Editorial Board   Guest Author

Mr. Bilicic

David Bilicic

Senior Vice President , Magid

As Senior Vice President, David Bilicic leads new business development for Magid, a consumer-centered business strategy company delivering courageous thinking that shapes better experiences, products and services.

Mr. Bilicic brings impressive research and consulting experience to his work across several verticals including Travel/Hospitality, Healthcare, Financial Services, Retail, CPG and Automotive. In the past year alone he has been instrumental in the development of proprietary research specific to the consumer behaviors surrounding subscription-based services, as well as a deep dive into the private label space.

Standing on their industry-defining service, Magid is grounded by a rare combination of tailor-made research, a deep understanding of human behavior and operational expertise.

Prior to joining Magid, Mr. Bilicic was Global Head of Sales & Strategic Partnerships at Realeyes - a company that determines consumers' emotional response to video and digital advertising. Before Realeyes, he gained supplier-side experience at a range of companies including: Lightspeed Research (Kantar / WPP), GfK, Research Now, IRI, and Nielsen. Notably, while at Gfk, Mr. Bilicic developed the Travel/Hospitality vertical from scratch, growing it to $10 million during his tenure.

In addition to his deep research background, Mr. Bilicic is also able to connect with the client-side perspective having honed his skills at Tropicana, Taco Bell, and Abbott Labs. He is frequently quoted in the media and has spoken at past industry events, including IIEX.

Mr. Bilicic earned degrees in HR / Organizational Development and Fitness / Exercise Science from Vanderbilt University, and also earned an MBA from The Ohio State University.

Please visit http://www.magid.com for more information.

Mr. Bilicic can be contacted at 215-740-7337 or dbilicic@magid.com

Coming up in March 2019...

Human Resources: An Era of Transition

Traditionally, the human resource department administers five key areas within a hotel operation - compliance, compensation and benefits, organizational dynamics, selection and retention, and training and development. However, HR professionals are also presently involved in culture-building activities, as well as implementing new employee on-boarding practices and engagement initiatives. As a result, HR professionals have been elevated to senior leadership status, creating value and profit within their organization. Still, they continue to face some intractable issues, including a shrinking talent pool and the need to recruit top-notch employees who are empowered to provide outstanding customer service. In order to attract top-tier talent, one option is to take advantage of recruitment opportunities offered through colleges and universities, especially if they have a hospitality major. This pool of prospective employees is likely to be better educated and more enthusiastic than walk-in hires. Also, once hired, there could be additional training and development opportunities that stem from an association with a college or university. Continuing education courses, business conferences, seminars and online instruction - all can be a valuable source of employee development opportunities. In addition to meeting recruitment demands in the present, HR professionals must also be forward-thinking, anticipating the skills that will be needed in the future to meet guest expectations. One such skill that is becoming increasingly valued is “resilience”, the ability to “go with the flow” and not become overwhelmed by the disruptive influences  of change and reinvention. In an era of transition—new technologies, expanding markets, consolidation of brands and businesses, and modifications in people's values and lifestyles - the capacity to remain flexible, nimble and resilient is a valuable skill to possess. The March Hotel Business Review will examine some of the strategies that HR professionals are employing to ensure that their hotel operations continue to thrive.

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