Jörg has now been with the
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
for more than fifteen years, first joining
the group in 2001 as Hotel Manager
for InterContinental Vienna. From
there he continued to serve in head
management roles for IHG hotels in
Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, the Bavarian
Alps, Melbourne and Cape Town. “I am
not sure if I had this foresight at the
time, but it has served me very well to
build up that wealth of experience
across the globe in front-line and
leadership roles. And growing to these
from an entry level gives you a true
sense of the hospitality craft and instils
a focused service attitude,” he says. “I’ve
been fortunate to work with some
phenomenal visionaries and talented
hoteliers across the globe who have
worked their way into amazing roles,
starting from the very foundations of
hotel training.”He moved to Australia with his family in
2011 and worked with InterContinental
Melbourne, The Rialto, until 2013 when
he accepted his current position withthe Sydney counterpart. “I am currently
also the Area General Manager for
Mulpha Hotels Australia, which
encompasses InterContinental Sydney,
InterContinental Sanctuary Cove
Resort, Holiday Inn Old Sydney and
Holiday Inn Sydney Airport,” he says.
The hotel industry’s current direct
impact on Australia’s economy will
continue to heighten Jörg’s curiosity
and passion, as tourism continues to
be one of Australia’s biggest sources
of revenue.“Only last year, visitor spending on
accommodation, flights, tours and alike
accounted for 2.5 per cent of gross
domestic product. To put that in
perspective, Australia’s largest export,
iron ore, accounted for 2.7 per cent at
the same time last year, making tourism
the second-largest sector,” says Jörg.“These numbers are not insignificant,
and they shine a much-needed spotlight
on the potential for successful career
paths in the hospitality profession, and
its overall relevance to the regional and
global economies. The steady growth of
the industry has started to shift the
perception of hospitality careers as
valued and academic prospects.”The InterContinetal Hotel Group has
helped to address the skills shortage by
investing heavily in dedicated talent
development initiatives, such as the
IHG Future Leaders program, as a
means to attract and retain talent.
“Skipping steps or missing that skills
education can have catastrophic
consequences in this industry. We train
our talent by developing them through
various departments with real
accountability and high pressureEXECUTIVE INTERVIEW
“I’ve been fortunate to work with some phenomenal visionaries and
talented hoteliers across the globe who have worked their way into
amazing roles, starting from the very foundations of hotel training.”- Jörg T Böckeler