Steven Daines Chief Talent & Culture Officer, Accor Hotels - Being a True Heartist

Brave Bold Brilliant Podcast

In this episode, Jeannette talks to Steven Daines who is the Chief Talent & Culture Officer and a member of Accor’s Executive Committee. He trained as a banker but decided to take a different direction and joined Carnival Cruise Lines which gave him the travel and hospitality bug.

They discuss diversity in-depth. How it benefits companies and the challenges that need to be overcome to achieve true diversity. As well as talking about managing a range of hotels that cover the entire spectrum from budget to luxury and the future of the industry.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• From the start, Accor decentralised, recruited locally, and empowered those people.
• Because of recruiting locally, the Accor group has always had good diversity. But has had to work harder on gender diversity.
• Decision-making is of a higher quality if you represent the diversity of your customers.
• Cultural differences still present challenges, but it is a learning curve.
• Social mobility is a big part of true diversity.
• Achieving true diversity means different things in different places.
• Companies need to learn to provide services that work for a far more diverse demographic.
• Any industry that needs people to work unsociable hours is struggling to attract staff.
• You learn fastest when you are challenged.
• If you are given an opportunity, take it.
• Accor values experience and passion combined with empathy with guests.

BEST MOMENTS

‘It is still ridiculous that there should be less than half of the leaders of any company anywhere who are ladies. ´

‘What I would like, really, is for Accor to be known within the next five years as the most culturally diverse company on Earth.’

‘I think all of us want to experience professional service, but we don't want it to be stiff. We don't want it to be passively formal, it suddenly feels very 19th-century.’

This is the perfect time to get focused on what YOU want to really achieve in your business, career, and life. It’s never too late to be BRAVE and BOLD and unlock your inner BRILLIANCE. If you’d like to jump on a free mentoring session just DM Jeannette at [e-mail] or sign up via Jeannette’s linktree https://linktr.ee/JLinfoot

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Brave, Bold, Brilliant podcast series - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/brave-bold-brilliant-podcast/id1524278970

ABOUT THE GUEST

Steven Daines is a French and British national. He graduated in Economics and holds an MBA in Hospitality Management from ESSEC.

Steven Daines started his career in Florida as a Purser on cruise ships before joining Accor in 1994. For 10 years, Steven worked in Accor’s subsidiary for Train services, Compagnie des Wagons-Lits, in France, the UK, Spain and eventually in Italy where he was Country Manager for 5 years. Steven then switched to the Hotel Business and held several positions in regional hotel operations, in France and South America. In 2012, he was appointed General Manager for Formule 1 and ibis Budget for France.

He was appointed at the Executive Committee in 2014, as Regional CEO in charge of Northern Europe and Russia. He was afterwards in charge of Middle East and Africa and of the New Businesses division until end of 2017, joining then Affidea, the European leader in the operation of Diagnostic Centers, in the healthcare business.

In November 2019, he was appointed Chief Talent & Culture Officer and member of Accor’s Executive Committee.

ABOUT THE HOST

Jeannette Linfoot is a highly regarded senior executive, property investor, board advisor, and business mentor with over 25 years of global professional business experience across the travel, leisure, hospitality, and property sectors. Having bought, ran, and sold businesses all over the world, Jeannette now has a portfolio of her own businesses and also advises and mentors other business leaders to drive forward their strategies as well as their own personal development.

Jeannette is a down-to-earth leader, a passionate champion for diversity & inclusion, and a huge advocate of nurturing talent so every person can unleash their full potential and live their dreams.

CONTACT THE HOST

Jeannette’s linktree - https://linktr.ee/JLinfoot

https://www.jeannettelinfootassociates.com/

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Email - [e-mail]

Podcast Description

Jeannette Linfoot talks to incredible people about their experiences of being Brave, Bold & Brilliant, which have allowed them to unleash their full potential in business, their careers, and life in general. From the boardroom tables of ‘big’ international businesses to the dining room tables of entrepreneurial start-ups, how to overcome challenges, embrace opportunities and take risks, whilst staying ‘true’ to yourself is the order of the day.

Travel, Bold, Brilliant, business, growth, scale, marketing, investment, investing, entrepreneurship, coach, consultant, mindset, six figures, seven figures, travel, industry, ROI, B2B, inspirational: https://linktr.ee/JLinfoot