Recording this episode with Stijn Oyen, Managing Director at Design Hotels, felt less like a formal leadership conversation and more like sitting across from someone who never lost his original passion for hospitality.

What moved me most was how clearly his journey is rooted in craft and humility. He started as a young aspiring chef, guided by a mentor who saw leadership potential in him before he saw it himself and that single moment of outside belief changed his direction completely. It reminded me again how often careers turn not on plans, but on people who see more in you than you currently see in yourself.

One theme that stayed with me throughout the conversation was his consistent focus on people, curiosity and generosity with time. When we spoke about leadership today, he didn’t talk about control or authority. He spoke about reading the room, staying humble, asking questions and - very practically - being generous with your time and attention. That line stuck with me because it sounds simple, but in reality it’s rare.

I was also struck by how openly he described being pushed out of his comfort zone when stepping into his current role. It wasn’t presented as a heroic leap, but as a real risk both for him and for Neil Jones, the leader who trusted him with the opportunity. That connects strongly with another core belief we discussed: careers grow when someone takes a risk on you and when you’re willing to step into something before you feel fully ready.

On a more personal level, I loved the story he shared about meeting Denzel Washington during the San Sebastián Film Festival. What stayed with him wasn’t the celebrity moment - it was the humanity of it. A long, unscripted conversation that ran over schedule.

You can also feel how deeply hospitality still lives in him. Even now, away from hotel operations, he talks about cooking, markets, ingredients and food with visible emotion. The kitchen seems to be his reset button.

I left the conversation with a few clear reflections: leadership is not about having all the answers, growth rarely follows a straight line and generosity with time, trust and opportunity may be one of the most underrated leadership qualities we have.

In this episode Neil Jones, Chief Operating Officer at Marriott International, reflects on 30 years in hospitality and what truly makes leadership work. What still drives him is simple: hospitality is a people business, no two days are the same and growth comes from variety, not titles.

Neil shares how early experiences in service shaped his career and why staying with one company doesn’t mean standing still - if you keep moving, learning and saying yes to new roles. He highlights three key influences: Arne Sorenson for his rare mix of courage and humanity, his father for patience and work ethic and a former leader who taught him to take risks on people and never forget to have fun.

At the heart of the conversation is a clear leadership message: there is no textbook. Great leaders set a simple vision, listen deeply and involve their teams. Respect is earned through humility, not authority. For young leaders and future talent, Neil’s advice is to stay open, explore different parts of the business and remember that many of tomorrow’s roles don’t even exist yet.

I sat down with Satya Anand, President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Marriott International, to talk about leadership, the experiences and mentors that shaped his journey and what still drives him today.

We talk about why listening becomes a critical discipline as organizations scale, how authenticity and vulnerability build trust and why stepping into leadership doesn’t mean having all the answers from day one. Satya reflects on the mentors who shaped him, the leadership styles that influenced his thinking and the importance of genuinely caring about people and their development.

He also shares how he stays grounded in a role defined by constant travel, the routines that help him reset and the mindset shifts that come with experience including the advice he would give his younger self today.

A conversation about people, perspective and what experience teaches you over time.