Innovating Leadership:
Co-Creating Our Future

Resources:

For more on Hilton, Shruti recommends checking out the company website at https://www.hilton.com/en. And to learn more about the brand she runs, surf over to https://www.hilton.com/en/brands/hampton-by-hilton.

Our host, Maureen Metcalf, posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the audiobook at https://amzn.to/3Vko2IW. Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.

Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:

• Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
• Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First by Martha Piper & Indira Samarasekera. Paperback (https://amzn.to/3tOtzg4) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/41OYdT5)
• Jilly Truit murder mysteries by Beverley McLachlin:
  • Full Disclosure – https://amzn.to/46TxW6Q (paperback) https://amzn.to/46VDL3Q (audiobook)
  • Denial – https://amzn.to/46YCbhs (paperback) https://amzn.to/3GJc0AA (audiobook)
• Women and Leadership: Journey Toward Equity by Sherylle J. Tan & Lisa DeFrank-Cole

NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.

Other episodes you’ll enjoy:

Guest(s):

Guest(s) Bio:

As Senior Vice President of Hampton by Hilton and Spark by Hilton, Shruti Gandhi Buckley oversees global brand strategy and integrity, with a focus on driving growth, increasing revenue, enhancing customer loyalty, and championing innovation. With more than 25 years of experience in brand management and marketing leadership, Shruti brings extensive expertise in global business management, brand strategy and analysis, guest experience, product development, consumer marketing, and public relations across a variety of industries (including food, luxury cosmetics, toys, outdoor gear, and, most recently, hospitality). She earned her B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley.

Transcript
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Speaker 1 0:00
The hospitality industry took a devastating hit during the covid pandemic, yet Hilton has emerged stronger than ever. The reason they have resilient leaders who value innovation and their teams, Shruti, Gandhi Buckley, a Hilton Senior Vice President, explains in this interview that it all boils down to connecting people. After all, if you expect your staff to provide a top notch guest experience, you have to give them a top notch workplace experience, helping you with resilience, innovation and making human connections comes with our leadership mindsets. Course too, learn more about it right after the podcast at innovative leadership.com

Maureen 0:53
this is innovating leadership. CO creating our future. I’m your host. Maureen Metcalf, founder and CEO of the innovative Leadership Institute, where we help leaders be future ready. Helping us in this mission today is Shruti Gandhi Buckley, Senior Vice President of Hampton by Hilton and spark by Hilton. We’ll be talking about her career, her leadership, stories and milestones surrounding Hampton by Hilton’s 40 year anniversary, Shruti, we are delighted to have you joining us today?

Speaker 2 1:21
Thank you. I am absolutely delighted to be here. So thank you.

Maureen 1:25
As we were preparing for the conversation, we were talking about being part of the story or the conversation, what do you mean by being part of the story versus the conversation?

Speaker 2 1:36
Well, thank you very much. And I love this question. I love this topic. My background, I am actually first generation Indian American. I was born and raised in the United States. My mother, of Indian background, was actually raised in Nairobi. My father in India, they had an arranged marriage, and they came over in the 60s. And I had the great fortune to be born in this country, also raised in the 70s and in the 80s, in McLean, Virginia, at a time when there was very little diversity there, and so there were some great learnings growing up in that environment, understanding how to respond to comments or questions that would come up about my name or my background or my skin color. And I think as time has gone on, what to me is so fascinating is how some of those conversations are still taking place, even today, in this day and age, right? We hear it all the time in different ways, shapes and forms. One of the things that originally led me to Hilton was the fact that it was considered and still is known as one of the best workplaces and work environments, and where there truly is an environment of inclusivity and diversity, and we talk about it openly. You and I had a great dialog around being part of the conversation versus being part of the story, and I want to share a little bit about what it is to be a leader who happens to have an Asian background and be a female and particularly in a leadership role where there’s a lot of visibility I am in front of our guests, our owners in a variety of different ways, at industry conferences, right, speaking engagements, etc. I’m considered the face of the brand. And what has been very interesting is there’s always these back door conversations that take place behind closed doors, around people who get promoted or get into leadership positions, and the question sometimes is, oh, did they get that role and achieve that kind of success? Because they happen to be a minority, because they happen to be female, they come from some sort of a diverse background, what to me, has really changed over the last several years, and maybe the environment and hospitality, the incredible open, candid environment that we have at Hilton, but the fact that I feel now that I am not just part of the story, I get to be part of the conversation, because I have counterparts or friends in the industry where we have this dialog, where there sometimes is a question, well, Shu t, you know, you’re on that panel at that industry conference because you’re a female, they’re looking for diversity, right? It is still largely a hospitality industry. Just for those of you may not be that familiar with it, is largely a male driven industry. The vast majority of our owners are male, and that’s been very interesting. But what is also interesting is a large group of our owners happen to come from an Asian background, particularly Indian Asian background. So that’s been really interesting. So this dialog around why I’m in this role, how I achieve this kind of success, why I’m being put in front of audiences at different times, sometimes it does come up, right? Is it because I’m a female, I’m Asian, and now I actually have this incredible opportunity to be able to respond and to provide and shape maybe a different way of thinking. And that, to me, has been really powerful. You know, at Hilton, we have something I’ve never experienced at any other company. And this is the eighth company that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. We have what’s called team member resource groups, and there are several of them. Representing a variety of different interests, veterans, disabilities, Asians, blacks, Latinos, women, generations, meaning, you know the idea of sort of the older generation versus the younger generation. And sometimes the conversation comes up, where’s the white man? Over 50, team member, resource group. And it is a really great dialog, because it truly inspires an authentic conversation around that. And to me, I love that people are comfortable having that conversation, and that there is this natural back and forth and a debate, how do

