IHG's Asia Changes Show New Skills Required of Hotel Leaders
Skift Take
Roles are changing fast in the hotel industry. Some are gone, or going, like the chief marketing officer. Others require new skill sets. Even those at the top aren't spared. IHG's latest Asia changes remind us of this.
What is required of a hotel general manager today is a far cry from what was valued from a GM in days gone by.
Today, a general manager who is adept in sales and distribution is likely more valuable than one who is strong in operations, although this does depend on factors such as how competitive the market is, or the type of hotel, for example, large or boutique, midscale or luxury.
Criteria are changing for many roles in hospitality — even right at the top as we see in this week's featured story below, where what is required of a regional head of a global hotel chain is evolving.
Going by InterContinental Hotels Group’s new model, the head must also be adept at development, since soon, he or she — and not the global development officer, as is traditionally the case — will be directly accountable for the chain’s system growth in the region he/she is overseeing.
There are, of course, pros and cons of the new model,
