Christian Clerc
President Global Operations, Four Seasons Hotels and Resort
“Emotional intelligence is fundamental to delivering exceptional service. It’s the ability to read someone, to understand even before they finish their sentence, what they want. That is where the magic happens. It's not in the policies and procedures. It's in what we call the unscripted care. It's everything that happens, actually, outside of the policies.”
Summary
In this episode of Leadership Matters, Alan and his good friend Christian Clerc discuss what makes someone a successful leader, including looking for the right people and giving employees a purpose.
They discuss how Christian grew up in Switzerland, with his earliest memories all surrounding getting together, prompting his passion for hospitality. Christian took a job at a restaurant, working every position, which taught him how to interact with people. Christian now says that one of the most important decisions his company makes is people, looking for employees who “like to give gifts.” The emphasis on personal interaction has also guided Christian’s decisions as hotels increase their usage of robots and chat boxes. Christian Clerc is the President of Global Operations for the Four Seasons Hotels and Resort since 2000.
Mentions & Resources in this Episode
Guest Bio
Christian H. Clerc joined Four Seasons in 2000 as Hotel Manager in one of the company’s flagship locations, Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC and has held posts as General Manager in New York, Punta Mita, Mexico, and Chicago before returning to Washington in 2008 as General Manager and Regional Vice President. In 2012, he took over leadership of the legendary Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris with regional responsibility for hotels in Western Europe. He was promoted to Area President, Hotel Operations for Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2014 and to President, Worldwide Hotel Operations in 2016. He was appointed to his current role as President Global Operations in September 2019.
He was educated at École hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland and is a member of the École hôtelière de Lausanne International Advisory Board.
Follow Christian on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Clips from This Episode
"We want to treat everyone individually...with their own needs!"
On how the company's leadership has responded to the COVID Pandemic
Episode Transcription
Alan Fleischmann
You're listening to Leadership Matters on Sirius XM. I'm your host, Alan Fleischmann. I'm here with a very good friend, Christian Clerc, who is the president of Four Seasons hotels. I guess I don't have to explain what the Four Seasons are to most people who are listening here. But imagine the perfect hotel stay. In the age of COVID. that's something I suspect we all are sitting at home or sitting far away during the pandemic and hoping for that to end so we can reimagine it. But my guest today, Christian, has spent his entire career envisioning and creating the kind of hospitality experiences that are truly unforgettable as president of the Four Seasons, hotels and resorts. Hospitality is one of the most complex industries even in the best of times. It's competitive, demanding, constantly evolving. Successful hotels and restaurants don't just provide experiences that people want right now, they must also have imagined and create those that people will follow and want tomorrow. If anyone was tailor-made for this role, it is Christian. He was born in the travel mecca of Switzerland, I guess, is really where you're from, and profoundly influenced in culinary preferences by his Italian mother and grandmother. He graduated from one of the world's most prestigious culinary schools, and has led some of the world's premier destination properties. Christian resides, I say, in Washington, DC and Toronto. A little bit of both maybe.
Christian Clerc
Primarily based in DC.
Alan Fleischmann
A permanent residence in DC, which I love, because it's near me. And like many great leaders, he is a person of the world. I'm thrilled to have you on the show. This is a show, as you know, that we get extraordinary guests. And we have extraordinary listeners who really want to kind of go deep with leaders, not only to get a sense of what's inspiring about what you do but how you overcome adversity. And when I think of, you know, I'm going to get your youth and your experiences. But I got to start with when I think of one of the industries that have been hardest hit. You know, during the school pandemic worldwide, it is the hospitality industry. And I've watched with a great, with great substance and elegance, the wave Four Seasons has managed this crisis in a way frankly, that is like not it's not unexpectedly but always wonderful to see as a leader of the pack, and because you are different than the others. And in many ways, you're able to differentiate yourself by acting differently as well. But I mentioned just now that you were born in Switzerland, it is the home of some of the great hotels. I mean, it really is the mecca of hospitality. But what really drew you It sounds like from what I know, and I've had great conversations with you over meals. To the whole world of hospitality was the love of coming together the love of bringing cultures together, the love of food that you inherited from your Italian mother and grandmother. Just what is your earliest memories of bringing, you know, people together around the uncommon table? And is there was there a moment that you said, Well, you know, what I want to do this for a living this is a career I wanted to do was that it was a whether it was around food, or convening or just creating culture.
