Straight from the top

When did you first know that you wanted to be in the hospitality industry and what is your favourite part?

Ian Millar: It wasn’t really a choice I had. Both my grandfather and father were hoteliers, and I was basically ‘born’ in a hotel. So, growing up, we didn’t really have a family house (we lived in the hotel for many years). It was more a case of determining whether there was anything apart from hospitality that I wanted to do. For many years, the only thing that came close was that I was fascinated by archaeology; but I soon realised that as cool as it was, it was never going to pay the bills. My favourite part of the industry is the enormous possibilities it allows people. From the destinations to the hotel concepts, to the variety of positions that exist in hospitality.

What do you find valuable about your membership with HFTP?

IM: Some of the initial benefits that come to mind is the access to industry information, which keeps me up-to-date on what is happening in the industry; but the main point is the other members. I have had the opportunity to be among some of the greatest minds in the hospitality industry and it is inspiring to be a part of this. Many are professional acquaintances who have become very close friends.

In addition to HFTP, what other hospitality-focused programmes are you involved with?

IM: I am very lucky to be a part of EHL and, therefore, the ecosystem that surrounds our school, and its partners. I am also a mentor for the METRO Accelerator based in Berlin and our own EHL incubator as well.

I find it fascinating, and also extremely important for our industry moving forward, that new and fresh technologies make it to the hospitality industry. There are many that have been founded by ex-students of mine, so there is an even greater reason for me to be involved.

As an educator, what are some of the top challenges your students face as they enter the workplace? How do you prepare them for their professional careers?

IM: This is a tough one to answer – it’s a real conundrum. I think that there is still a misalignment of the offer/expectations: what hospitality offers versus what students want.

The challenge right now is just finding a job, period. But other than that, I see frustration from the students’ side a lot. I mean, imagine that you have gone through a four-year bachelor degree, including a one-year internship. Then, when you apply to a hotel for a job, they then put you through a three-year management trainee programme. There must be a better way than this in order to fast-track students into good and valuable employees.

Personally, to prepare them, I offer any advice if they ask for it. The main point I try to get across to the students is that they have to ‘tough it out’. Too many people quit too early when things don’t go their way, they need more resilience and perseverance.

What areas of research are you focusing on? Why do they draw you in?

IM: I am not really a researcher per se, but what I do try to do is look at future technology trends in general, and translate how they may affect hospitality. I then bring this analysis to my classroom or share it at an industry event.

I may be right or wrong, but that is not the point. Having the industry consider and look at new things is vital if we are to keep technology at the forefront of change. If I may share one example: in 2006, at HITEC Amsterdam (HFTP’s hospitality technology event), I did a session on SaaS (software as a service), which I was already teaching in my class. Some people looked at me like I was mad. Fast forward to 2020 and well, enough said.

I do think it is important to note that this is something that I can get away with. I am not selling anything; I don’t have a product to promote. I just want our industry to be the best it can be, so I play it very neutral – 19 years of living in Switzerland will do that to you.

Can you describe a professional experience that you will always remember?

IM: If I may, I would like to share one about my Dad, if that is alright – plus mine are all boring. In 1971, my dad was general manager of a hotel in Morecambe, UK. The story he told is that, one day, a coach pulled up and people started getting out, followed by sheep and goats.

All of them with a hippie-look, requesting hotel rooms. My dad, being a very conservative Brit of course, refused and sent them away from the hotel. At the same time, the staff were going into hysterical fits and some of the receptionists even fainted. It was only once the coach had finally gone did someone tell my dad that he just rejected Paul McCartney and his band Wings from the hotel. To which he answered, “Paul who?”

When did you first know that you wanted to be in the hospitality industry — and what is your favourite part about working in hospitality?

Michael Blake: My first job in hospitality was working at the snack bar at the local drive-in theatre, which, oddly enough, is making a comeback. I was fortunate to have various roles in the travel industry that I have always enjoyed, and have had some of my best hospitality years at Hyatt and Commune, which came full circle and is now part of Hyatt. I really enjoyed having a team that was motivated to make things better, faster and cheaper. You are someone who doesn’t work directly at a hotel, but rather supports the industry as a whole. What are some insights you have gained from having this adjacent role?

You are someone who doesn’t work directly at a hotel, but rather supports the industry as a whole. What are some insights you have gained from having this adjacent role?

MB: As they say, you can take the boy out of the hotel, but you can’t take the hotel out of the boy. Many of the solutions that HTNG takes on are always with the point of view of making a hotelier’s life easier. It is great working at the industry level now because I have a much greater platform to influence change.

What have some of your biggest goals been throughout your career? What has been your greatest accomplishment?

MB: Throughout my career I have always managed my job with options, but I have also been fortunate to work for some great leaders. Andy Studdert, at United Airlines, took a chance on me and made me the controller of United’s IT organisation; David Dibble made me his CFO of IT at First Data; Harmit Singh made me his CIO at Hyatt; and Monika Nerger, Page Petry, Doug Rice, Floor Bleeker, Mark Read, Wendy Mertz and many others helped contribute to my role at HTNG, which has been fantastic and still has more to come.

What are some important events that you believe have helped contribute to your professional success along the way?

MB: As my father said, I am overeducated. My undergraduate degree was in accounting at the University of Utah. I also rounded out my education with an MBA in finance/economics from the University of Chicago and a MS in Computer Engineering from Northwestern University. I have a CPA, CMA, CISA, CITP and CAE. Every credential has a story and made me a better person. I am not done learning yet and I am looking forward to what the future has in store. The greatest achievement, and one that I value immensely and am humbled to get, has to be the Hall of Fame.

Ian Millar, CHTP, senior lecturer, EHL

Ian Millar was selected as the 2020 HFTP Paragon Award recipient for his unwavering support of the association and substantial contributions to increase knowledge sharing and promote growth in the hospitality industry at large, specifically among students and hospitality professionals in Europe. He has been a member of HFTP for 15 years and served in multiple leadership positions with the association.

Michael Blake, executive director, CEO and senior vicepresident, HTNG

Michael Blake has had his entire career guided by — and has culminated in — great leadership. According to many of his esteemed industry colleagues, Blake has demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout his career and especially in his current role as executive director, CEO and senior vicepresident at Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG). At HTNG, he manages a global team of 22 directors, eight staff members and over 4,500 members – representing over 50% of total rooms available in the hospitality marketplace.