A Word with GHN Advisory Board Member Gavin Faull
2019 Priorities and Growth Aspirations
Swiss-Belhotel International has been undergoing strong growth and expansion over the past few years and in 2019 the group hit 150 hotels and projects globally. This increase will continue throughout the year as we look to open a new hotel every eight weeks which will bring strong growth to the financial performance of the Group, as well as grow our distribution base. We are a big small international hotel management Group – meaning while we are big in terms of worldwide hotels, we are small compared to the larger hotel groups operating globally.
With our strong Swiss heritage which was established through our founder, the late Mr Peter Gautschi we bring passion and professionalism to our operational and management structures and organisation. We are guided by a culture that the Group has built over its 30 years of existence which focuses on Passion and Professionalism™. Combining the Passion of Asian hospitality and service (Asia being the home of Swiss-Belhotel International) and Professionalism, which comes from our Swiss association and heritage. This brings a unique management fusion to the highly competitive industry that is international hoteling.
2019 year has started very positively for the Group. In March, we took over the Swiss-Belhotel du Parc in Baden Switzerland, marking our first operation in Switzerland and our first operation in central Europe. Swiss-Belhotel International is presently negotiating a number of hotel operations and projects in Europe, as part of our continuing global expansion. This will see us operating in a total of 22 countries.
Our priority for this year is to continue to grow our international management focusing on our management hubs in Europe, The Middle East, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.
In New Zealand and Australia, Swiss-Belhotel International is taking investment positions as part of our expansion programme and such opportunities are also being investigated in Europe and The Middle East. Swiss-Belhotel International is consistently being approached by investment funds in light of this expansion and funding opportunities are being seriously reviewed.
Branding is critical to the hotel industry and in this regard Swiss-Belhotel International continues to grow the market recognition of its 14 brands. In 2019 Swiss-Belhotel International will be introducing a further new lifestyle brand. Our branding development has been most successful over the past decade and reflects the recognition of Swiss-Belhotel International by the hotel guest, as well as the hotel investors and owners. This is a critical element of our expansion, our recognition and the value we bring to both the guest and the owner.
Swiss-Belhotel International also recognises its corporate social responsibility in the world of challenge and inequality. The Group directly supports Sala Bai Hotel School in Siem Reap, Cambodia – which is a charity operation helping underprivileged Cambodians to find education and develop a sustainable career in the industry in which we operate. In addition, each hotel in the Group supports its local community with staff involvement and the distribution of charitable gifts and items to the community. A special charity is where the Group, through its hotels in Indonesia, helps fund operations for young children performed by charitable medical services, in particular cleft lip surgery.
A sustainable environment is critical to the preservation of our planet and in this regard waste management recycling is supported and practiced by our operations. Swiss-Belhotel International also supports preservation of native flora and forna and the birds of the wild. In New Zealand, Swiss-Belhotel International supports Experience Purangi in Taranaki, which is focused on wildlife and native forest preservation and in particular the preservation of the New Zealand Kiwi and Kakapo - threatened birds of New Zealand.
Support of the capital business based operation, ADC Microfinance, providing venture capital to small businesses in Myanmar and Laos is another sustainable and economic focused charity supported by Swiss-Belhotel International.
Our corporate social responsibility focus is based on direct support, sustainable support and support to develop economic future and sustainability for the individual and the cause.
Swiss-Belhotel International business and sustainable philosophies are focused on creating a future, creating involvement and creating a feeling of tangibility and impact by all our associates and management. Our Culture of Passion and Professionalism are central to these philosophies.
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About Gavin Faull
The Chairman and President of Swiss-Belhotel International is Gavin M Faull.
Gavin has over 35 years experience in hotel management and operations under his belt. He started his career as an accountant for The Peninsula Group, Hong Kong. In 1983, he was made chief executive of Kingsgate International Corporate Limited, a publicly listed company that owned several hotels in Australia and New Zealand.
He worked for a start-up hotel management company Swiss-Belhotel group in 1990, before taking over the ownership of the company in 1999. Apart from his illustrious career in the hospitality industry, he also runs a number of agricultural companies in his native New Zealand. Gavin holds hold a Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Victoria University of Wellington.