From a background in finance and information technology, Dillip Rajakarier has certainly blazed an impressive career path since joining the hotel industry by chance. As the CEO of Thailand’s Minor Hotel Group, he oversees 108 properties in 14 countries.
“Younger Thais, even though they are very smart or overseas-educated, are not comfortable about speaking up. ... To change that, you have to put them up front and ask them their opinions or try to make them make decisions. Then they will feel that they are being listened to and becoming part of the company more”
Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Mr Rajakarier moved to the United Kingdom for higher education and spent more than 20 years in London, where he first got the opportunity to become part of the hotel business.
Coming from an IT background, he brought a competitive edge in terms of his insights into how technology could be used to help improve the efficiency of hotel operations. Before going to the UK, he had worked in one of the largest banks in Sri Lanka, helping designed its core system.
“My background is both IT and accounting; it is quite a strength to have a combination of the two,” he told Asia Focus. “However, by default, I got a chance to join a large luxury hotel chain, Orient-Express Hotels, as an assistant of system accountant, looking after the computer system in the hotel business.
“From this point, I had to think and try to find solutions to make better use of technology in hotel operations.”
Mr Rajakarier sees IT as playing an integral role in the success of hospitality service businesses, which thrive on detailed insights into the needs of each individual customer. The goal is to get things moving more efficiently as well as to cut down people’s workloads, literally making the hotel more high-tech.
“Before adapting the use of technology, one must understand very well the F&B (food and beverage), room operations and booking systems,” he elaborated.
“Moreover, the guest experience is also vital on today’s agenda as we have to try to make their hotel experience as seamless as possible from check-in to check-out.”
Customisation as well as personalisation of guest details, he believes, represent an important way for hotels to ensure that their guests feel they are privileged.
Collecting personal data such as each guest’s birthday and favourite activities helps hotel operators fine-tune more effective marketing promotions.
Since taking up his current position in 2011 (he joined Minor International in 2007), Mr Rajakarier has been on a mission to continue the expansion of the Bangkok-based hotel group as well as make strategic acquisitions across the globe. During his time, he has helped oversee the growth of the core Anatara brand from just a handful of properties to become a leading operator and developer of luxury hotels, resorts and spas.
“One of the biggest achievements is that we managed to get over 100 hotels within five years; this is considered a big milestone,” he said. “The others are getting into Africa and finishing the Oaks Hotels & Resorts deal in Australia.”
Mr Rajakarier’s notable achievements include the joint-venture partnership with The Elewana Collection in Tanzania and Kenya, and the acquisition of Oaks, a large hotel operator with 48 proprieties across Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.
“I hope that in five years’ time we could look at doubling our portfolio to 200 hotels in over 25 countries,” he responded when asked what about his next target.
He modestly attributes the achievement to a team effort, saying each staff member plays an important part in every success.
“It’s all about passion. It’s important to make people take ownership of their positions and drive with passion,” he said, discussing his management style. “I always believe in recruiting people who are stronger than I am and better than I am for their tasks. It’s easier to manage people’s egos and attitudes than to create talent.”
Asked why he decided to move to Thailand in 2007 and to join Minor at a time when the company was much smaller than it is today, Mr Rajakarier replied firmly that it was because of the connection he felt with Minor International’s founder and chairman, William Heinecke, an American-born entrepreneur who is now a citizen of Thailand and one of the country’s wealthiest tycoons.
“I had no reason to move. The company I worked with (Orient-Express) was growing very fast. I had a fantastic job, travelling around the world. However, when I met Bill and he explained his vision, I was convinced,” he said.
From the start, he said, he shared the same passions as Mr Heinecke, which made him believe the decision he made was going to be a great one. Mr Rajakarier now considers the choice he made to be a turning point in his life.
Having worked in Europe and Asia, the easy-going CEO noted that working cultures in the latter at time can be a hindrance, particularly the deference to seniority in Thailand, as younger Thais are afraid to speak up. But he believes the problem is not that difficult to fix.
“Younger Thais, even though they are very smart or overseas-educated, are not comfortable about speaking up. That is actually bad, because you are blocking your company’s potential,” he said.
“To change that, you have to put them up front and ask them their opinions or try to make them make decisions. Then they will feel that they are being listened to and becoming part of the company more.”
In the time that Mr Rajakarier has been at the helm, the Minor Hotel Group has endured more than its share of crises, most of them related to the tourism downturns caused by political protests: from the 2008 airport closures to various red- and yellow-shirt blockades and the most recent campaign that culminated in the May 22 coup. As a leader, he says, he has to remain calm.
“If you become stressed and aggressive, that will go down to the team and the whole organisation become very stressful. Always be responsive, be proactive and think of the opportunity that can come up,” he said.
Apart from his strong belief in passion which influences all aspects of his life, Mr Rajakarier believes training and development are the way forward for companies that want to excel. Creating the people it needs for the future is his organisation’s core value.
“I always think about the company’s future,” he said. “It’s all about creating an organisation that will create itself in the future. Because today, we are lucky to have Bill as the driver and the leader of the company, but we need to think about five years and 10 years forward.”