Maureen 5:35
you put to bed the idea that you are in this role because of your ethnicity or your gender, other than the brand’s results,

Speaker 2 5:44
I point to the facts. First of all, let’s look at the seven years that I’ve managed this brand. What the results have been, over 700 units growth, over $2 billion in incremental revenue. I talk about the EBITDA, our profit contribution back to Hilton, the incrementality of that over the time that I have led this brand, and that quiets people down, right? We even look at the resource our brand is resourced in a very similar way to the other brands, and that’s something it’s not all of a sudden, as if you know, I was given this massive team to help kind of guide me through this. I have had the same resources as everybody else, so there aren’t any special favors or special conditions that have been put in place. I’ve had to prove my success, and I will tell you, and you may have experienced this too, right, as as a woman, as an Asian woman, and I would think there are people, again, of all different backgrounds, disabilities, whatever the situation may be where you feel like you have to actually work harder and prove yourself more to demonstrate I deserve this role, and I’m in this role because I’m good at what

Maureen 6:50
I do, especially in a male dominated industry. I’ve worked in the utilities industry. I’ve worked in steel processing. Across the board, it was not uncommon to be the only woman in the room. When people would walk in who didn’t know me, they would think I was the admin, and they they would ask me to get them coffee or back then they smoked, get me cigarettes, honey. Fortunately, I had a male colleague who was incredibly good at helping me navigate that, because it just is so belittling for someone to assume I don’t belong in the room because of my gender, I think we’ve overcome that in some cases and in others, we’re just more subtle at being racist or sexist.

Speaker 2 7:30
No, you’re absolutely right, and I love what you said about having a champion, and I feel incredibly grateful that a lot of my champions have been individuals who don’t come from a diverse background. In fact, I was hired by a group of individuals that didn’t have a diverse background, right? And why they call my Hilton originally called me it was we’ve seen the success and what you have done in your past role, and we would love to talk to you, because we think you can bring that same level of success and opportunity here at Hilton, that was the conversation that started the conversations with Hilton and my transition over here, and that’s powerful. And I think it says a lot about the organization. And I think it says a lot that even within a hospitality industry, because it’s traditionally been so male dominated, that there is a very open dialog that look, we have work to do. How do we carve out opportunities for more female owners, owners of diverse backgrounds, outside of the Asian community and then within our individual companies and enterprises? How do we create an environment of inclusivity? But the fact that these conversations are now taking place in an open door versus a closed door, that is awesome.

Maureen 8:42
You said something also interesting. You’re a franchise organization, right? So female owners as part of the Hilton brand, how do you go about attracting women in a traditionally male owned business? I’m not trying to over generalize, but it does seem like a large percentage of the franchises are owned by men.

Speaker 2 9:05
That is absolutely right, and still so today, it is changing. It’s a slow change. Part of it is education is actually reaching out to women and partnering with different organizations to even be able to highlight the opportunity that hospitality and ownership within our industry is a really successful path from a business standpoint, right? You get to be entrepreneurial. You own your own business you’re managing, and how that actually can take place and allow you to evolve and grow as a leader. And so Helton has introduced several programs and been very committed to being proactive, to reaching out to a variety, again, not just women, but different diverse communities, to showcase the opportunities within hospitality, both from an ownership standpoint, even from a workforce standpoint, from a management. Standpoint. So you may have women who may not be owners, but they may actually be managing and running these assets in these hotels. That, to me, is really exciting. It takes time, because people may not naturally think of hospitality, but when you think about women, women are the natural host, right? That’s sort of in our DNA. And also when you think about who’s often planning travel for their families, or even with large travel institutions. Group travel is mainly females. They are making these decisions. It’s almost a natural connection. Absolutely.

