MEET THE TEAM

MICHAEL HEYWARD

CEO & FOUNDER
BACKGROUND

Michael has enjoyed over 30 years of experience in operations, franchising and revenue management, alongside an impressive career path in independent and chain hotels across Europe, Asia and the Pacific. He is also a lecturer at the Glion Institute of Higher Education, where he works with both undergraduate and postgraduate students from all over the world.

WORKING WITH MICHAEL

Michael has a passion for doing difficult things well and through others; inspired by the fast-paced environment of hotels. He understands the need to rapidly resolve complicated situations, as well as the various technological improvements of today. Michael works to develop high performing teams and individuals to reach their full potential.

Recommendations:

David Taylor

CEO at Adriatic Luxury Hotels

“Michael is a very clear thinker and is very talented at seeing the big picture but being able to get the required detail to form a cohesive view and strategy. Michael eloquently expresses what needs to be done to drive success and cares passionately about the team.”

Ken Pahkim

MD at KitMing

“Michael’s operations knowledge and calm disposition make him the perfect person to look at what’s happening and devise solutions proactively for the problems you won’t even know are going to occur! I truly appreciated his experience, thoughtfulness and his sense of humour.”

Stuart Leven

Vice President at Royal Caribbean Cruises

Michael has a passion for doing difficult things well and through others; inspired by the fast-paced environment of hotels.

Luka Berger

Founder & CEO at Flexkeeping

“Working with Michael and his team was a great experience. His broad range of experience and understanding of the hotel market allowed him to guide us successfully into a new way of working which drove efficiency, productivity and most importantly, increased impact on our revenue returns”

Rob Paterson

CEO of Best Western Hotels

“I still enjoy our conversations and his mentoring in my work life. Michael is an intuitive, considerate, deep thinking and positive leader with the ability to galvanise a team and achieve a high level of profit performance.”

BARRY WINTER

SENIOR DIRECTOR, HEAD OF LONDON OFFICE
BACKGROUND

Barry is a dynamic, operational leader with a strong background of 23 years’ experience operating across eight brands from budget to luxury. With a proven track record of producing results and turning around businesses through engaging people, Barry enjoys challenging the status quo to develop innovative solutions that drive performance.

WORKING WITH BARRY

Barry joined us as a senior consultant and has already taken the lead dealing with consulting and leadership projects with our international clients. Barry provides a leading insight into customer service and is passionate about the recruitment of talent and their development within the business.

Recommendations:

Romain Perrot

Head of Strategy & Innovation at Orbis SA.

“You rarely come across a person like Barry. He is such an inspiring leader, able to get the most out of people and a seasoned hospitality professional with strong values. Barry, I enjoyed every minute working with you, and you earn my highest recommendation.”

Andy George

Founder & Creative Director at Hearts & Minds

“Barry always sets out to deliver something bold, new and innovative! He’s got a clear vision, both creatively and commercially, and he shares his passion when we are on to something good. Better yet, Barry’s got a real knack for making sure that ideas don’t die in a PowerPoint presentation.”

Christalena Vraila

Co-Founder & Director at Mr.Highline

“Barry is an inspiring leader in hospitality that makes a positive impact to his team and partners. Barry genuinely cares about unveiling the potential of every person that surrounds him by giving constructive criticism and continual support.”

Attila Szabo

Director of Operations at Sofitel Philadelphia

“I was particularly impressed by Barry’s knowledge of every field within hospitality. No matter if the project related to operations, sales, revenue management, human resources, food & beverage, it all seemed to come perfectly natural to him. Barry showed an exceptional understanding of highly complex business cases and demonstrated exemplary leadership skills.”

YONA HEYWARD

SENIOR DIRECTOR, HEAD OF MELBOURNE OFFICE
BACKGROUND

Yona is our educational guru! She has worked in education for 30 years both in Australia and the United Kingdom. Yona is fully accredited to deliver both Harrison Assessment reviews and Radical Collaboration training.

WORKING WITH YONA

Yona has a great passion for assisting others in both professional and personal development. Trained in observational, evaluating and reflective skills, she has an eye for identifying difficulties in the way teams work together which assists in finding effective solutions to unlock the potential of the team.

Recommendations:

Thomas Finn

Executive Director at Edwards & Finn

"Yona was fantastic throughout the process, she explained everything before we started the assessment in terms of what I was to expect. Her calm and logical method was reassuring and made me feel comfortable when delving into certain areas of my character and behaviours. My Experience of the Harrison Assessments with Yona was nothing short of brilliant."

Manjit Bringan

Headteacher at Whitehall Infant School

“Yona demonstrates a high level of empathy and integrity. Yona deploys effective listening and coaching questions to get to the crux of the matter. She has shown the balance of holding others to account as well as providing encouragement and support. In the midst of this, Yona shows great humility and a great sense of humour.”

JANEL CLARK

HEAD OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
BACKGROUND

Janel has an extensive background in education and revenue management in both the hospitality and travel industry. Janel has created, developed, and delivered numerous training courses with some of the world’s leading educational establishments, including the University of Surrey and ESSEC Business School. Janel has taught Revenue Management learning at HOSPA for over three years.

WORKING WITH JANEL

Janel is passionate about developing and inspiring teams and individuals, having witnessed first-hand how learning and development can positively impact the bottom line. Janel has a knack for demystifying complex strategies for a wider audience. Janel also has a keen interest in NLP and coaching. She is committed to enhancing company performance through inspirational and engaging programmes designed to bring out the best in people.

Recommendations:

Alan O'Dea

SVP Premium Brands, Accor

"Janel is an accomplished trainer who consistently delivers to a high standard. Janel has a great ability to communicate theory and practice across a wide audience and is skilled in adapting her style to suit the occasion."

Nathalie Hinds

Industry Partnerships Manager, University of Surrey

"Talented and knowledgeable, it’s a pleasure working collaboratively with Janel. She has the ability to simplify complex subjects. Thank you for sharing with us your energy and expertise!"

Mark Haywood

SVP, RateGain

"We have worked with Janel on numerous occasions. Each time we have benefitted from her person in-depth experience. Janel was integral part of setting up successful revenue departments in our hotels."

PENN CHAI

DIGITAL AND OPERATIONAL PROJECT LEAD
BACKGROUND

Penn graduated from Glion with distinction and went on to work on a range of projects from hotel openings to global digital transformations, including the rollout of new upselling systems and culture, property management systems, new point of sales, payment solutions, talent management tools.

WORKING WITH PENN

Penn has a passion for unlocking business potential through developing practical solutions to operational and commercial challenges. Penn enjoys improving operational efficiency by applying the right digital solutions for businesses. Penn has extensive project management skills to ensure that any transition remains seamless, whilst still ensuring the guest journey is seamless.

Recommendations:

Sylvie Gallonn

General Manager at AccorInvest

"The role involved the successful implementation of the Bizzon POS system. Penn was very diligent and dedicated to improving the operational efficiency of the hotel."

Dominic Sauls

General Manager at The Collective

"Penn achieved a great opening and he helped develop one of the best teams in the network, delivering some of the highest quality scores at the time."

Sam Goss

General Manager Castle Hotel Windsor

"What Penn does not know about technology is probably not worth knowing. Implementation of numerous systems and applications to maximise productivity, revenue, cost controlling and to advance the guest experience."