What's a great day at work for you? 

A day where we deliver strategic wins, see progress and deliver on performance! That means seeing the numbers move in the right direction and witnessing the interdependent relationship we have fostered with the Quest Apartment Hotels franchisee network to deliver the agreed outcomes. A great day also gives me quality time with my leaders and allows me to step back from the noise to think proactively about what’s next.

How long have you been with Quest ? And how have you seen it evolve over time?

I have been with Quest for seven years now and the time has flown by. The company has certainly evolved over that time. Where we are today is a customer-centric business, focused on doing better and continually evolving to stay relevant to the market. Being part of The Ascott Limited has provided such an opportunity for Quest and our apartment hotel business owners in Australia.

Building relationships is a big part of your job – how do you approach that and how crucial is it to the Quest way of doing things?

Relationships are so critical to success and it really comes down to whether we stick to the old transactional-style relationships or evolve into a more solutions-focused approach. If we consider the long term value of relationships with all stakeholders, address challenges with a win/win outcome in mind and develop a deep understanding of our customers needs, we create relationships where the value is not price-driven. This then opens up the opportunity for more strategic client conversations with key decision makers who can drive market share to our Quest network of apartment hotels.

If someone was considering joining the Quest family and becoming a franchisee, what's the one piece of advice you'd give them in terms of optimising for success?

My advice would be to have a clear business plan, with strategic actions relevant to the location and market and ensure that all activities link back to this plan. I would also suggest building local relationships in the community as a priority, to ensure we are creating local guest experiences for our guests. Being results-driven and hands-on in the business, whilst leaning on the support system through our business format franchise model, is also critical to success.

What’s one big travel trend you can see coming over the next couple of years?

There are two we are hearing more and more about, and they are experience-driven travel and personalisation in hospitality. These will play a key role in travellers’ decision-making, and if we can highlight that through our “local as you like it” approach and showcase the communities we are a part of, we can offer unique experiences and be part of this trend moving forward. Having our business owners front and centre at properties and checking in our guests provides an opportunity for personalisation that is unique to our business model and really makes guests feel welcomed.