Maureen 10:31
I want to go back to adding 700 units since you’ve been running the brand, an over $2 billion increase in revenue.

Speaker 2 10:41
That’s right, in revenue and a substantial increase on the profit. Contribution directly to Hilton, I

Maureen 10:47
realize economic conditions have contributed and taken away, so this was during the covid era. So you’re managing through a huge amount of complexity. Tell us about your leadership style and what Hilton’s done to grow at that level over this very challenging time period.

Speaker 2 11:07
The last seven to 10 years have really been a time of change for the industry in a variety of different ways. You mentioned obviously going through covid, the industry tanked for a period of time. But even when you look at financing, hotel, cost of labor, the cost of materials have dramatically increased. So it’s really changed the way that we as leaders in the industry are thinking about our business and even ways of how we partner with our owners to still create a terrific guest experience when you’re sort of having to balance owner returns with the guest experience. We didn’t have to do that before, particularly on a brand like Hampton, where owners didn’t question, great. You want me to make a million in dollar investment in my asset? Fantastic. I’m going to do it. And now we’re having to actually prove out and be able to demonstrate what’s the return on investment of X, Y and Z. New change or new initiative,

Maureen 12:00
especially with interest rates going up new properties, and cost of investment is significantly higher because of the cost of capital.

Speaker 2 12:08
That’s exactly right. And I’ll share with you, I think, one of the really wonderful conversations that we were having during covid, right, when things tanked with our CEO, with Chris macetta, and he comes from an owner background, so he understands that mentality, and he challenged each and every one of us as leaders. And he said, times are different. We have to think differently, but we still have to keep the guest in mind, but you have to also be able to think like an owner. You have to understand your business, how these owners make money, the margin, performance of your brands, and how each decision you make will have an impact on the guest, but will also have an impact on our investors, right? We have several stakeholders, so as a leader, we have to be able to address the needs of both, and be able to balance and walk that tightrope. Very much. So you talked about leadership style, and you talked about change. When I think about my leadership style, I feel like it’s just an evolving journey. It’s always changing. It’s always evolving. Whether it’s something economically that happens, like covid and things shut down, you had to really think differently and test yourself. We had to lead in a different way, because everybody was tired and exhausted, and we weren’t sure we were actually going to get out of this dark period of the industry, and how do you keep that positive momentum? And then you have where I feel like I continue to evolve and change is observing and being exposed to unbelievable leaders and people that I work with, they might be counterparts and people that work for me, right with each one of those interactions, I feel like I learned something new, and it’s a constant journey, and for me, a process. You know, I try to focus on three things, from a leadership standpoint, and very consistent with Hilton’s ethos and why we continue to be named number one place to work. It people first. So I continue to challenge myself. Sometimes you get caught up on the business side, and you got to be careful and make sure you’re looking at the people side, this idea of creating an environment of inclusivity, but also empowerment. How do you make sure you’re empowering people around you to take ownership, to make decisions and to recognize and reward when those decisions may not have been right, but to celebrate the learnings from those and then the third is I hope that my leadership style, and this is what I always look towards, will inspire change and people to be comfortable with change. You know, the one joke in our industry is the only thing constant is change. There’s either from a from a company standpoint, we’re always changing, reorganizing, thinking differently, technology, you mentioned, AI, right? There’s always something happening that is forcing or pushing us to change, and how do we get comfortable with that? And how do we inspire an environment that allows us to ourselves be comfortable with change and embrace it, but also inspire what new changes we could make to make the business better.

Maureen 14:53
I love your point about creating a culture where people can make mistakes. I was listening to. A researcher yesterday on this idea of growth mindset versus fixed mindset. And you know, kind of the dictate is, just go have a growth mindset. But what the research is proving out is, even if I come into an organization absolutely curious and willing to experiment, If I’m punished every time I try something new. I’ll keep my growth mindset to myself, follow the rules and do what I’m told. And it sounds like you and Hilton have created the culture and the systems that encourage people to grow and change.

Speaker 2 15:33
Absolutely, I think the only way a business can grow is when you do take those risks. You also, though, have to recognize when that change that you’re trying to inspire may not be the right change, and you have to be able, as a leader, to say, Hey, I think this may not be the right thing to do for the business, and here’s why. But what are the learnings? And to apply that, then to future thinking and future projects, and then to be able to share it openly. Look, we introduced X, Y and Z. It wasn’t received as we thought. It didn’t generate the revenue, or it didn’t garner the guest impact that we were hoping, and that’s okay. But what did we learn from that that we can apply to future thinking and modeling so that we can continue to grow and get better?

Maureen 16:17
Can you give me an example of a specific something that was proposed before covid with covid change something that was even proposed during or after, because the timing unfolded differently.

