TheCconnects: Can you tell our readers a little about your professional journey & how did you come to your current role/position?
Sunil Malik (F. I.H.): As a child, I was always assisting my mother in the household chores, cooking, cleaning, and in short managing the house, Thanks to my mother who was not much educated but was so organized with time management, financial management, inventory control, etc. As soon I finished High school at one of the prestigious English medium institutions of Bombay, went to do my science graduation from another prestigious college at the Bombay University then one fine day my best friends and myself were sitting in a small roadside kiosk in King’s Circle, we ordered Samosas and tea in a glass, the samosas came in a paper packet, after finishing our snacks,
I was about to throw the paper into their worn-out bin, I happen to read the heading of Catering College at Dadar Bombay, I wanted to read what this brochure was, at home read the two pages, and decided to check this new stream of education, I really was excited with the college prospectus, and at that time 1969, no one really wanted to work in hotels, even my father said that you will just waste your lifetime and wash dishes. I joined, graduated with flying colors, got selected by the Taj Mahal Hotel, and below is my short career note.
I am a professionally qualified international hotelier with a proven track record in all-star categories of hospitality operations and development on a global platform.
I worked in Asia. Africa. America. I had experience, exposure, and expertise a global chain like Marriott International. Taj Group of Hotels. Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Hyatt International Hotels. Best Western Hotels. SFC Group Dubai. I was the Chief Executive Officer of Hospitality for Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. (one of the largest construction companies in Asia, and the majority shareholder of the Taj Group of Hotels). I am also an approved Hospitality Consultant at Gerson Lehrman Group USA, as well as at Expert Connect USA & Asia. I held designations of Chief Executive Officer. Chief Operating Officer. President. Chief Strategy Officer. Vice President. and General Manager at international hotel chains. I am also a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, London, United Kingdom.
TheCconnects: What are the biggest challenges you have faced in your life & how did you overcome them?
Sunil Malik (F.I.H.): The biggest challenges of my tenure was to be cool, calm, and collective during all the political and jealous games played by my seniors, line managers, as well as subordinates to put me down as inefficient, in effective on many fronts, as I was the fastest rising general manager during the 1980s.
TheCconnects: What lessons have you learned from your professional career?
Sunil Malik (F.I.H.): The main lesson I have learned and practiced is to be loyal, versatile, adaptable, and never lose focus on your final objectives of achievements, as I always preach to all my colleagues and business associates that
The mission statement is to reach the pinnacle of success by design and not by chance in all spheres of the hospitality industry across the globe.
TheCconnects: What do you see as the biggest challenge for brands in the digital space?
Sunil Malik (F.I.H.): The biggest challenge for brands in the digital media is to convince our esteemed loyal guests to be assured of our safety, security, W.H.O. hygienic standards, along with the rejuvenated personalized services, facilities, and amenities supporting our international brand Image.
With the present scenario of our hospitality world, guests have to feel safe, and secure from the deadly covid era, which has especially shaken the global hospitality industry, once again to gain their total faith in our hotels we have to be regularly sanitized, along with our staff to be fully vaccinated, and all our food and beverage preparations and services are monitored by expert professionally qualified managerial staff.
TheCconnects: Do you have any advice for those who want to become a chief executive officer?
Sunil Malik (F.I.H.): The salient features that all managerial personnel should keep in one’s foremost focus are as follow :
# Knowledge of our job profile, constant updating of our modern methodology for advancement in strategic thought processes for being ahead of the game to achieve success by design.
# coordination, the corporation at all levels of the organization pyramid to have an update on the company’s goals and objectives.
# Learning the art of smiling genuinely, as artificial behavior can be detrimental for rising up the ladder of designation.
# The most important aspect is to follow a strict routine of time management in personal habits, work culture, and family time.
# The final nail for success to reach the top position in a corporate world is to control and practice EGO and ANGER.
