“The entire hospitality sector is all about caring”
Sébastien Bazin, Chairman & CEO, Accor, joins Duncan O’Rourke, CEO Accor Northern Europe, on the Heart of Hospitality Podcast
Accor launched the industry podcast, Heart of Hospitality, in Northern Europe in October, to share the insights and expertise of visionary leaders across the sector and give voice to the people who demonstrate great heart every day working in hospitality around the world. As the sector starts to recover at pace it also faces a global staff and talent shortage. The two CEOs came together to discuss the realities of the sector, the changes that have occurred and are yet to come and the priorities for Accor at the close of the year.
“We are facing two revolutions: labour and sustainability,” said Sébastien Bazin, Chairman & CEO, Accor. “People will join Accor if Accor is true to its commitment on CSR. And clients will come and choose the Accor brand, if Accor can confirm that we execute on time and probably before time on those commitments.” He added: “People join Accor because we treat them as family members.
The podcast episode shares Bazin’s route into the industry, how his perception of hospitality has changed during his career and what the sector offers him and his teams around the world.
“Hospitality is a very interesting and very challenging career. The reason why I like it so much is because every day something will be happening which was virtually unplanned. It’s a fascinating industry which is growing and also offers great growth. If you want to go from Poland, to Estonia, to London, to be São Paulo, it makes you richer and it's a great journey
He adds: “There's nothing better than human capital. I need to be physically present with people, which is why I'm here. It's all about values: attention, kindness, intelligence, accessibility. The entire hospitality sector is all about caring.”
Hosted by Duncan O’Rourke, CEO Accor Northern Europe, the new industry podcast is part of the Heart of Hospitality campaign, built to share the stories of the people behind the moments we love in travel and hospitality. Interviewees in the first podcast series include global leaders of hospitality as well hospitality workers from across Europe.
To listen to the full episode, visit https://heart-of-hospitality.com/podcast/ or find the podcast on Spotify and other leading Podcast platforms.
Hospitality matters because it has heart. For more information and more stories from hospitality, visit https://heart-of-hospitality.com/
Accor is a world leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,200 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries. The group has one of the industry’s most diverse and fully-integrated hospitality ecosystems encompassing luxury and premium brands, midscale and economy offerings, unique lifestyle concepts, entertainment and nightlife venues, restaurants and bars, branded private residences, shared accommodation properties, concierge services, co-working spaces and more. Accor also boasts an unrivalled portfolio of distinctive brands and mora than 260,000 team members worldwide. 68 million members benefit from the company’s comprehensive loyalty program ALL - Accor Live Limitless - a daily lifestyle companion that provides access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences. Through its Planet 21 – Acting Here, Accor Solidarity, RiiSE and ALL Heartist Fund initiatives, the group is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity and inclusivity. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACRFY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com or follow Accor on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Press contacts
Sarah Wilson, Communications, Accor Northern Europe