Speaker 2 16:29
Yeah, great. That’s a good one within our industry, and within the Hampton category, specifically, it’s essentially a mass category. The brands that live in this space are really big, and we all have a very similar proposition in terms of a free breakfast offering a free Wi Fi, right? So the way that we set ourselves apart, the way Hampton’s been able to establish such incredible leadership, is with continuous innovation, the guest at the forefront, and creating a business model that is very profitable for owners. We have a free breakfast program. So what we had, pre covid Was this breakfast wars, every brand trying to up the other brand in terms of creating a more robust program. And I got caught up in that. And so we introduced an item that we probably should have spent a little bit more time testing, and we didn’t. We did a pilot, and we had some initial information, and we rolled it out. When you roll it out without the kind of true understanding of the impact, there were some repercussions to that. From an owner’s standpoint, the operational complexity of executing that was greater than we had anticipated. The take rate from a guest was greater than we anticipated. So that drove costs, and it created a little tension between the brand and between some of our owners, and it was a small item, but yet that small item had an impact. And I was first to raise my hand and said I was really passionate about that decision. Here’s the homework that we did to get to the place, but I recognize there were a couple of pieces that we missed when we were looking at that pilot and that upfront planning. And you know what? We’re going to take that off the menu. We’re going to think differently, and we’re going to be more efficiently. And here’s the learning, and here’s how we’re going to do things differently moving forward. So we don’t go down that path. Second time,

Maureen 18:13
one of your Hamptons, somewhere in North Carolina, we were driving to Asheville, had souffles for breakfast. There was a chef who liked to make souffles. They were fabulous. I wish I could remember where that hotel was, because they were amazing. So I assume there’s also, when you talk about empowerment, that specific properties are empowered to also customize if they find it profitable.

Speaker 2 18:38
It’s interesting, when you think about a brand like Hampton and 3000 units across 40 countries. One of the things that this brand is known and loved for is consistency and a great guest service experience. So the consistency is, how do you ensure that when you’re going from property to property, that as a guest, you know what to expect, and you’re getting that expectation met? Hugely important. The second piece is, how do you give hotels some flexibility to meet regional nuances and needs of guests, right, whether it’s a flavor profile or something? So what we do is we have a very tight and strict set of standards that we ask our hotels to comply with, but we do add a level of flexibility for them to add one or two items that they feel will either allow them to drive better revenue, allow them to drive rate, maybe support the rate, because it’s in a high rate market, right? And they want to make sure they’re delivering an experience that helps to allow them to continue to capture the highest rate possible. But we do give them some flexibility within certain parameters. So that’s a great example.

Maureen 19:44
We also stayed at a Hilton in Dubai, and the rooms were consistent. So the guest experience from a room perspective, was the same, but the breakfast experience was very different, much bigger breakfast than domestic stays. That’s right. So I assume country. Be by country. You also have different standards.

Speaker 2 20:02
We do again, you know, when you think about consistency, consistency is less about every hotel needs to look the same. When you think about consistency, it’s really around the service experience. Right at the end of the day, we are a people serving people business, and how do we spread the light and warmth of hospitality around the world and for each brand that comes to life in a very unique way. For Hampton, we are certainly the best in our category. It’s not one of the best in the industry at doing this, but it’s creating a culture within the environment where people can embrace that with each other as a team, and then take that and serve the guests in a consistent way, but you’re right. What I say is we think globally, but allow opportunities regionally to be able to be successful in terms of being able to address those regional dynamics and needs. From a guest standpoint,

Maureen 20:53
can you talk about back of the house then, because that’s running a regional brand, I get here’s the standard, and you can vary in these certain ways. But when you’re in how many countries is Hampton?

Speaker 2 21:07
In 40 countries which are very excited about and even

Maureen 21:11
just diversity within a country, in the US, we’re going to have different standards? Yes. So 40 countries, you probably have 50 or 60 or 70 brand guidelines. How do you navigate that level of complexity and create a consistent brand experience for someone like me who’s staying all over the world again?

Speaker 2 21:31
I’ll go back to the service experience. That’s really where the consistency comes from. I think it also comes from for Hampton, because it is more of this mass brands. How do we make sure we’re delivering on those basics that are so important to the guest? And when I say basics is we’re not just providing a place to stay, we’re providing a warm, friendly environment where we truly care about our guests, but it’s extra clean. Our breakfast is delivered with a smile. It’s great quality, and that’s where we lean into this idea of, how do you take the basics and elevate them and create a best in class experience, so that when you walk in, you know you’re in a Hampton because it is warm, it’s inviting. You have that smile coming from the team member at the front desk, you know you’re going to get a great quality, free, hot breakfast that is an offering that is universal. We’re one of the few brands that does that globally, on a universal basis, and that, you know, you’re also going to get a really intuitively designed room and public area. And so you identify what are the core elements of the brand that drive consistency and drive the guest experience. That’s where you build that kind of core standard component around, and then you have the flexibility that you add to make sure it can be regionalized.

