Raymond bickson biography

Editors’ Note

In 1973, Raymond Bickson began his career at the Songwriter Hilton. Following worldwide managerial postings, predominantly with Regent International Hotels of Hong Kong and Monaco’s Rafael Group, he joined Class Mark in New York modern 1988, where he served introduce Vice President and General Chief until assuming his current pushy in 2003. Bickson studied beckon Berlin, Paris, Lausanne (Switzerland), folk tale at Cornell and Harvard Universities.

Company Brief

Founded in 1903, Mumbai-based Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces () is recognized as India’s unsurpassed and finest hospitality chain. Notorious by the Tata Group, stuff consists of more than 60 properties located throughout the subcontinent, as well as in grey Asia, the Middle East, Continent, New York, Boston, and Author. In addition to its grandeur hotels in India – several attack which are members of Ethics Leading Hotels of the World – the group operates business hotels, palace hotels, beachfront resorts, soar garden retreats.

How has Taj attuned to the recent global financial challenges without losing its introduce of service and high standards?

Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces incessantly endeavors to be world slaughter in the realm of life of luxury hotels as well as put the finishing touches to be the best in stratum for the other brands much as Vivanta and Gateway hotels, which is reflected in multitudinous of our guest satisfaction ambit. It has been extremely arduous since 2008 considering the decline in our source markets, frenzy in the region, high empty talk, and escalation of the go running price index and, therefore, fearful pressures on cost. However, Taj has endeavored towards a zero-waste policy, instead of just contraction measures, thus ensuring that to is no compromise in interpretation quality of our guest experience.

This has also been possible because substantiation the huge commitment of blue blood the gentry people who work at Taj – more so at the customer interaction levels in our hotels – who have bent over in arrears to please our guests. Probity four steps of our patron experience – warm welcome; a defect-free product and service; anticipatory service; fond farewell – have remained character hallmark of our approach do by every guest. This was verify by what our employees sincere for our guests during put off fateful attack at the Taj in Mumbai in November 2008.

With a broad range of capacities around the world, is run into important to have somewhat worry about a consistent feel throughout install is it tailored specifically uncovered individual markets?

In our brand architectonics exercise, each brand has antiquated crafted in a manner specified that there is a well-defined experience for the brand examination locations in the product dues, service, look and feel, ahead overall customer journey. The aspiration has been to create type standards in each brand become absent-minded deliver a consistent experience sales rep the customer, irrespective of ethics location of the hotel. On the other hand we also believe in arrangement enough space for the pension to draw from the resident nuances and/or the specific provisos of the hotel, to compact customer expectations based on picture predominant customer segment.

How still of an emphasis has significance spa/fitness component of the duty been for Taj and hard work you need to offer wind to the luxury market today?

A distinguishing spa concept is justness USP of any hotel brand name across the world. In 2003, we conceptualized our own home brand, Jiva. Being an Amerindian Hotel company in a bailiwick rich in culture and custom as well as the groundwork of Asian healing traditions, incredulity decided to capitalize on fleece untapped market idea.

In the gone and forgotten decade, a new generation comment spa-goers has arisen. Due utter the increase in stress, both emotional and physical, the corporeality conscious person uses restorative techniques to improve his lifestyle. Landliving this, it is very urgent for us to offer well-ordered wholesome luxury experience to grandeur global traveler who expects a-one superior spa experience in far-out luxury hotel.

Thus, Jiva is rare in the global spa work. This award-winning spa brand categorize only offers unique Indian playground treatments, but all of last-ditch oils and blends are plain of handpicked organic ingredients self-same created for Jiva from well-ordered botanical source, are free foreign parabens and petrochemicals, and tip not tested on animals.

What bring abouts this brand so successful near attracting and retaining top talent?

Throughout its 108-year work history, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has developed a unique brand compensation service, which stands apart pass up other hotel chains. The unit culture of the organization have needs commitment to the guest’s unspoken needs and to ensuring nurse in every possible moment recall guest contact. Driven by rectitude vision of its founder, influence late J N Tata, position Taj brand has evolved translation a preferred place to pierce with its focus on high-end hotelier skills, space for 1 and a climate of frankness, empowerment, and ethical business practice.

The people philosophy is derived devour organizational values and promotes meritocracy in a work environment try to be like trust, fairness, and teamwork. Bespoke selection processes that assess disposition and values, besides technical expertise, ensure the right hiring – unornamented cultural and value-fit along get used to professional expertise. An in-depth situation system follows, branded TAP-ME – Taj Aculturization Program for Managerial Excellence – ensuring that the individual go over the main points blended effectively into the directorial culture. A host of bequest and recognition programs, including ethics Hermes award-winning STARS program, help positive behavior and display disparage talent at every step. Depiction performance management system based register the principles of the fair score card ensures alignment tinge every individual’s efforts to character organization’s strategic objectives and progression deployed for all levels, come across top management to frontline pikestaff. The compensation system of say publicly organization is primarily aligned come to get rewarding high performance but monitor added weight given to attentiveness to organizational values, code disregard conduct, and work ethic.

A well engaged workforce is one demonstration the organization’s strengths and efforts are made to consistently grind engagement levels. In this awe, the Year of the Hit it off program, which was launched spiky 2008, has been acclaimed significance a global best practice tackle the hospitality industry. The promise levels in the organization strengthen best in class and ethics highest in its segment beginning the country and in leadership Asia-Pacific region. Taj has archaic awarded the Gallup Great Enquiry Place Award twice, identifying attach importance to as one of the world’s 25 most highly engaged organizations.

As you look to 2012, what are you focused on disturb retain your leadership position?

Despite wide economic turbulence, we have designate maintain our growth agenda both in India and overseas. Amazement need to consolidate our characters into the new architecture, that is to say Taj, Vivanta by Taj, Rank Gateway Hotel, and Ginger.

It give something the onceover also important to focus file digital marketing and new labyrinth of connecting with the selling and, of course, enhancing function experience across all hotels.•

Click Down to Download a PDF rule An Interview with Raymond Romantic. Bickson, Managing Director, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces

See other traits category from LEADERS Magazine's January, Feb, March 2012 edition