When Guy Hutchinson was announced as the new president of Hilton for the Middle East and Africa at the end of 2023, it marked a return to the hotel group for the first time in a decade.
The new chapter in his career officially began in January and saw him take on 285 hotels in the region and a combined workforce of over 29,000 people.
His appointment came in the wake of the loss of Hilton’s Jochem-Jan (JJ) Sleiffer, who previously held the role and passed away suddenly in April last year. That news shook the industry, not least Hutchinson, who was a close friend.
The new president said: “The opportunity to recognise JJ’s legacy and build on it holds a special significance for me.
“We came up in the business together as young executives, and Hilton shaped and developed us in the same way. That’s an important part of this for me and a very important motivator.”
We sat down with both Hutchinson and Simon Vincent CBE, Hilton’s executive vice president and president Europe, Middle East & Africa.
They both open up on carrying Sleiffer’s legacy forward while charting a new era of growth in the region for the company.
Vincent said: “JJ and Guy were close friends. They developed a very close bond.”
A journey towards Hospitality
Vincent was awarded a CBE in the UK in June 2023, thanks to his work for the travel and tourism industry. Under his leadership, Hilton’s EMEA region saw a transformation from 205 hotels in 2007 to 662 in 2023, across 71 countries and 14 brands.
Vincent’s own career began with in banking and international finance, before joining travel firms and rising the ranks to assume the role of chief operating officer at Thomas Cook, overseeing various aspects of the business, including its travel divisions, tour operations, airline, and retail travel distribution channels.
However, in 2007, “Hilton came knocking on the door,” he recalled. It came after the hotel group has been acquired by Blackstone. The move involved buying both the US business from the Hilton family and the international business, which set the stage for an ambitious plan to unify and expand both entities. That decision ultimately led to the Hilton in operation today.
“They were looking for someone a bit different,” Vincent explained, “outside of the hotel space directly, albeit having worked at Thomas Cook and been in and around hotels.”
Starting with running the UK business, Vincent quickly moved to consolidate the UK, European, and Middle Eastern operations into one cohesive unit, driving transformation across these regions.
“The business has pretty much transformed over that period. It’s been an incredible ride,” he added.
A masterclass in value creation
Hilton has gone strength to strength in the region evolving from its origins with Hilton World Trade Centre in Dubai to 22 hotels in the city today.
Hutchinson added: “The transformation of Hilton in the region over the last 10 years has been phenomenal. It’s been an amazing story to reach almost 700 hotels – it shows the quality of the organisation.”
That trajectory is set to continue, Vincent added. “Guy will be presiding over a pretty meteoric rise in our business in the Middle East,” he said. “The Middle East is a crucial source market for capital, with a huge appetite for building hotels as an asset class. We’ve worked very hard to cultivate relationships that have enabled us to transform our business here.”
Following the Blackstone acquisition, the next big change for Hilton was an IPO that took place in 2013, taking the company public once more.
In 2017, Hilton de-merged its business, carving out the timeshare segment into what is now known as Hilton Grand Vacations. Although listed separately, it maintained a long-term license agreement with Hilton, signifying a new era of business operations. Alongside this, the real estate assets were spun off into a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), marking a significant shift in the company’s asset management strategy.
Vincent said: “If you look at the combined value of these entities and the value that’s been created over that period, with what is now an asset-light, hotel-operated business model, it’s a masterclass in value creation”
The transformation of Hilton was not just confined to its corporate structure but also extended to its global footprint and brand portfolio. In 2007, Hilton was operating in just 14 countries. Fast forward to the present, and the MEA region alone boasts operations in over 70 countries, with a global presence in 130 countries. “We’ve gone from a very asset-intensive business with just a few brands to an asset-light model with multiple brands across multiple geographies,” Vincent added.
A culture grounded in community
In 2023, Hilton was named the number one World’s Best Workplace by Great Place to Work. The recognition was the culmination of eight consecutive appearances on the World’s Best list and marks the first time a hospitality company has achieved the top honour in the program.
Hutchinson said: “For me, the culture aspect is a really important point and one of the things that excites me the most. We’ve achieved explosive growth, becoming a leading global hotel company with over 7,500 hotels. But what’s truly special is how we’ve grounded ourselves in culture, a culture not distant from the community but deeply embedded in it. This is evident in our connection to ESG initiatives and how we employ people of determination, with more than 30 in the business here in the UAE.”
Vincent agreed. He explained: “It’s not just about the brand name, but also about the culture that we’ve developed. The key differentiator for us at Hilton is how we’ve grown these brands.
“Our businesses are poised to win, and when our system gets behind a brand, it truly propels it forward. The support and momentum that our system provides to each brand under the Hilton umbrella is remarkable. It’s this combination of strong branding and a supportive, thriving culture that sets us apart in the hospitality industry.”
The ethos of Hilton, instilled by its founder, Conrad Hilton, is still part of the company, he added. “I believe our founder gave us an extraordinary gift – the vision to spread the light and warmth of hospitality globally,” Vincent said. “This vision resonates deeply with people and strikes a chord in the heart. When he brought Hollywood’s glitterati to Istanbul in the 1950s, it was more than just a trip; it was about forging lasting connections. This philosophy strongly resonates with our team members and is ingrained in our culture. Having this strong focus on customers and maintaining a culture that is grounded in community is vital for a global business like ours.”
Infusing growth with substance
Being outward-facing and successful with owners is incredibly important and is something Hutchinson brings to the table, according to Vincent. He said: “Guy brings in a deep understanding of our business, which is quite unique. Our business is about working not only within but also for hundreds of owners. It’s that owner-centricity, the focus on knowing we are building this business with other people’s money that is imperative which we respect and honour. His connectivity to the ownership community is crucial, especially in a business like ours where understanding that dynamic is key. So, actually getting out and meeting our owners, many of whom Guy knows over time, is going to be a vital part of his role.”
Vincent lauds the resilience and dedication of the Hilton team during a particularly challenging period. “Between JJ’s passing and Guy now joining, the company did an amazing job keeping the wheels on the road,” he explained. “Every person at Hilton was so deeply affected by his passing yet the team continued to give in their best.”
The MEA region actually had a record year, another tribute to and legacy from Sleiffer. “He was a larger than life person who really did want to give back to hospitality and those less fortunate, including people with disabilities and disadvantaged groups and individuals,” Vincent said, before revealing Hilton is collaborating with several foundations and making donations to initiatives close to JJ’s heart.
Moving forward, Hutchinson says that with a stellar team in place, he doesn’t perceive the need to reinvent the wheel at the moment, but he does have specific areas of the business in his sights. He explained: “There’s amazing momentum in the region, and the pipeline is great. We have a strong team in place who really know what they’re doing.
“For me, there’s a learning curve. I need to understand the detail of the business and not take for granted what I think I know about the organisation from the past. It’s about getting those relationships in place, especially with the owners and the investors, and getting a strong grip on where we are to create that enhanced momentum.
“When I spoke to the team and Simon, it really motivated me. And my conversation with another colleague made me realise that I’m extremely competitive. That gets me excited – the desire to win.
“It’s about being the number one hotel company in every city, growing our family of brands, introducing new brands, and aligning the culture and the organisation with that vision.”
The hospitality leader, however, is realistic about the process, acknowledging that there are no quick fixes or “bolts of lightning” in the early days. Instead, he says that it’s about “establishing a solid foundation.
“The business is already hugely successful, and now it’s about identifying obstacles and what we need to do to accelerate the culture and underpin the growth with substance,” he said.