Thomas Mayrhofer, General Manager of Sari Pan Pacific Jakarta
Meet Thomas Mayrhofer, an Austrian hospitality industry professional with 30-year experience along having a devotee of golf.
Thomas Mayrhofer
Where are you via along with when did you move to Indonesia?
I am via Salzburg, Austria. However, I have not lived abroad for many years. For the past 3.5 years I have worked in Jakarta which is usually my first experience to live in Indonesia. Prior to Jakarta, I was based in Bangkok, Thailand.
How do you like Jakarta?
While Jakarta may take a little longer to become familiar with than some different cities, I think the idea is usually an amazing city along with carries a lot to offer for both expatriates along with visitors. Naturally, traffic is usually far worse than my hometown, however I love Indonesian hospitality, the sincerity along with smiles all Indonesians seem to be born with. I suppose the greatest difference with my hometown is usually of which Jakarta only offers two seasons while my hometown enjoys four. I miss skiing, yet I certainly do not miss shovelling snow via my driveway!
On your leisure time, what do you do in Jakarta?
Golf, golf along with more golf! Oh, did I forget to mention golf? As soon as I arrived in Jakarta I committed one day to golf. Jakarta offers a wonderful variety of golf courses along with I am still amazed how all of these courses continue to fill up every weekend. Aside via golf, I am also active within the business community of Jakarta along with attend many chamber networking functions where my wife Jade happily joins my side.
Which is usually your favourite golf course in Indonesia along with why?
the idea is usually not fair to say of which I have a favourite golf course as there are some truly world-class golf courses in Indonesia. During late 2012 along with early 2013 I had the opportunity to assist our sister property in Bali during the transition of two General Managers; the idea gave me the opportunity to oversee Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort which includes one of Indonesia’s greatest golf courses at Nirwana Bali. This kind of was truly an enjoyment along having a privilege. Currently, I am a member at Emeralda golf course, yet I also enjoy playing great courses such as Royale Jakarta, Jagorawi along with Rainbow Hills.
Have you ever competed in golf tournaments?
As an active golfer I compete in many golf tournaments along with play in both serious along with charity tournaments. Last year I was invited to join the Jakarta European Ryder Cup tournament at Cengkareng Golf Course which I might consider to be one of the highlights of my golfing.
As General Manager of Sari Pan Pacific hotel in Jakarta, what constitutes the bulk of your job?
I split my core workload into three separate areas. The first area is usually of which a hotel cannot run without the full support of a team. In This kind of role I need to inspire my immediate team along with lead by strong example. A happy team of which can depend on their leader will be the best team to provide great guest service. Next is usually our guests; generating an emotional connection with our guests is usually the best way to achieve long-term relationships, which in turn results in loyal guests of which will support us for years to come. As General Manager I have to show my team the commitment to our guests along with I have to demonstrate of which I always have time to meet along with greet our guests. Finally, to build a strong along with trusting relationship with our owning company so they trust within the financial support we ask via them.
is usually your background in hospitality?
I am nearing almost 30 years in hospitality along with can honestly say of which hospitality is usually my life. My parents immigrated to Canada when I was 16 years old along with as such my studies happened in Canada. In 2008, I graduated with an MBA via University of Guelph, the only university of which offers a hospitality-oriented MBA.
What was your professional journey like to come to This kind of position at This kind of point?
I began within the kitchen along with in 1989 I left Canada to become the Executive Chef at completely new World Hotel in Xian, China. After six months, I transferred to Beijing with the same company where I spent another 18 months. Taking advantage of many educational opportunities offered by my employers, I steadily advanced my career along with moved out of the kitchen. My first opportunity as General Manager came in 2005 in Vancouver, Canada. In 2009, I joined Pan Pacific Hotel Group as Vice President of Restaurants, Bars & Events based in Singapore. One of my passions remains to build strong relationships along with connecting teams, which is usually harder to achieve in a corporate role where travel combined with short visits is usually required. As a result, I asked to return to the property level along with This kind of is usually how I ended up at Sari Pan Pacific Hotel.
What are some challenges of which hoteliers today face in Indonesia?
We are experiencing strong growth which puts a burden on our human capital. the idea seems to be harder to fill some key roles with qualified along with experienced personnel as some of our associates pursue their dreams. Strong leadership combined with ‘real’ development for our associates are critical at such times. Aside via This kind of, Indonesian tourism continues to outgrow GDP which essentially means This kind of is usually a great time to be within the hotel business in Indonesia.
Do you participate in any organizations or societies in Jakarta?
I am very active in many social events along with I believe if you are active you also have to give back, which means volunteering some of your time on various boards. Recently, I have been elected as Vice Chairman of Jakarta International Hotel Association which represents some 50 Hotels within Jakarta. I am also a board member of SKAL Jakarta where my position is usually International Public Relations Director.
What motivates you?
I love people along with of which is usually why the hospitality industry is usually a perfect fit. Of course, I might not be as successful with my career without the continued support via my wife along with our two boys to motivate both of us. As far as passion is usually concerned, I do have to say of which Jakarta has certainly cemented golf as one of my great passions along with I shall never forget the wonderful golf courses I have been privileged to play at along with the many great people I have met there.
In several years or so, what kind of Jakarta might you like to see?
the idea’s hard not to include much better traffic here, yet several years may not be sufficient time to fix the city’s infrastructure. I also desire of which Jakarta will be able to improve on overall cleanliness. I am very disappointed each time I see a river in Jakarta as most river banks are littered with far too much refuse. Each person in Jakarta must do their best to educate along with lead by example as in many cities’ rivers are truly treasured along with often become a local tourist attraction. Rivers are so important to our ecosystem along with generally can recover quickly, however they can only recover when everyone participates. This kind of is usually a little personal wish of mine.
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Thomas Mayrhofer, General Manager of Sari Pan Pacific Jakarta
Thomas Mayrhofer, General Manager of Sari Pan Pacific Jakarta