Maureen 22:47
That’s a brand in a brand family, yes, so Hampton being only one of the how many brands does Hilton have now? 25 so you also have to have guard rails so that Hampton isn’t encroaching on other brands. Talk a little bit about how the brand leaders fit within the overall organization and how you navigate so you want to introduce something else, but that encroaches on something that the higher end brand finds as a uniqueness.

Speaker 2 23:18
It is always an evolving opportunity for us, I would say Hilton, because the environment is so open, and there’s a really close connection between all of the categories and all the brands, and it’s an environment that does certainly promote conversation and discussion, and this push and pull, it is one of the most productive places I’ve ever worked because of that, there’s not as much red tape. It’s let’s get down to the meat of it, but that’s where we define right each one of our brands and the actual category we’re in, what’s in and out of scope. And then we align around that as a full brand team, so that the luxury team all the way now, we just launched a new brand called Spark, which is in the upper economy segment, which we’re really excited about. That it’s very clear which swim lane each brand is in, what is in and out of scope. And we align around that as brand leaders together as a team, but we also align around that with our regional team members. So that’s where also that consistency from brand to brand is driven.

Maureen 24:21
You’ve talked about running Hampton, but I’m curious now about you and the Hilton Family of Brands, because there’s an empowerment to run your own business. Basically, yes, what is it about the underlying culture of Hilton and the values and the mission that allow people to go through the challenging conversations that every leadership group will have and come out of the other side feeling excited to go back to run your part of the business, because there are times we’re all going to not get what we wanted,

Speaker 2 24:58
and there are conversations. That are tough to have. I would say there are two pieces to the success at Hilton. Number one is a profound respect for one another, and that is part of our culture, regardless, again, of the point of view that you bring to the table, the experience that you have and even your title, everybody’s on an equal playing field. That’s, to me, one of the most compelling things about this positive work culture that we have. Number two is an open forum to have that conversation and to listen to the other point of view and then to work things out. It’s not always easy, especially when you have this many brands, and we are all as brand leaders. We’re so passionate about our business, and it’s also recognizing that we are all fighting for our brands because we love what we do and we’re passionate about it. And then there’s one last thing, and this is what our CEO has done beautifully in our HR team, is create an environment this idea of people serving people. It’s not just about the guest at the hotel. That idea lives very much within our culture, and so we embrace that hospitality lives and breathes within our corporate building. There’s a piece here too that I’d love to talk a little bit about. You know, we talk about this idea of hospitality. We talk about this idea of it being a people business and taking care right? There’s this idea of when people are staying with you, you’re taking care of them. I think, to me, what is so interesting and exciting about a brand like Hampton with its scale and its accessibility, right? Because it’s at a price point that is approachable. It’s a beacon of humanity. And when you think about things that truly bring people together, look our world right now, in the last several years, can be considered somewhat divisive. There’s a lot happening, and it’s creating a lot of tension. But you think about the things that are universal and that bring people together. You think about food, you think about music and travel. Travel brings people together. Travel opens up people’s eyes to new ideas and new cultures and new ways of thinking. And I love so much that in our business, and I love being part of a brand that with 3000 hotels at an approachable price point, that we have been so committed to building a culture of inclusivity and humanity in our hotel that that has translated to this idea of humanity with our guests,

Maureen 27:23
I love that as I go into your hotels, and I’ll mention Dubai again, the people at the front desk were from all different countries.

Speaker 2 27:30
Great example. You were right. I bet in that hotel Dubai, you probably had 20 different nationalities that were represented, and that is incredibly common, even in a Hampton, in a tertiary market, it would not be uncommon to walk in and those 20 people that might be working there, four or five different nationalities or backgrounds, various religions, all represented, and they become family, right? It’s a small environment. They have to rely on each other. Hotel business is hard. It’s 24/7, and I love that there is this idea of how they have learned to embrace one another, and as a result, they learn to embrace each one of those guests that walks in the door. And it’s this idea of connectivity, right? I mean, covid did something that, to me, is a little bit terrifying. It broke down that connectivity between people, right? It isolated people, and then people became attached to their devices, and that became their safety zone. And what travel and what our brands at Hilton do is actually break through that, and they bring people together, there’s conversation, there’s eye contact, there’s dialog. And yes, technology is evolving, and how do we continue to deliver hospitality with technology becoming more at the forefront of how we do business, but it is still always it’s a people business, and that’s what we have to remind ourselves of.

