Serving the servers

By Xin Dingding (China Daily)

Updated: 2011-11-16

Because he is convinced that ill-treated staff can never treat guests well, Genberg has been focusing on internal communications since taking over in 2009.

He sets the example for his junior managers by doing his best to support his 15 department managers.

Genberg's approach is paying off.

Sofitel Wanda Harbin was the most profitable of all seven Sofitel Wanda hotels in China last year, despite the global economic meltdown. But this achievement is also the result of the development model adopted in this northeastern province and the fact that Harbin has only three international class hotels. Before taking up his Harbin assignment, Genberg had worked in hotels in the United States, Sweden and five other Asian countries.

Born in Sweden and raised in the US, he first came to Asia in 1988, working in Hong Kong, Macao, Xi'an and Beijing until 1993. He then left to work in other Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. In 2008, he returned to China and worked in Guangzhou and Harbin.

Genberg believes China's hospitality business is experiencing fast-track growth and offers many opportunities. But, like other Asian countries, its hospitality business, too, is facing problems, such as a lack of mature professionals and lack of creative thinkers.

"People tend to do what they are told. They are not comfortable to tell their boss what they want to do," he says, adding he finds this to be the biggest challenge.

His advice is that young Chinese should receive more "exposure" and see more of the world.

"It is all about learning. Learn the good things and make them part of your management style. Learn the bad things and make sure you don't repeat them," he says.

Having started from scratch in the hospitality business, Genberg says he has benefited from working with some very exceptional people. He learned from them the good personality traits one must develop to succeed - "be honest, work hard and always set targets as high as possible".

However, to his surprise, many Chinese young people applying to work at Sofitel do not have work experience or any targets.