Interview with Stephan Kapek | General Manager Finalist

Stephan Kapek is the Area General Manager of Shangri-La & General Manager of the China World Hotel in Beijing and the General Manager finalist of Stelliers 2020 and now 2021. With a 30-year career in hospitality that has taken him from Monte Carlo to London, Paris, Dubai and more, Stephan truly believes that the magic ingredient in leading a successful hotel boils down to the ability of a leader to surround themselves with a great team and to unlock the team’s full potential.

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

I was originally born in Germany, and since leaving my hometown at a young age I have embarked on a 30-year long career in the hospitality industry. This amazing journey has seen me working in Monte Carlo, London, Paris, Dubai, Manila and Cebu to name a few. I began my career as an elevator boy in Berlin, and it’s hard to believe that I would one day find myself leading a team through a worldwide pandemic in Beijing, China.

Over the years I have achieved recognition for improving the revenue, market profile and reputation of four- and five-star luxury hotels operating in challenging, intensely competitive and evolving markets. Being fluent in German and English (and fair in French) facilitates easy engagement with our multi-national guests. I have been known to build, coach and inspire teams to deliver high standards of service and operational efficiency to very discerning guests – always with a good sense of humour.

I confidently believe that “commercial acumen and a passion for best-in-class service are the driving forces behind a progressively successful career and outstanding record” – so much so that it’s on my LinkedIn profile!

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

Now the second year into the pandemic, we at Shangri-La were fortunate as we have also persevered through SARS in 2003. That experience prepared us well at the beginning of the crisis. Our philosophy and guiding principles are to ensure the safety of our colleagues and guests. To achieve this objective, we introduced many initiatives, including raising hygiene measures, supplying protective equipment to our staff, and rostering in separate teams to minimise cross exposure. We also asked all our staff if they would like to move into the hotel so they can feel more comfortable and avoid exposure during their daily commute. 

Many of these initiatives were then adapted company-wide, with the introduction of the Shangri-La Cares program. The program reinforces our commitment to our guests and our distinctive Asian hospitality as we welcome guests back to our properties. We remain humble and true to our founding ethos - to do our utmost to take care of people. 

Once we ensured that all staff and guests were in a safe environment, we looked at new business opportunities. As our offline business dwindled quickly, we found new ways to bring in revenue through culinary delights via numerous online platforms in China. We adapted quickly to the changing landscape by offering old favourite dishes and even pioneered “cook at home” packages.

With the continued drive by the Government to follow a zero-case policy, we are fortunate that inland travel is still possible and represents our main driver to achieve our targets for this year. Looking back, I think that we radically changed our business model and have adjusted and changed the team’s strategies to primarily focus on our main customers.

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

In our line of work, it is all about people. Either in dealing with guests and focusing on their needs or on your team. Over the years my main driver and the area I am most proud of is the continued development of my teams. I am lucky that I can say the Hospitality business has provided me with a career development path I never thought would be possible. I would like to engage with the younger generation to share my insights and help as many people as possible to find similar joy and development opportunities in their careers.

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

Leading a successful organisation today requires a few key ingredients. As the leader you need to build a shared vision with your team and stakeholders. One needs to establish why we are doing what we do here. This vision needs to be supported by a structure of common goals and beliefs. The leader needs to be able to inspire the teams to follow this vision. At Shangri-La our vision is to be the best loved hospitality group, pioneering new horizons and setting new benchmarks.

A possible support system of shared beliefs could include integrity, shared obsession over customer service and a collective drive to win. I strongly believe that this sets the foundation of a successful organisation in any field.

Further I would like to elaborate on other key factors supporting the above. Key phrases that come to mind are walk the talk, establish trust and accountability with your teams, ability to adapt and change and think creative and communicate well to all levels and directions.

The magic ingredient for me boils down to the ability of a leader to surround themselves with a great team and to unlock the team’s full potential.

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

It is my conviction that we will not go back to the ways of pre-crisis. This pandemic has changed the way the hospitality sector will establish itself again, once travel across the globe resumes. One major trend is already here, with hotels focusing further on guests’ safety and hygiene. Certainly, a trend that is here to stay as the dangers of this pandemic will not be eliminated completely.

Another area of uncertain recovery is business travel. With nearly zero business travel over the past year, this segment of our business will not recover to pre-crisis levels.

Whilst there are some business segments which will be negatively affected for the years to come, I also see a trend of increased travel awareness. We have taken travel for granted in the past and with the pandemic it has changed our perspective, maybe setting a greater value to it. This would represent an opportunity for the hospitality sector to adjust their offerings accordingly.

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

The hospitality industry is all about people and coupled with my interest in social psychology, I would recommend the book Thinking, Fast and Slow by Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman. It is a book that I have read and listened to numerous times because it sets me on a path to discover more efficient and better ways of understanding both myself and others.

7.       What does your morning routine look like?

For me, I like to get up early, around 5.45am. That gives me enough time to get ready for my day by getting in some exercise for the body and mind. At the same time, I like to spend 15 minutes every morning with a cup of coffee browsing the world news.