Christian Clerc
Alan, first of all, thank you for having me. I am excited to be here on this great show. And yes, you're right. I grew up in Switzerland, in a small town in Malta, on Lake Geneva. And I think my earliest memories of kind of being together and enjoying moments, you know, in Italian culture, it's all about food. It's all about getting together. And so in my house, you know, they were—from the moment I woke up in the morning, there was always a smell around the house. Coffee in the morning and then my grandmother would start making something. And it always attracted me towards the kitchen and you always end up in the kitchen. One of the earliest memories I have is sitting around the kitchen table with my grandmother, cooking something, preparing the sauce or, you know, preparing some Italian dish and just talking, you know, the kitchen in Italy and in many European Mediterranean countries is always the center. Right? And so I remember just feeling really special being surrounded with the people you love and you care about around food. And so I think from early stages, it attracted me. I always thought it was going to be a restauranteur, not a hotelier. And my best friend had a restaurant in Montreux and I would go and help in the restaurant because I wanted to be with him and his parents wouldn't let us go out until service was finished. So I would help and, you know, by the age of 12 I could work every job in the restaurant. Front of the house, back of the house, pizza, you know, cold kitchen, stewarding, I could do everything. And I said to my dad, I said, you know, I love this, the way I feel, there's an energy in the restaurant. I love interacting with people. The tips were good, you know, so, and my dad gave me probably one of the greatest advice that he had ever given me. He said, You know, if you want the restaurant business, the margins are so small once you go to a tourist school. So I went to business school, I went to Lausanne Hotel Management school. And it was one of the best decisions that I made and then graduated from there. And then from there, kind of made my way into hotels, because the, you know, the school opened a whole new world for me. But that's how I got—
Alan Fleischmann
When you went there, did you—you were thinking more to be a restauranteur at the time or do you think you might? Did that change while you were there?
Christian Clerc
I came in thinking I was going to be a restauranteur. For sure. I wanted to own restaurants. I was passionate about food, about wine about the bringing people together. But the other side, you know, so I talked to you about my Italian grandmother. I also had on the other side, a Swiss grandfather, who was a humble man, but who appreciated all good things. He appreciated a great meal. And he loved the grand hotels. And as you mentioned earlier, in the region where I grew up, there's a lot of—hospitality was fundamental, you know, at the turn of last century, and a lot of, you know, a lot of the Swiss economy with being powered by tourists, primarily British, who would come to Switzerland to climb mountains. They were big mountain climbers. And so they established these beautiful hotels. And that's how the Swiss hotel industry started, it was to host, you know, these travelers who would come and experience the beauty of Switzerland. So with my grandfather, he used to love going to hotels, just to have a cup of tea, you know, just enter the lobby, sit down, everybody can have a cup of tea, you know, he would dress up and he would take me with him. So I was always fascinated with these, be it the design the flowers, everybody looked good, dressed well. And that always attracted me as well. So I think when I went to Lausanne, it was a natural crossover that I decided, you know, in hotels, there are restaurants, and I said, Well, I can combine both, if I go into the hotel world, and that's what I decided to do.
Alan Fleischmann
Did you get to cook anymore? Or do you find yourself having any time to cook?
Christian Clerc
I love cooking and as a matter of fact, the kitchen in my house is very central, it's an open kitchen. And when you come to my house, you know, either for business or if I, you know, when I have friends, I will be cooking, I will be in the kitchen and we all start, you know. I'll open a bottle of champagne, a bottle of wine, but everybody comes to the kitchen first. And that's very much something that I take from—the kitchen brings you together, it also is less formal, it's more inviting. And I think, oftentimes, my friends roll up their sleeves, they helped me and, you know, we prepare a meal together and what better moment to, you know, to share something than to be in the kitchen and work on a meal together. So very much it's a central part of my life. And I do that actually. I relax when I cook so it's something that I try to bring my family or my kids into it, but it's a very, for me, it's very therapeutic to be able to cook and feed people. I think it's part of my life.
Alan Fleischmann
I've actually had the pleasure of being in restaurants with you too. And you go into a different gear, where you appreciate every moment of that experience. The conversation—we've had some great conversations, and also the culinary part of it. You know, where, you know, where we have these moments to cherish the moments. It's almost Zen like there's a sense of being present and being in the moment when we're with you and you appreciate it, the quality.
