, with every announcement of COVID-19 lockdown-related news, our employees are provided with a clear picture of the situation through our internal communication channels.

Our internal WeChat groups are a vehicle we use to share the ever-changing government advisories, in a bite-sized, contextualized manner for our employees. Communications through messaging, media learning, role-play, and on-the-job training are all important factors that help us engage and demonstrate to our employees that we really care for them as individuals and, of course, for their safety.

What does your morning routine look like?

I invest a great deal of time in enriching my mind by reading and analysing market trends. My daily routine starts at 7 AM with a healthy breakfast and a review of the day’s breaking news. On my days off, I visit hotel competitors, as well as free-standing restaurants and bars to be inspired by the success of others.  

I am always looking for ways to elevate our guest experience, increase our visibility, sustain our market share, and generate revenue for my company. This is what excites and motivates me.

What is the motto that you live by?

I believe that there is always something to be grateful for, and yes, life can be challenging – we are living in unprecedented times. You may not be able to stop the things that are happening, but you can certainly choose how you react to them. There are many things that we can be grateful for in life.

You don’t always have to wait for something big and major to come along to be thankful. Sometimes it’s the small things in life that make us happy, such as a good cup of coffee, having a good circle of friends who love and support you, or even waking up in the morning ready to take on your day.

If you could invite anyone over for dinner, who would it be and why?

I would invite my father, who passed during the COVID lockdowns, and I could not travel to Austria to say goodbye to him. He was among the most generous and inspiring people I have known, and I would love an opportunity to enjoy one last supper with him.