Maureen 28:47
You said something that hits me on multiple levels, that the diversity of the staff, team, different religions, yes, different geographic borders, that creating a space where people come together with all kinds of diversity that you promote that because, frankly, if they can’t work together as a family, then they will treat your guests differently based on their demographics, and then they go into their lives, they vote, they engage in the world as a more global citizen, Even if they never leave the county they reside within.

Speaker 2 29:23
You’re absolutely right. It’s unifying. I love that word travel is unifying. I think our hotels with our team members, it unifies them together and connects them. I’ll tell you a story. When I first started with the brand, you know, I spent years researching Hampton, because it’s always been this iconic brand, and coming from a brand that was always trying to catch Hampton and never quite could this idea of, gosh, what is so special? How does Hampton create this unique service culture, and what is it about hospitality that is so unique? And one of my first Hampton visits when I came into this role, was in a Hampton Coconut Grove and floor. Huber and I walked in, and all the team members were there waiting for me, and they embraced me these wonderful, warm hugs, and then they presented me with this gift.

Speaker 3 30:09
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Speaker 4 30:59
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Speaker 2 31:29
for details. And the gift was very symbolic. It was a recipe book, and each page was a hand written recipe, representing a country that each of the team members had come from. So there were only 20 team members, and I think they represented 13 different countries, from the Caribbean, Central South America. There was even somebody from Europe, and how they lovingly wrote these recipes from their home country, from their culture. And that brought me to tears, and that, to me, is truly the defining moment managing this brand, where I understood the power of humanity, the power of people and the power of connectivity, and that’s what travel and hospitality does, and that’s what Hilton does beautifully across all their brands.

Maureen 32:13
I want to say you could just apply for the Speaker of the House role and help unify people.

Speaker 2 32:18
I wish it were that easy, if we could all just kind of more people could travel, yeah, and more people could kind of let down that barrier when they travel. I think the world would be a different place. But look, you know, it’s exciting to be part of a business that is making an impact on that even within hospitality, you know, I mentioned vast majority, like the one largest ethnic group that’s represented from an ownership standpoint is the Indian Americans. And I can’t tell you how many of them have come to me and said, We are so proud to have a female Indian woman leading one of the best brands in the industry. And these are owners that are flying their private jets. They themselves are incredibly successful, but the fact that they see me in this symbolic role is there’s a sense of pride, there’s a sense of responsibility, because I feel like now I’m responsible not only for their livelihood, because so many of them pour their heart and soul right as immigrants, they came over and they moved into the hotels, and they slowly started to build these businesses, but also for the over 100,000 team members in these communities around the globe where we provide a livelihood for them. And that’s pretty exciting. It’s daunting. It’s exciting at the same time.

Maureen 33:34
The other one I’d like to add to that is, while many of the owners right now are men. Many of them have daughters, yes. And many of them may want their daughters to grow up and own hotels, not just marry someone who owns a hotel.

Speaker 2 33:49
Beautifully said. And I’m so glad you brought this topic up, yes. And what’s really interesting is you think a lot of Asian countries have actually had really strong, powerful women as leaders in their past, Pakistan, India, and it is very exciting that these men are bringing their young daughters to industry conferences. They’re asking me to talk to them. They’re asking about internships in the industry. They’re actually putting them to work in the hotel so they understand the dynamics of the business. And you’re seeing more and more of that. And I am so encouraged by the young women across all different nationalities and races that are getting really excited about the business, that they can own a part of this. They can be a part of this, and to share what that means, I think, is really exciting.

Maureen 34:36
It is interesting as we see the startup culture and the gig economy, here’s a traditional business that women can own.

Speaker 2 34:44
Yes, you’re 100% right? These assets are relatively confined to a community, right? So what it does is not only allow them to run a business, but they’re contributing to their community. They’re providing a livelihood for the people in. Community. It’s allowing them to connect back with their community in different ways, right? And build relationship with the Chamber of Commerce and local charities and businesses. A vast majority of our hotels and owners are deeply involved with the community from a charitable standpoint, and this idea of giving and contributing is really important. The story I love to share is you get to impact lives of people in all these different ways. What an exciting way to run a business that can do that.

Maureen 35:26
There’s something about you start the hotel. It’s a huge investment. Yes, your family owns and operates, and in many cases, you said, lives in the hotel. Other people than immigrant families can come and get their launching point, their employees, but then they acquire a franchise, and so it’s a pathway to a kind of business ownership, rather than employment, for people who didn’t have any resources, economic resources.