Christian Clerc
You're right I remember our meal at, you know, at Marea in New York. And you know, for me, it is such an important moment. First of all, it's special, you know, I always—my sense is—anytime I go to a restaurant or a hotel, you know, my senses are hyper-stimulated. I always try to prepare mentally to make sure that I enjoy every part of it. And, you know, to me, it's fundamental because when we design your hotel, when I think about new products, you know, I always think about, during the design phase, which is fascinating. When we work with some of the best architects and designers, I always tell myself, what will we remember? What will you remember when you walk into the hotel for the first time as a guest? Right? What will stay with you? What are the elements of the experience that you will remember later on and you'll talk about, and that's how—that's oftentimes a key driver for me. And, you know, both in interior design, in how we—the arts that we select, in the flowers. For example, at the George V in Paris, you know, Jeff Leatham's flowers. I know you've been there many times and you know, the hotel very well. But think about it, it sounds obvious. Now everybody's doing it, but at the time, 20 years ago, when we opened the Four Seasons hotels, George V, you know, French palaces tend to be quite rigid and formal and almost intimidating. And we wanted to break that formality. We wanted to create something where—we wanted to attract people to come in, you know, the Parisians, and not only our guests that traveled internationally but the locals. And so we decided that we had such a talent Jeff Leatham and we said, Look, we're going to do something that is so beautiful, that it's going to—and what's more attractive than flowers, right? And so we did—we got rid of the furniture in the middle of the lobby. And we created this massive flower displays that have become iconic. But often at the beginning was, we want to attract people, we want to break formality. And we want you to remember those and talk about them. So that's a small example of how, you know, I kind of look at what we do, we are in the experiential business, we are in the business of making the most of the time you have with your family, because we can't, time is the most precious thing we have, you can create more time. So what we can do is make more of the time that we have. And we believe that our mission at Four Seasons, our purpose, is to make sure that you make the most out of your time, you know.
Alan Fleischmann
What I think about the Four Seasons, and compared to other hotels, which I get through, you know. In the days before March, I found myself traveling quite a bit. And I never been in one place too long. Since March has been a little different. During the pandemic. But I think about, you know, I think about the hotels that you don't love in life, when you're busy and you're traveling, whether you're with a family or for business, are the ones who treat you transactionally. And many, many hotels do. But the hotels at Four Seasons are quite into the transformation. They, you know, it's as if somehow you're being invited into some other place. And what I love about the Four Seasons as well, is that there's no one hotel like another. I mean, maybe that goes back to your, you know, your background, and those who created Four Seasons with you over the years. But you come from a small town, but you were near, you know, Geneva, so there was a global sense of where you live, not too far away, but a very intimate and probably very, you know, personal quality place in which you grew up. So I think that combination, as you're working with your colleagues and figuring out what is the essence of a hotel, it is not just being transactional, it is about being transformational. Am I right about that? I feel every hotel is different. There's no one Four Seasons, it's exactly like another.
Christian Clerc
Well, first of all, it's the nicest compliment you can give us, Alan, so thank you so much. And it's very accurate what you're describing. Actually, our chairman and founder, Mr. Sharp, Isadore Sharp, who has become an icon of the industry. And he's still the chairman of the company, we're lucky to have him. You know, his vision early on was that we wanted to surprise and delight our guests at every visit. And so you're right. We have everything from, you know, 12th-century convent in Italy, to an IMP tower in New York, you know, modern towers. And, you know, we want you to be in suspense before you get to our hotels for the first time. And the only common thread at Four Seasons is the way you're going to be treated. Is the quality of the people of Four Seasons. And we want you to feel, you know, people tell me they come to freeze, they close their eyes. And even though the interior design, the decoration, the buildings are completely different, they somehow feel that they are at Four Seasons. Again, this is, for us, it's a huge compliment. And it is a result of the work that our people, our amazing people, at Four Seasons do. And I think it's about a very simple concept which is, we want to treat everyone as individually, with their own needs. You know, when you think about our travels, everybody's different. But not only that. So I can't deal with you the same way I would deal with someone else, you know, so you have your own needs and your own preferences. But in addition to that, you're gonna, depending on the type of business you're on, or the type of travel, leisure versus business, but the time of the day, or what's happening in your life, your needs are going to vary, they're going to change and so the ability to adapt to not only your preferences, but to your current situation, to the energy that you are displaying. This emotional intelligence that goes with service that is fundamental to delivering exceptional service, the ability to read someone, to understand even before they finish their sentence, what they want. That is where the magic happens. It's not in the policies and procedures. It's in what we call the unscripted care. It's everything that happens, actually, outside of the policies.
