Rudi Jagersbacher, President of MEA, Hilton Worldwide

RUDI JAGERSBACHER, PRESIDENT OF MEA, HILTON WORLDWIDE

Rudi Jagersbacher is a man of influence. A seasoned hotelier with over 40 years' experience working in the industry, he joined Hilton Worldwide in 1974 and since then, with every step, he has reiterated his success in developing a landmark and a story worth speaking about

How can you describe your life in hospitality in three words, and your life with Hilton in particular?

Rewarding. Insightful. Incredible.

How has the company evolved since you first joined?

I actually joined Hilton in 1974 as a graduate trainee and worked my way up with Hilton, learning as much as I could along the way, committing to hard work and delivering to the best of my ability as I progressed. I was the youngest GM of the London Hilton on Park Lane and have enjoyed every day of my career with the company.

What are your thoughts on Hilton in the MENA region?

I look after the Middle East and Africa for Hilton Worldwide, and it is dynamic and challenging in equal measure. We have seen amazing growth in MEA in recent years, and now have 77 operating hotels with an incredible 99 in the pipeline. We have also recently added Turkey to the region, from a management and operational point of view. We will open an average of one hotel a month in MEA and Turkey for at least the next five years. So as you can see, we will more than double in the region in the not too distant future. We continue to grow and develop at an impressive rate. We are introducing new brands into MEA, with Curio opening soon in Dubai and Turkey and an Embassy by Hilton signed for Saudi Arabia, and we continue to look at opportunities for our brands and hotels across the region. We are also very focused on the development and experiences of our team members and the opportunities we offer them to grow with us and develop their careers, both in this region and indeed around the world.

How can you assess the five-star hotel industry in the region?

I think we live and work in one of the most competitive and dynamic hotel markets in the world. The rate of growth is incredible; the brands coming into the region and the quality of the product is second to none. And that is not just in markets like Dubai, but all across the region, with an increased focus across Africa, with more and more great new hotels opening in Egypt, Turkey and other countries across the Middle East and Africa. I have a great belief in the continued growth of the region, and not just in the well-documented five star category, but across the board with Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton hotels moving into more and more countries.

What are the new trends, the industry should start adopting?

At Hilton Worldwide, we believe that key customer trends are choice and innovation. Giving customers a choice of brand, experience, location and price point is extremely important and we have a portfolio of world-class brands to meet this need. Innovation is what customers are looking for, from both a product and technology point of view.

We recently introduced an app where Hilton Hhonors members (our rewards program) can book direct with us and can choose the room they want, from a floor plan of our 4,600 plus hotels globally.

What challenges do you face in the market and how do you overcome them?

There is no denying that the MEA is a volatile region and that always creates its own challenges. However, we are focused on our strategy and delivering to our guests the best experience we can at our hotels across MEA and Turkey. We continue to grow and to introduce new brands to ensure our customers have a variety of options, so they can make the choices they want. We focus on the customer journey and experience and by doing so, we believe we stay front of mind when both business and leisure travelers are making their travel choices.

This helps us to stay on top, to overcome challenges and to continue to grow to create opportunities, not only for our guests but for our team members as well.