• NEWS
    • SUBSCRIBE TO TD
    • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • EVENTS
    • THIRSTY THURSDAY
      • RSVP PORTAL
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • COMPETITIONS
    • TRAINING
    • CONFERENCES
  • JOBS
    • SEARCH FOR JOBS
    • POST A JOB
  • EVERYTHING TD
    • About TD (Travel Daily Media)
    • Advertise with TD
    • What is Native Content?
    • Executive team
      • Gary (Founder/CEO)
      • Chris (GM & Managing Editor)
      • Mali (Finance Mgr)
    • Content team
      • Kristin (Senior Editor)
      • Kanchan (Editor)
    • Sales team
      • Anthony (Regional Director-APAC)
      • Paul A (BDM-Asia)
      • Martin (BDM-Asia)
      • Paul M (BDM-Bangkok)
    • Events team
      • June (Director)
      • Arlene (Snr Events Mgr)
      • Krystal (Attendee Relations)
      • Zy (Snr Sales Mgr)
      • Mary (Snr Sales Mgr)
      • Arjay (Snr Sales Exec)
  • SELF SERVICE
    • 2023 TD Media Kit
    • Submit Press Release
    • Self Service portal
    • Upload your Travel Blog

Travel Daily Travel Daily - Informing, connecting and developing the world’s travel industry professionals.

  • MARKETS/SECTORS
  • FEATURES
    • Partner Articles
      • Airlines / Airports
      • Car Rental
      • Conferences
      • Cruising (Ocean)
      • Cruising (River)
      • Destination Management (DMC)
      • GDS / CRS
      • Hotels & Resorts
      • Hotel Management Company
      • Hotel Technology
      • HR / Appointments
      • Insurance
      • Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions (MICE)
      • Travel Agents (all)
      • Travel Technology
      • Tourism Boards
    • Interviews
    • Industry appointments
    • Podcasts – Features
    • Guest Writers
    • E-Turbo News
    • PR Newswire
  • TRAVEL GUIDES
    • Destination NaJomtien BanAmphur BangSaray *NEW*
    • จุดหมายปลายทาง นาจอมเทียน หาดบ้านอำเภอ บางเสร่ *NEW*
    • South Australia Rewards Wonders *NEW*
    • Ponant Yacht Cruises and Expeditions
    • Encore Tickets (Chinese Guide)
    • Affordable Luxury in Thailand by Centara Hotels
    • Rising Above the Oridinary by Conrad Bangkok
    • The Best of Thailand
  • IWTA SERIES
    • Who is IWTA
    • Meet our featured leaders
    • Refer Someone
    • Refer yourself
  • IWTA AWARDS
    • Awards site
    • Nominate
    • Buy tickets
    • Sponsor
Travel Daily
GlobalInterviewsHuman Resources

HR, red flags and why ‘eating strategy for breakfast’ doesn’t go far enough

By Alastair Newport On Nov 13, 2019
Guest Contributor

Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly

Share

Responsible for a global workforce in excess of 16,000, strewn across 190 different countries, Sabine Hansen Peck is Amadeus’ people & culture chief officer who also finds time to head up the travel tech firm’s global communications department as well as serve on the Amadeus Executive committee.

In short, Hansen-Peck is a big cheese who — with 20 years of management experience across many different industries, including technology, financial services, private equity, aviation and travel — has acquired an extraordinary wealth of knowledge and a unique vantage point of how our working lives have changed since the rise of the internet and the inevitable replacement of the boomer generation by those incorrigible youngsters the Millennials — sorry GenX-ers, there just wasn’t enough of us…

Sabine Hansen Peck

TD: So, Sabine, you have been taking part in a whistle-stop tour of Singapore, Manila and Bangkok, that’s a busy itinerary, what have you been doing here in Asia?

Sabine Hansen Peck (SHP): Ostensibly to visit one of our main offices, and to check out a new one in Manila. Singapore is a key outpost for us and is also where Amadeus’ global head of online businesses is based. Running the whole online world is, obviously, a very important position, and as she’s based in SG I hadn’t yet had a chance to get to know her properly. It’s great to meet with all the talent, especially here in Asia. If I look at the talent of the future, it’s here.

TD: Why do you say that?

SHP: Here we have a highly millennial population and we also have very digitally savvy employees, they’re on mobile, they’re online all the time and they are innovation-driven. They are also very open, in search of a meaningful purpose [in their careers} and when I speak to Millennials they want to make a difference.