Alan Fleischmann
How do you create the discipline? You know, in my day job, in my firm, we talk about walking in other people's shoes. You always want to anticipate what they're looking for in their voice, and then you want to help them as they express their voice to others. You do that, of course. How did you master that? Where you do that, you just said, you walk in and you feel like somehow, I'm on a journey, but it's a journey made for me?
Christian Clerc
You know, it's a great question. And I think it all goes back to our culture and the people we hire. I think one of the most important decision we make is people. Four Seasons is a people company. Okay, first and foremost. What makes the difference is not the beauty of our buildings or interior design, although they are exceptional. It is all about the service, the service levels. And so, you know, when we hire people, we don't only look for technical skills. So of course, you know, like in every other trade, you need to hire people who are excellent at what they do. But in hospitality, there's a lot of jobs that we can teach you, right? It's not rocket science. So we hire for attitude. We ensure that the people that we hire are, you know, I always like to say there are two types of people in the world. There's people who like to give gifts, and this is appropriate. And there's people who like to receive gifts, right? We like the people who like to give gifts because, frankly, if you like to give gifts, right, you get as much pleasure out of it as receiving one. The idea is authentic, care, generosity, right, are fundamental values that we look for when we hire people. Because it takes special people to work in our business. You have to, you know, you have to think about the other person. And the art of service is a very noble one. But it is about the person you're helping and you're supporting, it's not about yourself. So small egos, big personalities, but small egos, right? And somebody who's truly focused on okay, how can I help you? And we all do this, we all do this with the people we care about, all the people we love. You know, we always think about how can I make their life special or better? What we're looking for is people who look to do that with every interaction they have with anyone, somebody who's just coming to ask for direction, as well as somebody who's staying in the presidential suite.
Alan Fleischmann
That'd be hard to find.
Christian Clerc
It's hard to find?
Alan Fleischmann
The people who can do that. I mean, I imagine, you know, services, everything else, right. I noticed in the hotels, I know here in the one in Washington, for example. I know there are people who have been working with you for years. I mean, so it, there's the dedication to being there. I mean, it's the same faces I've known for many, many, many years. And they know you when they walk in the door. And when I walked to the lobby, they say good morning Alan, you know, and they know me. So I just wonder—and all the waiters have been there for years, I mean, the restaurants. So yeah, I wonder. It must be hard to find. Hard to find people who are, as you said, their motivation has to be preserved as a way you described.
Christian Clerc
We're lucky that as a brand, we have a great reputation as a great employer. And to me, that dimension, being the employer of choice is as important as being the brand of choice for our cast, because the two are completely related. Right. So in order to continue to be the leader in the luxury, hospitality industry, we have to continue to be the employer of choice. So I think it's not only about—that's important because you get to attract you get—you know, people give you a chance. So we're lucky that for in general, for the people who like this industry, we are generally at the top of the list if you're looking for a place where you can have a career. And look, there's such a renewed energy from this new generation of talent coming out of all these great schools, Cornell, Lausanne, others, UNLV, for the traits that make the hotel business and great hospitality. If you think about food, culinary schools, but also the wine world, right. There's a renewed passion, look at the success of the food channel, you know, and all these Master Chef shows. It is remarkable the level of connection that these new generations have with a lot of the traditional trades that make these, you know, successful hotels. So we're lucky that there's great interest in hotels and hospitality at our level. I think the bigger question, Alan, is, how do you retain talent and keep them motivated, to your point about some of our wonderful employees here in Washington, from the front door to the concierge, to the restaurants, who have known you, and many of them have been there for forty years, you know, Washington has just celebrated its 40th anniversary with their hotel. And I tell you, they are—this is your first impression and your last impression when you come into the hotel. And he's probably the biggest ambassador we have. And I think it's about, in order to retain employees, you need to, I think you need to have a purpose, you know, everybody wants to be connected with something that is greater than what they do every day, right? This idea that you have a bigger purpose. And then you, I think, have to consistently behave in a manner that reinforces your culture. There's got to be coherence, it's got to be coherent, right. So you can't talk about having a great company culture, in the moments of hardship, like we're going through right now, you don't step up and do the right thing for your people. And if you give them the tools, and, you know, empower them, to do whatever it takes to look after your guests, I think, you know, that is an important part of retaining a motivated workforce.
