Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Administration

“The quality of our people – their attitude, professionalism, personal growth – is actually what we are as a business. People are our greatest asset, and that’s not just a slogan. It’s something that we honestly believe and live up to.”

Nick Mutton believes that attitude is everything. The company’s stringent hiring process, where candidates go through a minimum of four interviews – including a final one with the General Manager – is all about understanding what motivates people. “Job skills can be taught later,” says Nick. “Our focus on attitude is paramount because engaged employees who care about our customers create our product, and that clearly contributes directly to our bottom line.”

With responsibility for close to 38,000 employees at more than 80 locations in 35 countries around the world, Nick concedes that uniformity is not the company’s goal. What really matters is developing confident, professional individuals who act on their instincts to provide service that is genuine. Nick says it takes a special type of person to lead a hotel in this direction. “Keeping a dynamic, upwardly mobile, constantly developing group of middle and senior management has been the key to the health of the company.”

In that context, Nick is always looking about three years into the future, considering anticipated openings, changing global travel patterns, evolving technologies, emerging social issues and succession planning – all factors that drive decisions today and prepare for success tomorrow.