Don’t get me wrong, I know this is true of the rest of the world, but here you have Millenials in such concentration — I think 57% of our employees are millennials. 30% of hires are under 25 years old. So you’ve got a massive input from this age group in Asia. And that’s really fascinating and stimulating for us.

Integration diligence

Amadeus; Manila

TD: You’ve also been in Manila to integrate two offices, Amadeus and Navitaire, into one place. What challenges have you encountered, in getting these two different organisations to work together efficiently?

SHP: Well, we bought Navitaire a few years back. And so overall, in terms of integration, we are doing fine. We have already seen, during the due diligence phase, whether there’s a cultural fit. And if there had been an issue at that point, we probably would have not bought the company

We have done due diligence [in the past] And then said, no, the culture is so different from the Amadeus culture that integration will not work.

TD: Hold on, let me get this straight — Amadeus is getting into the nitty-gritty of a buyout, it’s all going smoothly and then you come in to take a look at the companies culture and if you think something doesn’t mesh, you say “hold on this isn’t going to work”, and you stop the purchase?

SHP: Absolutely. The finance guys, look at the financials; the product guys look at what products are developed and the commercial guys do their thing and I look at the leadership team.

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast, well I would add, for lunch and dinner too!”

I do site visits but even just through GlassDoor or social media, you can get a good feel for the culture of an organisation, and if the culture doesn’t fit, we will not do it.

There have been a couple of instances recently where we stopped in the pre-acquisition phase and said no, it doesn’t make sense. I think this is super important because the cultures can be so different. And further down the line, you might destroy a lot of value. Remember Peter Drucker [influential management consultant and author]? He was the guy who said, “culture eats strategy for breakfast”, well I would add, for lunch and dinner too!

SHP: As a company, we are very much thinking longterm. Part of which means, we are careful — but, when we do make an investment then we are fully committed. Also, we have 150 different nationalities working for us. So we have many, many different people from different walks of life. Something, incidentally, I find to be an enriching and positive environment to work in.

So if I walk into a potential acquisition target and I see it’s very short term. It’s only thinking on the numbers, with people being terrible with each other. Or maybe it’s just a monoculture — I think these all are red flags for us.

TD: Is this something where you’re actually physically in place and you’re absorbing what the feel is?

SHP: Yes you can definitely see it, some easily observable places to see the culture is in the reception cafeteria and washroom areas.

TD: You have a varied and well-storied career, how has HR developed as an industry in the last 10 years?

SHP: Hmm. I think it is, it has evolved quite a bit. I mean, in some areas, it is still personnel or payroll. But, mostly I think it has evolved to be about the actual human resource. After all, I think in the end, what makes a company successful is the people in the culture.

Today, you can copy everything in a split second, but what you can’t copy is people culture. I’m pretty sure you have a favourite coffee shop. And do you go there because of the coffee?

TD: Primarily coffee but I want it all Sabine, I want good coffee, interesting design and great staff with a friendly vibe.

SHP: Exactly. It’s the culture. There’s a product, another coffee shop could probably buy that same coffee, but it’s the people in the store which make us feel special. That’s what I believe is the key ingredient for companies also.

Special projects

TD: I hear that sustainability and the environment is rightly an issue that is important to you, how have you introduced this passion into Amadeus?

SHP: It started with the belief that a goal of plastic-free oceans can only be started with a plastic-free office, and that became a grassroots movement. Right?

So we had four different campaigns one month, the first focusing on how to be plastic-free — It was open to all our employees and over 6000 participated. The second was ‘Zero waste, then we had ‘Resource Wise’ and then ‘Green on Vacation.’

It was not just at work either, it also transported to our private lives, we had guys posting photos heading to the farmers market their kids with reusable cotton bags. We have run these campaigns over the last four months. Now, in September and October, we have given every employee one day off to volunteer. For example here in APAC, a lot of them concentrated on cleaning up beaches, cleaning up neighbourhoods.

TD: Do you have some people do this or people just like do you have to offer prizes or rewards?

SHP: No none all. Nor pressure from senior management. They’re [the staff] bringing so many ideas; it’s just amazing what is possible. We reduced plastic by a third in just the first couple of weeks.

TD: What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

SHP: Being able to make a difference in people’s lives, by creating a positive work atmosphere where people can grow and develop overall, I think that’s my job as a leader.

NavitaireSabine Hansen PeckAmadeus
Share
You might also like
Travel Tech

Quest Apartment Hotels expands partnership with Amadeus to include business…

Reports

APAC hotel occupancy rose above pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2023

Reports

Growth of travel fuels Amadeus’ performance in the first quarter of 2023

Travel Tech

Joyned and Amadeus unveil new agreement to enhance travel booking experience 

Prev Next

Comments are closed.