Alan Fleischmann
And you have a methodology, obviously, because you do this at scale. You know, I think you once told me you're not looking for the typical things that people look for when they hire. You're looking—you got your own—it's behavioral.
Christian Clerc
Right.
Alan Fleischmann
It's values-driven, as well as value-driven.
Christian Clerc
It is totally behavioral. You're right. And for example, during the interview process, you know, we don't ask technical-based questions, you know, we will ask behavioral-based questions. We will ask, you know, going back to the point I made earlier, we'll ask a question, like, you know, tell me the last time you did something special for someone, and tell me, how did that make you feel? Not about the other person, but you? Because you can't make up an answer to that question. Right? Either you come out as being genuine about the example you're going to give, or you're trying to make up an answer. It doesn't sound natural. And we'll know if something's off there.
Alan Fleischmann
Yeah. I love that. I think that's really important. Is there anything in your journey before the Four Seasons that led you to the Four Seasons? How many years have you been in the Four Seasons? 20 years. I'm just curious, anything—had you known about the Four Seasons before you went? And then, you know, and where did you go that led you there?
Christian Clerc
20 years It's a great question. So I'll tell you, there are quite a number of things. It was very much a deliberate decision for me to join the Four Seasons. Growing up, as we talked about earlier, I grew up in Switzerland. And in Switzerland, if there's one thing that you learn is that quality always wins. Right? When you do something, do it well, from the beginning, because, you know, that is success. And so, you know, after Lausanne, I went along a journey of working in a number of hotels, I wasn't really interested in particular brands, I was interested in experiences and exposure. So I traveled, I went to work in Paris, in Rome, Washington. And then in 2000, I was working at the Hey Adams. A hotel that you know very well with my friend Hans Berlin. And I said, you know, I want to find a home, I need to find a company that really can provide scale, and shares the values that I have. And so I was looking for a company that would have a very strong company culture, which would match my own values and a company that stood for excellence. And of course, I was interested in looking into the luxury space. And so naturally, Four Seasons was my top choice. And so that's how I decided to apply. And I was lucky to join in Washington and the rest is history.
Alan Fleischmann
I love that. I love that. And then Washington is where—you made a huge name here. You know, in the days when you were in Washington, and I think they sort of considered that way too, there was this wonderful thing where they referred to The Four Seasons as Washington's living room, which I loved. And it was under your leadership that that was kind of the, you know, that the idea, but it's been that way ever since. I mean, you know, kind of like the way I guess the way the Four Seasons restaurant was in New York. And the way the Regency in some ways for breakfast, but not as elegant. It shouldn't say that, but it's just a different kind of breakfast, a power breakfast. In Washington, you know, if you're having a—if you're in town, and you want to have a meeting, the most efficient use of your time is to be at the Four Seasons, because you'll see many people you want to be in touch with that, or from either the diplomatic, political business worlds, in social worlds as well. The other thing I love is that when you redid the hotel, you created a way in which people can actually be a tables space apart. That there was some kind of, you know, knowledge that, you know, people want to see each other, be part of that living room, be among each other. But they need to have confidential conversations.
Christian Clerc
Because of privacy. Yeah.
Alan Fleischmann
And that if you created a privacy an an intimacy, although it was in a larger restaurant.
Christian Clerc
We worked with David Rager on that, who is a genius, just love what he does. And you're right, the restaurant gives you that great energy. We put the bar at the entrance, so you get attracted by this very high energy. And then you have the privacy between the tables while still feeling like you're connected with the room. So very good observation. Yeah, absolutely.
