Interview with Saurabh Mishra | General Manager Finalist

Having resided in the Greater Bay Area since 2012, Saurabh Mishra passionately serves the hospitality industry as Vice President of Hotel Operations at Galaxy Macau. A natural hotelier, Saurabh takes pride in his trade, and aims to deliver excellent, and genuine, world class hospitality to all of his guests. Saurabh believes that “Ultimately the world will recover, and business will return, leading to record breaking numbers globally. The need for human interaction and exploration will never fade and as such our industry will thrive again.”

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

I was born and raised in an Indian family, immersed in a culture that places great significance on hospitality. At the age of 8, I learnt the profound impact of caring for people from my grandfather as well as through my own observations and experiences. Taking care of the community, serving and hosting people runs in the veins of our family. As I grew up, I felt that true joy and happiness could not be found in a life lived for oneself but rather in a life of giving to others. This led me to what I feel is my calling, taking care of people.

Soon after earning a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism from Utkal University, India, I began my 17-year hospitality career. I spent most of this time rising through the ranks working at several prominent hotels. These included the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, Park Hyatt in Chennai and Guangzhou, as well as Grand Hyatt properties in China and the Middle East, where I held regional roles.  I am also a graduate of the prestigious Indian Institute of Management IIM-C with an MBA in Global Business Management.

I first joined the Galaxy Entertainment Group in October 2018 as Assistant Vice President of Hotel Operations, spearheading the phase three growth of the company supporting the opening of Raffles at Galaxy Macau. After a year, I became Vice President, and now manage the dynamic operations of our flagship Galaxy Hotel, a 1,450-room luxury property in our world class integrated resort.

As a person, I’m fascinated by the vibrant local food & beverage scenes and I am known as an Epicurean by my colleagues and friends. I am also an avid traveller, and have been to many beautiful corners of the world. But there is still so much to discover and I greatly look forward to being able to continue my travels!

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

I think we can all agree that the past two years have tested our ability to overcome what may be the biggest challenge in the history of the hospitality industry and our lives. However, this pandemic has also given us a chance to showcase the very best of what we do and how we do it, simultaneously allowing us to touch the lives of others through random acts of kindness and generosity.

I have spent the past year and a half positioning our property to be known as the pinnacle when it comes to providing best-in-class service. We pride ourselves on creating exceptional guest experiences and aim to deliver the highest level of personalisation. As these unprecedented times have provided almost a reset to the industry, I have reformed my leadership style by adopting a start-up mentality and having a “day one” approach.

As a leader I focus on the well-being of each and every team member by fostering an environment of mindfulness, bringing positive emotions and moments of happiness. It has been my mission to promote conscious living, ensuring my team members pursuit of a healthy and active lifestyle. A true leader shows care and compassion, knows when to step up and when to take a step back, to let others shine and be the best they can be.

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

Paying it forward. Having found my purpose at an early stage of my career, I now focus on coaching and mentoring others, so that they can likewise find their calling. A key point I frequently share is that it is better to find purpose in life than a job or a career. Purpose crosses disciplines and is an essential element for any individual. The struggles we face along the way help us to determine this purpose.

Hospitality is such a beautiful and rewarding industry to work in – for us it is all about the people. We must take care of our people so in turn our people will take excellent care of our guests. My ability to give back, helping others to find their true meaning and having helped numerous colleagues to find their purpose in their lives, is what I am most proud of.

I am very fortunate to have been able to do exactly this in several different destinations around the globe, from India and the Middle East to Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. As I have developed and risen to more senior roles, this has become more important for me personally – to coach, to mentor, to give back to the people whose lives I touch and to the community I’m a part of.

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

We live in a day and age where everything we do is measured. There are KPIs and metrics to assess performance and our success is based on the numbers we achieve. We find ourselves tied to offices and computers, producing another slew of reports, chasing deadlines or attending unproductive meetings. Today’s hotel leaders are rarely found on the floor, but rather in their offices sending emails. The “good old days” where the General Manager of a hotel spent their time in the hotel lobby or restaurant, meeting and greeting guests, shaking hands, and making meaningful connections are rarely seen in 2021.

I believe it is of utmost importance that we make every conceivable effort to show our face to guests and colleagues alike, to walk the floor, to meet people, both at the front and heart of house. Knowing what is going on, feeling the pulse of the operation, being present and showing care. I find this to be the most valuable time spent and I commit to it on a daily basis, even if it is at odd hours or after a long day. Connecting with the overnight shift, meeting room attendants, this is what defines the success of the Galaxy Hotel, as my leadership team and I enjoy engaging our team members on a constant basis.

We are there to listen and serve as enablers, setting our teams up for success and ensuring they all have the tools and knowledge to do so. Celebrating small and big wins along the way, encouraging our team members to make every moment count and every guest interaction an opportunity not to be missed. This is what I believe is key in leading a successful hotel today.

5. What do you think the next few years hold for the hospitality sector and its recovery?

Never before has the business environment in our industry sector been in such a flux. In Asia, we see many regions and countries using different approaches to battle the pandemic, and business may be permitted to operate one day and must shut down the next. Payroll, usually the biggest expense driver in hotels, has become a highly variable expense.

We require leaders who are in touch with reality, have common sense in their approach and are realistic in what can be achieved by embracing creativity. The past 18 months have shown a new way of doing business, and never was a transition so quick and unexpected. Organizations and people are in a state of transition between one stage and the next, and without an end in mind this can be very confusing. The transition is what our industry is working on right now and it requires individuals with the right mindset to get this across the line.

We see a range of expanded responsibilities as to how leaders are required to proactively plan, to be prepared to react quickly and approach this new business environment. For example, there are many project-based assignments in place, then there is the continued focus on driving operational efficiencies. There is a significant emphasis on flexibility, merging roles and responsibilities coupled with short turnaround times. Empathy and mental wellness are now a higher priority, there are elevated standards of hygiene, and we must consistently focus on it. Social distancing, educating teams to handle the concerns around pandemic norms – these all need more empathy than ever before.

Guests first, has now changed to health and safety first and wellbeing will always be important. Ultimately the world will recover, and business will return leading to record breaking numbers globally. The need for human interaction and exploration will never fade and as such our industry will thrive again.

6. What is a book, podcast, or media resource that you have recently read / listen to regularly that inspired/inspires you?

I’ve recently been inspired by the words of Jack Welch on the meaning and role of a leader. Namely, four points that come to mind:

1. Be the Chief Meaning Officer
2. Get rid of the clutter
3. Have a generosity gene
4. Celebrate small wins and have fun every day!

7. What does your morning routine look like?

In The 5 AM Club, Robin Sharma says that “The first hours of the day are where heroes are made. If you want to master your life, start by owning the mornings. Freedom from distraction at 5:00 a.m. will allow you to build your creativity, maximize your fitness and protect your serenity in an age of complexity.”

 I am a member of the 5am club and I love to spend the first hour of my morning focusing on myself so I can better serve those around me.