A vibrant personality who aims to be an inspiring leader for those who interact with him to achieve their very best. That’s Jonathon Liu, Chief Commercial Officer of Verdi Hotels.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Verdi Brand, visit two previous articles on Insider Plus. https://insider.ihiplc.com/verdi-on-my-mind-paul-pisani/ and https://insider.ihiplc.com/verdi-hotels-moving-on/
Jonathon, 46 years young, confessed he likes to work with very flat structures, avoiding hierarchy and politics,“to ensure an inclusive and supportive environment that is fun and impactful. I am competitive but always in a calm, collected way. Unflappable is another word I hear a lot.”
His wide experience spreads from the UK to Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. How did this evolve? “I’m an avid traveller and love exploring new cultures, cuisines & landscapes. Being from Australia, we are somewhat isolated from the rest of the world. To travel anywhere new takes such a long time. So, to feed my passion for travel, I figured it would be easier to work around the world and access new adventures that way.”
I figured that hospitality was not a new experience in Jonathon’s family history. “My family has always been in hospitality, mainly restaurants, so I spent most of my childhood back of house and in the kitchens of my family’s restaurants.”
I missed the mark when I commented that he, therefore, had no other dream to follow. I was utterly wrong! “I vowed I would never go into hospitality. After finishing my schooling at 16, I went to university to study Applied Mathematics and found it incredibly boring. I switched to interior design and found that to be too creative and unstructured. I worked part-time in hotels during these studies and decided to take a full-time role until I worked out what I wanted to do with my life.”
He never left the hotel scene after that. “I found a great balance between mathematical analytics and creativity in the commercial hospitality disciplines. I suppose when it’s in your blood, you can’t really escape it; so here I am today in hospitality and loving it.”
Jonathon has now chosen this new adventure as Chief Commercial Officer of Verdi Hotels. What made him choose this next step? “I technically didn’t choose Verdi, I chose a blank piece of paper with a vision from Paul Pisani, President of Verdi Hotels. When I joined the Corinthia Group last June, Paul had created a vision of an upscale, lifestyle brand that was a modern take on what hospitality should be today. In those first few months, Paul and I built out the concept including the creation of the name, look, feel and spirit of the brand. In an incredibly short span of 12 months, we launched our first three hotels in June, all within 10 days. It’s been an incredible privilege to be at the very inception of a brand and to bring it to life. These opportunities are so rare in today’s world, so I absolutely jumped at the chance to be part of this brand story.”
What was his vision for Verdi’s commercial strategy over the next 3-5 years? “Verdi Hotels is a direct response to the needs and desires of today’s experienced traveller who wants more than a bed, shower & breakfast. After Covid and the many recent upheavals in the world, many of us have reflected on what travel means to us. We are here for that traveller who wants to experience the destination like a local, making a connection with the culture, the community and surroundings. Verdi’s customers are independent travellers who are looking for great advice and precious insider tips. They’re comfortable using technology and appreciate the independence that gives them. Over the next 3-5 years we aim to have a network of 20+ exciting addresses across Europe, North Africa & the Middle East offering a range of experiences that connect with the communities we proudly represent.”
Wow! That is an ambitious objective! I queried how he remained informed about market trends and shifts in consumer behaviour and how he adapted the commercial strategy accordingly. “Verdi Hotels is a data-driven business leveraging insights across our customer base and business portfolio using a centralised customer data platform. By taking in multiple sources of guest data and behaviours, we are able to respond quickly to changing habits and requests from our customers. We believe in opening and leading industry conversations to be more customer-centric in all that we do. We are constantly asking, listening and learning, as well as leveraging the latest technologies to help our teams connect with our clients, customers and partners. Relationships and connection are at the very core of what drive our business.”
What weight is placed on the Corinthia Group brand when Verdi is marketed? “From a customer perspective, both brands target very different segments, so we keep the brand identities separate to ensure we don’t confuse the market.” However, people in the industry, including travel agencies and corporate partners see the back-end connection between the two brands, including the fact that the operator, CHL, is one and the same. As Verdi seeks to establish itself, this connection will act as a further stamp of experience and credibility.
Undoubtedly, all those projections and objectives present myriad challenges. Which are the biggest ones? “Many people are naturally resistant to the unknown, so to introduce a new brand and a new perspective on how hospitality should feel like today is very challenging. To move in this new direction, it is essential that we engage our teams to understand our brand vision and ethos. To become a market leader and be hyper-relevant to today’s customer needs, we need to harness all our team’s strength to bring the brand to life.”
That needs a talent bank. I wondered how Jonathon approached talent development and retention within the commercial team. “Empowerment! That magic word is at the core of my commercial team strategy. An engaged, skilled team is a never-ending journey that constantly evolves. I believe that those who are with our clients and customers daily are the most knowledgeable, so those people should shape and drive the business forward. Centrally, we are here to support, to guide and develop the skills needed for our on-the-ground commercial teams to excel.”
Jonathon’s interests include revenue management, distribution, PMS, digital marketing, and CDP/CRM systems. Digital transformation has impacted all these areas. What technologies or tools are most effective in driving sales? Does the human element still play an important part? “Technology is just the vehicle to allow relationships to prosper. Human interaction is the difference that makes our success. By bringing together an integrated ecosystem of technology solutions, we are able to increase productivity and efficiency by removing duplication and isolation of information. This enables us to arm our teams with all the right information and skills to do their job as easily and effectively as possible. We are still on a journey to bring this integrated system to life; however, over the coming months we will be a leader in the hotel industry connecting the full customer journey to bring seamless experiences to our teams and customers.”
It was evident from Jonathon’s vivid expressions and passionate responses that he loved his work immensely. Has he managed to achieve a work-life balance? Jonathon smiled. “Firstly, find work that you love and then it won’t feel like work.” But he immediately conceded that he did not always manage the correct balance. “I understand that sometimes I need to work more, like when we are approaching a new hotel opening, but I also know that by delivering my best consistently, I am rewarded with time and flexibility at other times. Also surrounding myself with an amazing team allows me to easily switch off when I am on holidays.”
What about holidays? “Travel is my passion, and I am privileged to get to do this almost every day of my life. When I’m exploring a new destination, I love taking a local cooking class or a walking tour to discover the history. Discovering amazing food is an unending quest.”
“Over the last 20 years of exploring the world, I’ve had the fantastic support, encouragement and companionship of my partner Ross. He makes the very best martinis and is our cultural researcher and tour guide on our travels while I look after the travel logistics.
Jonathon’s passion for learning and absorbing sprouted quite often in his conversation. “You are right; learning is a life-long energising experience which enriches us in understanding, loving and appreciating. I admire those who humbly share their experiences for others to learn from.”
Jonathan Liu is blessed with the determination, knowledge and passion to reach an ambitious and challenging objective for Verdi Hotels. He is also a great conversationalist and communicator who can clearly and effectively share his visions. And that’s a vital asset for an inspirational leader.
