Josiah Mackenzie

📈 In Fall 2025, hotel owners face a dynamic environment, with David Lund advising proactive operational reviews and financial management for thriving. Key strategies include using rolling forecasts to address revenue gaps, managing budgets carefully, and ensuring managers are financially literate. Lund emphasizes regular, detailed financial reviews to enhance performance. Hotels must focus on metrics like revenue tracking and labor efficiency. Owners seek superior management; financial orderliness attracts more contracts. Effective cost reviews offer significant benefits.

📚 Steven Hesketh, CEO of Savvy Hotel Group, celebrates Labor Day and National Hotel Employee Day by highlighting the importance of recognition in hospitality. At 15, Steven's career began in Australia, where his boss and aunt inspired his passion for hospitality. Now, he runs the Liverpool Hospitality People Awards and Hospitality Hero, emphasizing recognition through nominations, storytelling, and interviews. His work with SEN schools showcases how simple acts, like a bed-making competition, can inspire and transform lives.

📖 Jonathan Tisch, Executive Chairman of Loews Hotels, reflects on the qualities of great hospitality executives. He shares insights with Emily Goldfischer, founder of Hertelier, highlighting the importance of communication, design, and storytelling in hospitality leadership. Tisch emphasizes that every job offers valuable lessons and that responsibility extends beyond mere "giving back." This conversation provides valuable leadership guidance for hospitality professionals at any career stage.

🏨 Jon, starting his career in fall 1975, completed an internship at WBZ TV and graduated from Tufts in May 1976 to become a TV producer. He joined Loews Hotels in January 1980 and announced his retirement for December 31, 2025, marking a 45-year career. Loews operates 24 hotels with 14,000 rooms. Jon emphasizes the importance of team member relationships and community impact, implementing initiatives like renaming the “back of the house” to the “heart of the house” to highlight employee value.

📚 Amy Yip, an executive coach and TEDx speaker, discusses key leadership strategies. She emphasizes the importance of purpose in driving productivity, effective communication to avoid breakdowns, and conflict as a catalyst for innovation. Google’s research highlights trust as the most crucial factor in team effectiveness. Leaders in hospitality can learn to foster a culture of psychological safety to enhance team contribution and alignment. Practical insights can be applied to create high-performing teams.

📑 Amy Yip, former Google global food program leader, now coaches leaders at Amazon and Verizon. She emphasizes moving from management to authentic leadership, focusing on trust and inspiration. Mentors, including a Google VP, encouraged her growth through challenging opportunities. Her experience highlights leadership as fostering potential and thriving environments.