Launching into the New Year with a bang! 🚀 Tune in to our latest episode featuring the incredible Stuart Birkwood, Curator (or as we know it, GM) at Radisson RED, Dubai. Join us for an insightful chat about his career journey, the unique Radisson RED brand, and a sneak peek into what's on the horizon. Stick around for some rapid-fire fun to wrap things up!

We say this every time, but this episode really isn’t one to miss. A slightly different format than usual, where we step away from the hospitality industry and dive into the world of travel and experience; the craft of curiosity; discovering our purpose and what it takes to build a brand from the ground up. With a whole ton of insights in between. Our guest, Augusto Valverde, Creator & Host of Global Child has gone from filming with a selfie stick to building one of the top travel shows around, with over 7 billion viewers over 7 years. Not a bad statistic hey? Staying true to his brand, Augusto chats with Mark on travelling with purpose; sharing his pillars for building a brand and being intentional in everything we do as spiritual beings. Purpose is not a destination, it’s a journey. If you haven’t already, we highly recommend checking out the Global Child series, (after listening to YNGH podcast of course) - available on Peacock, Tubi & Amazon Prime (among several others).

Thomas Greggory, Directeur Général at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas joins Mark to discuss the role technology plays in creating a seamless experience within hospitality. Thomas shares a wealth of knowledge, outlining the importance of investing in your team and how this translates into the hospitality guests will receive. Thomas’ hospitality journey started by accident back in 1999, where he has since gone on to work in a multitude of incredible locations across the globe; Monaco, Tunisia, Egypt & Paris to name but a few. He now resides in Al Saadiyat Island - Abu Dhabi, the Bahamas of the UAE.

This week on Your Next Generation Hotel podcast we sat down with Pascal, Director and General Manager of the amazing Paramount hotel Dubai, a flagship property and extension of the iconic Paramount Studios. Pascal shares insight into the properties’ link to the cinematic era and how this is reflected throughout.  Falling in love with the industry at just 12 years old, Pascal shares a wealth of knowledge to young and aspiring hoteliers, shining a light on the wonderful opportunities a career in hospitality can lead to. 

Another episode for all young hospitality professionals! Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast is delighted to welcome Mads Wolff into the hot seat for this week's episode. Mads, who served as Hotel Manager since 2019, now sits at the helm as General Manager for 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central. Mads joins Mark to discuss his journey from trainee chef in a Michelin Star restaurant in Denmark; to now overseeing Ennismore’s flagship property in Dubai! A shorter episode but packed full of great insights. It’s worth mentioning, we think he may well have psychic powers… correctly predicting Argentina’s World Cup win 🔮👀

Calling all young hospitality professionals! This week’s guest Recep Pamukcu shares his philosophy and expertise on the key behind creating an amazing guest experience and getting the best out of your team. Recep, General Manager of the breathtaking Ajman Hotel has a wealth of experience across all areas of the hospitality industry, and also happens to share some Irish roots having previously worked at The Croke Park Hotel, spending 10 years in Ireland before settling in Dubai.

Recorded at the breathtaking oasis, ZOYA Health & Wellbeing Resort, in this week's episode of YNGH podcast Mark is joined by ZOYA’s VP of Business Development, Salem al Said. Salem, son of founder Ameer Said, gives us an inside look at the UAE’s first fully-integrated health resort and its unique and holistic approach to mind and body rejuvenation. Discover more about ZOYA's incredible treatments and facilities at zoyawellbeing.com.

In this episode of Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast, Tolga Lacin - Area General Manager of Marriott International, sits down with Mark to chat all things sustainability and the wave of innovation sweeping across Dubai. Tolga has 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry and tells his story along with fascinating insights into their sustainable initiatives to reduce the environmental impact across their properties as well as Dubai. Tolga is the Area General Manager, Marriott International, overseeing properties including W Dubai -Mina Seyahi, The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Waterpark.

This week on Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast we sit down with yet another inspiring leader in the industry, Laura Eggleton, General Manager at Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown. Laura chats about her career so far, transitioning from UK hospitality to the Middle East and the importance self belief has had in her career so far! Laura discusses her thoughts on the importance of work life balance and how she empowers her team to be themselves at work. Starting in the industry at just 13, Laura went on to be the first ever female General Manager at IHG at the age of just 28 and has since gone on to inspire female leaders in the industry to have the self belief required to grow in the industry.

We are back with another episode of Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast and we promise this is one of the best yet! This week we sit down with Jaime Simpson General Manager at Jumeirah Group / Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts to discuss balancing motherhood with career progression, the misconceptions that impact female leaders in the industry and both the challenges and learnings Jaime has had over the years of finding work-life balance. Jaime is one of the industry's most influential leaders, not only has she been named as one of the Middle East’s Top 25 Power Women, she is also passionate about inspiring young women to strive in their careers alongside motherhood, make sure you listen in to hear Jaime share her incredible and inspirational journey in the industry so far.

This week, Mark chats to Casper Schonfeldt, General Manager of Trump International Golf Club, on what sparked his interest in the hospitality sector and his journey to getting to where he is today. Casper offers advice to aspiring hoteliers and emphasises the importance of guiding and investing in talent.  Casper now oversees the iconic and award-winning Trump International Golf Club in Dubai, with over 30 years experience in some of the world’s most renowned Golf Resorts across multiple regions. We hope you enjoy and don't forget to share with a friend! 

Jon Davis is the CTO of Village Hotels. Village Hotels operates 31 hotels in the United Kingdom, with a plan to open 50 by 2025. The company was founded in 1995, and is now owned by Denver-based private equity firm KSL Capital Partners. Jon has a fascinating background from the operations side as hotel manager to running his own hotel technology consultancy business to his current role with Village Hotels. We discussed everything from the impact of covid to the use of chatbots after analysing call centre data.  It's a must listen episode. Hope you enjoy!