POPULAR STORIES

Marriott international signs agreement with Hiap Hoe limited…

Air Partner and Worldwide GSA join forces to expand its…

The Slate Phuket voted amongst TripAdvisor’s prestigious…

Travel Meet Asia 2023 to connect Malaysia and Southeast Asia…

Prev Next 1 of 5,873

PARTNER CONTENT

  • The Pavilions Phuket: A 5-star personal experience in a tranquil and romantic location

    Read More...
  • Unleash your inner explorer: Aurora Expeditions’ Antarctica 2024-2025 Season offers 25 adventure-packed itineraries

    Read More...
  • How short-term rental platforms in Asia can protect their hosts and customers

    Read More...
  • Exploring Europe seamlessly with Rail Europe’s point-to-point journeys

    Read More...
  • The Role of a Revenue Manager in Uncertain Economic Times

    Read More...
  • The ultimate guide to the 5 best resorts in the Maldives

    Read More...
STAY UPDATED WITH THE LATEST TRAVEL NEWS, JOBS & EVENTS!
Join over 180,000 travel agents, professionals and executives subscribed to our daily newsletter.
You can unsubscribe at any time
Search
MENU
  • News
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

MARKETS

  • Asia
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • India
  • Middle East
  • UK & Europe
  • USA

SECTOR

  • Airlines
  • Airports
  • Cruise
  • Hospitality
  • HR & Careers
  • Luxury Travel
  • MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions)
  • Travel Tech
  • Tourism
  • Travel Agents
About
  • BOOK A SALES CALL
  • About TD (Travel Daily Media)
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
© 2023 - Travel Daily. All Rights Reserved.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up here to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe at any time
Close

Welcome, Login to your account.

Forget password?

Sign in with Google

Powered by wp-glogin.com

No account? Sign Up
Sign in

Recover your password.

A password will be e-mailed to you.

CREATE A NEW PROFILE
SIGN IN TO EXISTING PROFILE
back

LOG IN

Welcome back, Log in to your account.

Continue with Facebook
Continue with Google
Continue with Twitter
Continue with LinkedIn

OR
Log in using your email
Forgot password?
back

Recover your password.

back

SIGN UP FOR FREE

(New User)

Be part of our community of seasoned travel and hospitality industry professionals from all over the world.

I want to
Only letters and numbers are allowed
Please enter a valid email address
Must be between 6-8 characters
Must be the same with Password
  • LOGIN / SIGN UP
  • NEWS
    • MARKETS
      • Asia
      • China
      • Pacific
      • India
      • Middle East
      • UK & Europe
      • USA & Canada
    • SECTORS
      • Airlines
      • Airports
      • Cruise
      • Hospitality
      • HR & Careers
      • Luxury Travel
      • MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions)
      • Travel Tech
      • Tourism
      • Travel Agents
    • FEATURES
      • Partner articles
        • Airlines / Airports
        • Car Rental
        • Conferences
        • Cruising (Ocean)
        • Cruising (River)
        • Destination Management (DMC)
        • GDS / CRS
        • Hotels & Resorts
        • Hotel Management Company
        • Hotel Technology
        • HR / Appointments
        • Insurance
        • Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions (MICE)
        • Travel Agents (all)
        • Travel Technology
        • Tourism Boards
      • Interviews
      • Industry appointments
      • Travel Bloggers
      • Podcasts – Features
      • Mergers & Acquisition
        • Buyers/Investors wanted
        • Business for sale
        • News
  • EVENTS
    • Thirsty Thursday
      • RSVP Portal
    • Photos
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Competitions
    • Conferences
  • JOBS
    • Search for Jobs
    • Post a Job
  • TRAVEL GUIDES
    • Destination NaJomtien BanAmphur BangSaray *NEW*
    • จุดหมายปลายทาง นาจอมเทียน หาดบ้านอำเภอ บางเสร่ *NEW*
    • South Australia Reward Wonders *NEW*
    • Ponant Yacht Cruises and Expeditions
    • Encore Tickets (Chinese Guide)
    • Affordable Luxury in Thailand by Centara Hotels
    • Rising Above the Oridinary by Conrad Bangkok
    • The Best of Thailand
  • IWTA SERIES
    • Who is IWTA
    • Meet our featured leaders
    • Refer Someone
    • Refer yourself
  • IWTA AWARDS
    • Awards site
    • Nominate
    • Buy Tickets
    • Sponsor