gilbertaue

http://www.webintravel.com/building-...cally-nothing/

Maelstrom

Interesting. I wonder how this will affect Accor Plus.

starflyergold

Interesting, the APAC region was the one driving innovation and was always at the forefront of a more costumer and loyalty focused approach. Usually way before Paris woke up, if it ever. In no small part due to Issenberg's drive and commitment.

Goldorak

Very interesting to read. Thanks for sharing. This guy did a great job with his teams.

hotel_user

I can not see Accor Plus surviving in its current form after reading the two articles. Thank you for sharing.

I hope that I am wrong, but it seems to a step backwards, but I hope that it is not.

Personally, although we have not traveled with Accor much in the APAC area, the customer service and help was much better than the help and customer service received from France.

Whilst understanding that the only constant is change, this seems more than a change. I hope that it goes well.

Maelstrom

https://www.webintravel.com/the-brea...end-of-an-era/

Looks like Europe got broken up into two offices, as well.

markis10

Accor Plus already has differences between the countries so I don’t see much changing

hotel_user

My fear is that the Accor structure will now be more tightly controlled by France. It seems like a centralisation of "power" at head office, and not "local". Probably not explained it well, but time will tell. Europe and Asia are two entirely different cultures, and it may be that France HO will drop the ball. However if they introduce the Accor Plus across the whole of Accor that would be an improvement.

Maelstrom

I do not see that happening. We already hear horror stories about how stingey hotel operators are (especially in France) - I imagine it would be difficult to sell them on complimentary night and dining discounts, even though these are at least partly reimbursed by Accor.

Goldorak

Agreed, no way.

gilbertaue

Reading his quotes, or rather - reading between the lines, he doesn't sound happy. Sure, he's out of a job he has filled well over many many years,

But knowing the type of person he his, I believe he is worried about the direction the company is taking.
I belive the team he has set up will manage well. But how long they will hang around is a different story.

hotel_user

I tend to agree with you.

There is another thread on here, which quotes SB saying, and I paraphrase here, that when he took over, he removed a lot of the long term HO staff.

Ok, new broom, and all that, but .... I hope that I am wrong.

JTCz

Well, he took in Maud Bailly, who came over from French state administration, with a typical CV of a French civil servant delegated to run a state-owned enterprise. Were it the days of Regie Renault, it would have made at least some sense. She has also been the Chief Digital Officer in charge of Digital, Distribution, Sales and Information Systems, and we all know how well it went... Seems like a perfect thing to appreciate her achievements by making her a head of a region - either she is genuinely appreciated (for what we shall never know), then why would they delegate her out to the field, or she failed, then why reward her with an important job whilst so many folks get the pink slip?

I also believe there will be many people who drew growth in various European markets, from CEE through Italy, Portugal or the UK, not quite happy with the COO of Germany (also growing, admittedly) suddenly rising to the top, but hopefully he will finally start doing something about neglected portions of his portfolio, such as Ireland or the Nordics.