Editorial Board   Guest Author

Mr. Storey

Thomas W. Storey

President of Hospitality, SONIFI Solutions

Thomas (Tom) W. Storey is President of Hospitality for SONIFI Solutions and is responsible for leading all of the Company's hospitality related strategic initiatives and operational activities. Mr. Storey is a seasoned hotelier with an extensive hospitality background based on almost 30 years in the industry. Most recently he served as Executive Vice President Business Strategy for Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI), a leading global hotel company with over 100 hotels worldwide under the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotel brands. He was instrumental in the development of FRHI and he helped steer the business through an important period of growth during his recent tenure as President of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Other companies and brands for which he has worked include Marriott Hotels, Carlson Companies, Promus Hotels Corporation and Doubletree Hotels. Through various senior management roles, Mr. Storey has made significant contributions in the areas of business development, strategic planning, hotel technology and sales and marketing. As a testament to his contributions, Mr. Storey has been honored with numerous awards and acknowledgements which include being named to the list of The Top 25 Industry Leaders for Business Travel News and Travel Agent magazine as well as appearing on the Marketing 100 list as awarded by Advertising Age magazine. As a leading voice within the hospitality industry, he has also been a member of various organizations including the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the Travel Industry Association of America (TIAA). Mr. Storey holds a Master's of Business Administration degree from the Johnson School at Cornell University and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Bates College.

Mr. Storey can be contacted at 605-988-1510 or publicrelations@sonifi.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.

Click here to Subscribe
Copyright © 1996-2019. All content on HotelExecutive.com. All Rights Reserved.