Q: What are your responsibilities as the Director of Operations in DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta – Diponegoro?
A: Within my role, I have the responsibility of overseeing the day-to-day operations of the hotel. This covers a diverse range of duties and strategies aimed to ensure the hotel runs smoothly and that our team members deliver a genuine, warm and caring service for all of our guests. As a member of the Executive Committee, I work closely alongside all departments and act as one of the main representatives for our hotel.
Q: What made you decide to pursue a career in hospitality – especially in management?
A: My father worked for almost forty years in the airline industry and ever since I was a young boy, I enjoyed listening to tales from his travels. He was particularly passionate about service and I guess, subconsciously that grew on me. I started my career with formal education in Hotel Management and trained in different departments covering front office, housekeeping as well as food and beverage. After completing my studies, I started as a receptionist and have since progressively developed myself up to management level. My career has taken me to vibrant cities in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, thereby allowing me the chance to meet people from all over the world and discover diverse cultures, cuisines and experiences, which is what I enjoy the most.
Q: What do you think is the most important thing that someone in your position need to have?
A: Hotels operate around the clock and we have to manage numerous streams of communication. Hence, resilience and excellent listening skills are very important. Keeping my ears to the ground enables me to understand and envision the business, serve my guests and assist my team. It allows me to have foresight, to keep matters in check, to move forward where needed and to scale back where necessary.
Q: Following the previous question, what do you think is the biggest challenge in your line of work?
A: Finding a balance can prove to be challenging at times due to the fast-changing and unexpected nature of external factors that we have encountered in recent times, combined with our busy daily operations and lives. We need to be able to respond quickly to changing market conditions and adapt our plans accordingly. Working with a strong company such as Hilton greatly enables us to stay agile and work on our commitment to ensure that we are able to keep all our stakeholders, including our guests and team members, pleased.
Asia Dreams Volume 49
DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta – Diponegoro
Jalan Pegangsaan Timur
Jakarta 10310, Indonesia
T: (+62) 2129857000
E: jakartadiponegoro.info@hilton.com
W: jakartadiponegoro.doubletree.com
IG: @doubletreejkt