Speaker 2 35:55
That’s exactly right. You know, you see a lot less of the people living on property than you did, you know, back in the 70s, when the business was just evolving, but this idea of whether it’s young people getting into the business or whether it’s immigrant families still coming over and leveraging hospitality, as, you know, building their American dream, you’re right, they will come in, and they are hard workers, right? There’s grit. They aren’t willing to put their blood, sweat and tears into these properties and into these roles, and oftentimes, they’ll get a small piece of ownership, five, 10% they start to learn the business dynamics of it. I cannot tell you how many owners, Asian and non Asian, have come to me and said this brand, Hampton really created an incredible life for me and my family, and I built success in this country or in this city or wherever. Because of Hampton, it actually brings tears to my eyes that we had a part in that, and that’s the story I love to share to people who are young may not know that this is an incredible opportunity to get into because, like you said, right, you can find an 8070, room asset. You’re not managing 800 people. You’re managing 1520, 25 and it’s something that you can actually embrace and love and get engaged with. But you have to have grit to do it.

Maureen 37:16
Yes, you do as you talk about the contribution that Hampton has made over the 40 years. So congratulations for Thank you 40 successful years. What’s next? As you are the steward of the brand and the representative for these 3000 plus families who own franchises, what are you creating for their future. I really

Speaker 2 37:42
like to think of the owners and the team members at these hotels as truly being the real heart behind the brand. And my hope as I look at the next 40 years, there are a couple of pieces. How do we continue to establish this brand as a leader in the industry, through this idea of humanity and bringing people together and connections. My hope is that we will actually take a step back from technology, that people will realize it’s actually disruptive to connectivity, and that if we can continue to create an affordable, approachable way for people to travel around the globe, and create an environment where our guests, they walk in and they feel like, Ah, they’re in a place where they’re being cared for and taken care of, and it’s meaningful for them, and they get to explore and understand new cultures, and that it creates an environment for these team members to build a livelihood and connect with each other. That is success. So yes, you have all the numbers and gosh, I’m, you know, I want to get to now 6000 hotels and and be a $20 billion brand, not an $11 billion brand. And yes, there’s all of that, but really, at the root of it, why this brand continues to be successful, is it is a beacon of humanity, and my hope is that the legacy I leave behind is that it will continue to be that beacon of humanity in the heart of hospitality, and that it continues to bring people together, a

Maureen 39:03
beacon of humanity and the heart that brings people together.

Speaker 2 39:07
Yeah, it’s wonderful for those of you who haven’t tried Hampton, please do please stay at any one of our Hilton Hotels and our 25 brands, when you walk in, you might have a new appreciation, right for the people that you see behind the front desk, ask them where they’re from. It might even be the town next door, but there is that human connectivity. And there’s something about a smile. You know, at Hampton, we say making you happy makes us happy, and there’s nothing more universal about a smile. And so that’s what I hope, is that we spread light and warmth around the world. We bring a smile to people’s faces, and that we inspire connectivity.

Maureen 39:41
Everyone in my circle wants a more inclusive world, and it is easier to move toward that when we see role models of what creates it, okay, that recipe book. Now that’s not going to work for everyone, right, but that experience that people. Can wear head scarves and be treated with respect, absolutely.

Speaker 2 40:05
You know, a lot of that came from my family, right, having moved here as immigrants and seeing what they went through and my I had cousins that moved from India as teenagers, I can’t even imagine, right? I was born and raised here, so I had a much easier time integrating and then and navigating, but to come over from India as teenagers, I never appreciated it at the time. I look back now and have found respect for what they went through and then what they’ve accomplished. But it’s this idea of grit. It’s this idea of loving what you do, and it’s the idea of taking risks. That’s what immigrants did. That’s what we do as humans all the time. When you think about whether it’s your career or move you want to make, maybe it doesn’t pan out exactly like you would like, but what are the learnings? And maybe it’s even better than what you think it’s going to be, but you never know if you’re not willing to take a little bit of a leap of faith and

Maureen 40:54
creating that culture that supports it, because it’s hard grit. I mean, it’s called Grit for a reason, right? It’s like being someone sanding your body. There were times going through something that feels like someone’s just tried to remove my skin.

Speaker 2 41:10
It’s painful. It’s funny. The hospitality industry, when you think about it, was built on grit, right? A lot of our leaders at Hilton actually came from operations, right as housekeepers and engineers are working the front desk. And you know, Chris Maceda tells these fabulous stories of how he had to plunge toilets, right? Things weren’t handed to him on a platter, and then to see how their careers have progressed. And the opportunities that this industry presents is pretty remarkable, both from a management side, from an ownership side, and again, the fact that you get to impact people’s lives and make a difference is compelling.

