After 8 years working in various international marketing roles in the IT industry, Karin Sheppard knew it was time for a career change. Keen to find an industry where she could be truly passionate, she came across a position with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). In 2001, she joined as area director of sales and marketing, based at the beautiful Crowne Plaza Coogee Beach in Sydney. She immediately fell in love with the hotel business, quickly progressing to a role in the Group’s corporate office in Sydney.
Then, in 2007, Karin was presented with the opportunity to move to the UK to join IHG’s Europe, Middle East and Africa division as Vice-President of Brand Management. 3 years later, an opportunity came up in Dubai as vice-president Commercial for the Middle East, and Karin saw a chance to learn about a different part of the world and immerse herself in its culture. Only 6 months into the role, a corporate reorganisation occurred that resulted in the creation of IHG’s Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) division. Karin was offered the role of chief commercial officer. She relocated to Singapore, which was her last stop before returning to Australia in January 2015 as COO for Australasia and Japan.
The CEO Magazine: You’ve been with IHG for a long time now. What have been some of the significant highlights or milestones with the organisation?
Karin: During my time as Vice Presient Brand Management for Europe, Middle East and Africa, I was part of a global team, tasked with undertaking a complete refresh of the Holiday Inn brand. It was the largest brand refresh ever undertaken by any hotel company, and it was very exciting to be part of executing such a complex overhaul and then seeing the positive impact it had on our guest-satisfaction and brand-preference ratings.
A personal milestone for me was my last promotion, which saw me move from heading up a function as chief commercial officer into leading our business in Australasia and Japan as COO. It has been a true privilege to return to the country where I first joined IHG and lead a business unit for the first time.
What changes have you seen in the industry?
The impact of digital on the way our guests plan, book and experience their stays with us is astounding. Mobile accounts for the majority of the growth in travel bookings, and our global scale and the strength of our digital capabilities enable us to offer strong levels of delivery through our booking systems. We recognise the importance of constantly upgrading our booking platforms and our direct digital channels, including our brand.com websites and mobile app, which have now collectively become IHG’s largest channel.
We are also committed to driving a superior experience across the guest journey by offering quality technological solutions before, during and after a guest’s stay. We continue to evolve our content strategy to stay connected with guests and develop more meaningful relationships with them as they dream, plan, book, stay and share about their stays with us.
What’s your key area of focus right now?
Right now I am focusing on preparing for our growth phase in this market. We now have the strongest Australian hotel pipeline we’ve had in a decade. [In 2016] we opened our first Holiday Inn Express in Australia, with another 4 announced to open in the next couple of years. We are also planning for the launch of other IHG global brands here. With that expansion comes the need for a strong team of talented leaders. I am personally passionate about encouraging young, bright individuals to pursue a career within IHG, which is made possible through initiatives such as our IHG Future Leaders program.
We continue to evolve our content strategy to stay connected with guests and develop more meaningful relationships with them as they dream, plan, book, stay and share about their stays with us
What benefits come from being part of a global group?
There are many! With over 5,200 hotels around the world and a presence in over 100 countries, IHG is a truly global business. It has world-class distribution systems, the industry’s largest loyalty program (IHG Rewards Club), and an internal talent pool of over 100,000 colleagues! I can take advantage of all that in the day-to-day running of our business Down Under.
What is your personal philosophy? What do you think makes a driven and successful leader?
I believe successful leaders know how to inspire others to be at their very best. They give them the space to grow, permission to fail, and opportunity to shine. They constantly think of the next mountain to climb, and create high enthusiasm for the journey ahead.
They communicate simply and clearly, and manage to make every person understand the value they add to the company’s mission. This is particularly important in the hotel business, where the moment of truth is the connection a hotel employee makes with a guest.
How important is culture to IHG? How do you instil it in your employees?
Culture is extremely important. It starts with our values, our ‘Winning Ways’ that we live by as a company and as individuals, and is manifested in our ‘Winning Culture’ that runs across all hotels and corporate offices. We run a program called ‘A Day in the Life’ where we provide everyone with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the business. I personally enjoyed spending a day as a kitchenhand at Crowne Plaza Coogee Beach, my first hotel.
If you ask our people, many will say that IHG is like a family. Our company tends to retain its people for a long time, really affording the opportunity to progress from an entry-level position and grow as far as you aspire to. We place a high emphasis on celebrating diversity and enabling everyone to achieve their career goals.
Looking to the future, what are your plans for the growth of IHG in Asia–Pacific?
We have some extremely exciting plans and prospects for the region and are particularly focused on our pipeline in AMEA. AMEA is a fast-growing region for IHG with an expected increase of more than 50% in the number of hotels in the next 3 to 5 years.
We are expanding rapidly with a particular focus on high-growth markets such as Indonesia and India. We are also exploring the arrival and growth of new brands for this region and looking forward to a host of new offerings. In my personal remit, which includes Japan, the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be an extremely exciting time. Our hotels there are gearing up to welcome the thousands of guests who will visit for these events.
Finally, can we ask what you love most about your job?
The people! I love spending time in our hotels talking to those who really matter — the chefs, housekeepers, engineers, waiters, concierges who all work tirelessly together to deliver great experiences that our guests love. They are the true heroes in this business.
Karin Sheppard was the winner of the Hospitality & Tourism Executive of the Year at the 2016 Executive of the Year Awards. For more information about The CEO Magazine’s 2017 Executive of the Year Awards visit www.executiveawards.com.au and to apply please visit Executive Awards platform