HSMAI Europe Podcast: Tomorrow Starts Now

Thanks for tuning in to episode two of HSMAI Europe’s Sustainability Series for 2024–2025. This episode continues our journey toward responsible and profitable hospitality, spotlighting practical steps and leadership strategies to embed sustainability into daily operations. In this episode, host and HSMAI Europe journalist, is joined by two inspiring voices: Young Nguyen, Founder and CEO of d2O, and Cecilie Laeskogen, CEO of the award-winning Sundvolden Hotel in Norway. Together, they explore how hotels can move beyond sustainability buzzwords to real-world implementation—without breaking the bank. Young shares his expertise in resource and productivity management, illustrating how data-driven practices can reduce waste and increase profitability. Cecilie offers an operator’s perspective, detailing Sundvolden's impressive sustainability journey and the cultural shift it sparked within her team.From smart sensors to green loans and team empowerment, this episode is packed with actionable advice for hospitality leaders looking to align purpose with performance.

Welcome to HSMAI Europe’s first podcast edition of the Sustainability Series for 2024. This episode was recorded in the late summer, but published in October 2024 as a preparation for HSMAI Europe's Curate event (by-invitation-only) in London on 7th November 2024.We are excited to kick off this new season with a special guest, Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. Glenn, an expert in sustainable practices with over 25 years of experience in tourism and hospitality, will be sharing insights into the Alliance’s mission of achieving net positive hospitality.In this episode, Glenn will discuss how the Alliance brings together industry leaders to foster responsible practices and the collective efforts to set global sustainability standards. This is the first of many episodes in our new series, which will focus on sustainability and responsible business practices in the hospitality industry throughout 2024.

Welcome to HSMAI Europe’s sixth podcast edition of the employer branding podcast series for HSMAI Europe.Today we are very pleased to have joining us, Gino Engels, Co-founder and Chief Customer Officer at Lighthouse, formerly OTA Insight, and an HSMAI member and sponsor.Having just rebranded the company, Gino will tell us what this entailed and what it meant for the company culture.This episode will be the last focusing on this topic. In the next few episodes in 2024 we will focus on Sustainability.

Welcome to the fifth edition of the employer branding podcast series for HSMAI Europe.Today we are very happy to have joining us a dynamic duo from IHG Hotels & Resorts; Michael Wierling, Director of HR for Northern Europe and chair of HSMAI Europe’s People & Culture Advisory Board, and Mareke Watson, General Manager at the Holiday Inn Express Munich City West and a member of the IHG Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board.

We are here to talk about effective strategies to attract talent to our hotels and the industry as a whole, and, of course, retaining them. Effective Employer Branding – how we effectively sell our companies, brands, and the industry at large to current and future talent – is absolutely crucial. Our podcasts aim to share knowledge, ideas and best practice to ensure we refine our employer branding strategies, promoting hospitality as an aspirational career option. We’ve already spoken to a wide range of industry professionals in this series, each bringing a new perspective to this topic.Today we are lucky to have joining us, Sylwia Masluk, Global Senior Vice President for Talent & Culture for three Accor brands: Sofitel, MGallery, and Emblems. Sylwia took on this role when Accor changed its structure in 2022, with these brands brought into the luxury and lifestyle division, and that has almost created a blank sheet of paper in terms of defining a new culture and employer branding strategy.

In this episode, Gemma Greenwood, HSMAI Europe journalist, interviews Josefine Janson, Director of Human Resources for Norway at Hotel Group. The discussion centers around the topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the hospitality industry.Janson discusses the strategies and initiatives implemented by Radisson to attract and retain diverse talent, including utilizing social media and engaging with schools. The importance of effective employer branding and honest communication is highlighted throughout the conversation.This is 'Building a Diverse Future: HR Insights in Hospitality,' part of our ongoing series on employer branding.

In this episode, Gemma Greenwood, journalist for HSMAI Europe sits down with Roland Seddon. Roland is currently Managing Director of MRK Associates, a UK-based recruitmentand career consultancy specialising in an area very relevant to HSMAI Europe – revenue management roles.Much more than a recruitment agency, MRK provides long term care andsupport to jobseekers and employers with the goal of driving development andimprovement in the workplace.So Roland is in a unique position to share his insights working closely with bothemployers and employees in the sector, particularly those in revenuemanagement.

In this episode, Journalist, Gemma Greenwood, HSMAI Europe meet up with Dimitris Manikis, President, Europe, Middle East and Africa at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to discuss  the topic of Employer Branding and how to retain talent in hospitality.