Maureen 41:44
It is for me, and it sounds like it absolutely is for you. And again, how inspirational it is for everyone, and especially young women, to look and say, Okay, you got there because you worked hard. You got there because you earned it, not because it was given to you, not because you were a token. You may very well have worked harder than other people, but within your capacity. Yes, many people can accomplish this. It’s not for the select, special people. A lot of us can get to these roles,

Speaker 2 42:15
and I will say, don’t use your background as an excuse either, right? And that’s something that I think we tend to do, whether we’re it’s an age thing or a diversity thing, and don’t a, don’t let people shape who and what you are. And B, make sure you are not making excuses on why you’re not in a place you want to be, and leverage the incredible people that are around you to build you up. Because, yes, sometimes it may be harder, not harder, depending on what your situation is. If you come from a diverse background, there is an incredible community of people from all different backgrounds that are ready and willing and excited to lift you up. But you have to open up that door to those conversations. You have to ask sometimes, for that mentorship, for that sponsorship, and that’s that leap of faith and taking a risk and being okay with someone saying, No, you go to the next person. But for all the people that might have an issue and may not be as forward thinking when it comes to diversity and inclusivity, there are 100 more people that are, and those are the people you focus on that like, take away all that negative stuff, focus on all these amazing individuals, and don’t even think about what color they are, what age they are, whatever. Put that aside, look at them as individuals. And that in itself, is very powerful.

Maureen 43:37
One of my friends would say that one of her mentors was Madeleine Albright. She never met Madeleine Albright, but she said I followed everything she did that was public. We can take inspiration from people like you, even people you will never meet in person, right?

Speaker 2 43:56
I love what you said about see the possibilities, and I would actually challenge folks to look beyond women and minorities and look just at people in general as inspiration, right? And so, you know, I often get asked, Oh, shittito, who? Who inspires you, and who are the leaders that you look to when you think about the inspiration? And there are so many people like you said, some that I’ve never met that I admire because of how they have presented themselves, how they led organizations or countries out of crisis. I actually sometimes look at my counterparts or even people who’ve reported into me in the past, and I said, wow, they have these really great qualities. Every person you meet, there’s a learning opportunity. And every exposure you get is an opportunity to learn. Sometimes I do it better than others, or sometimes I feel like I’m leaning into it more than other times. And so I have to remind myself, wait a second, this is a learning opportunity, and seize it and take advantage of it. So you have to remind yourself of that, but you’re right. I love that you’ve opened this door to. Think more broadly, right about who you can think of as inspiration, or models of behavior, or leaders you admire.

Maureen 45:09
Thank you for sharing and now an inspirational person, irrespective of your demographics.

Speaker 2 45:15
Thank you very much. And I’m hoping my stories will spark a different way of thinking will motivate people to think differently about their career and what they can accomplish. But we are very fortunate to live where we live in this country, regardless of some of the craziness that might happen, there’s still a great opportunity, and just remember you as an individual. Get to shape what that opportunity is. Don’t let other people shape it for you.

Maureen 45:41
Thank you. What a beautiful sentiment, because you’ve overcome a lot of adversity. I’ve overcome adversity, and there are things we didn’t overcome, and you just go around that stuff, you’re right.

Speaker 2 45:50
And there are a lot of people that have been through 20 times more than I have, and I think about that a lot. And so when you do go through a hard time, you’re like, wait, take a step back, and that is nowhere near what they’re going through. But what can I learn from that experience? So anyway, this was a great conversation, and I wish we had more of these kind of conversations, because they’re always, I think, helpful and inspirational for sure.

Maureen 46:16
Thank you. Well, we would love to have you back at some point in the future to share more about your evolution and to hear how you’re doing in your progress towards 6000 properties.

Unknown Speaker 46:26
Well, I look forward to that conversation.

Maureen 46:30
How would listeners learn more about your leadership style and obviously, about Hampton by Hilton and Hilton overall.

Speaker 2 46:38
Thank you for asking that question. Certainly on LinkedIn, I try to stay as active as possible. I share stories of my travels and my career journey through LinkedIn. And then for Hampton by Hilton, obviously hilton.com for Hampton by hilton.com and then our Hilton honors website really is a great way to learn more about all of our Hilton brands. And we hope you will come and explore, because we have some new, exciting brands we’re adding to our portfolio. You can explore all the wonderful places that you can go to meet new people and connect.

Maureen 47:13
Sheri, thank you so much. What a wonderfully open and elevating conversation.

Speaker 2 47:20
Well, this has been fun. Thank you for giving me an incredible opportunity to share my personal story, the story of Hampton by Hilton, and certainly the type of culture environment that Hilton has created to allow me to thrive and gain success, to give me an opportunity to run one of the world’s largest brands, which has been really exciting. I hope that as we think about hospitality and humanity, we think about a less divisive world moving in the future. Yes, please.

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