Alan Fleischmann
Wonderful. So I want to jump in a little bit about, you know, I guess where you are today, how did the Four Seasons way help you manage a little bit during this period? Because one of the things that also struck everybody, not just me, you kind of look at the early days of the pandemic. And you think about who stepped up, you know, obviously how companies spoke to their employees matter. But, you know, I would have given the industry of hospitality, the hospitality industry slack, and said, You know what, you don't have to do much you're, you know, there is suffering. We knew what everybody involved in hospitality or restaurants was already going through. But then, all of a sudden, because I know you I was very proud of it. I saw, for example, not just there, but everywhere, but certainly there in New York City when it was under siege, when there was this incredible pressure, which we're seeing again, unfortunately, you know, with first responders and what do we do, the hotel 57th Street, all of a sudden had a different purpose. And it didn't just show that you were a place to aspire to be invited to be part of. It also showed that you were part of the community which you serve. And it was a very wonderful New York moment, but it really set a standard for the country and beyond. So I'm just curious how that came to be. It became the hotel for first responders and became a place where people can come together. Am I right?
Christian Clerc
It did. You're right. Look, what was interesting, because we're a global company, we actually were faced with this reality in our hotels in China as of early January of this year, right. So we were able to, early on, observe what was happening there. We had a sense early on that this might become a global pandemic. We organized early on and we learned a lot from our hotels in China. In this particular case, we were offered an opportunity to do something special in New York and owners there, you know, were working with us and with the governor, and the mayor to make sure that we could provide, we could host the doctors and nurses that are at the forefront of fighting COVID. As you know, New York was hit really, really hard. And in the early days, you had a lot of doctors that needed to—that were flown in, that were commuting from far away and needed a place to stay. So in partnership with our ownership group there, we set up the hotel to be able to host these doctors and nurses. As you can imagine, it gave us quite a bit of anxiety to be able to do that because, you know, to provide that level of, you know, to create the new protocols that are required for people who are exposed to this is, you know, quite challenging. But we did it. We worked with ISOS and Ecolab and we were able to create protocols that would ensure the safety first and foremost of our employees. And of course of the doctors and nurses and I tell you, it was so—and besides the fact that it was the right thing to do. And, you know, we felt really great about being able to do this for New York. But it also gave us an incredible—it was very empowering. It gave us a sense that we could operate through this pandemic. And so we learned so much from that experience. And then we developed with some of the best medical experts in the world, we developed our new protocol for elevated hygiene and safety throughout the company called Lead With Care. But that was really—a lot of that learning came from our experience in New York. So sometimes, an opportunity to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, turning our hotel into, you know, hosting doctors and nurses, is not something that is easy to do. But it really helped us realize that this was possible that we could create environments that were safe for our employees, our guests, and give us great confidence to really operate through the past nine months.
Alan Fleischmann
Did that come from the fact that you are—I think the answers are Yes and Yes. But that you came from, you know, your community, you're a part of it. And it had also come from the fact that you have a global perspective. Because when I think back in history, you know, in many ways, it was the hotels, like the great hotels, that actually opened up their doors, either when people were in trouble. And so when you know your history and, you know the globe, you understand there's an opportunity to be part of that responsibility.
Christian Clerc
You're so right, it is about hospitality, right? I mean, at the end of the day, and when you can do something like that, when you have a partner who is willing to do that, who is totally on board with this. And you talk about making a difference or having an impact. We actually, as a matter of fact, we did the same thing in Riyadh, with our hotel there. Similar situation, a lot of people were thrown into support, you know, the situation in Riyadh, and we opened up part of the hotel to the medical workers, the frontline workers, these heroes in Riyadh as well. So you're absolutely right. I think this goes to the core of who we are. And, you know, when we have an opportunity to do something right, I mean, we ultimately, we want to be not only hosts to these travelers that come into our hotels, we also want to be great citizens, and part of the fabric of each location where we operate in and our relationship with the local community in every one of the markets where we operate is extremely important to us.
Alan Fleischmann
I love that. I imagine a lot of your leadership right now. And a lot of your collaboration among your employees is on Zoom or the equivalent right now as well. How is that going? And I get to say another thing, which also maybe a little spark of brightness from me, because I watched you on social media, and I see all these things that are opening. So, you know, so when I think of the vaccines, I think there's a light at the end of the tunnel. You know, the early moments when Pfizer was delivering those vaccines was a moment of celebration where everybody can say, okay, we can do this, we can get through those months. And then when I look at where you are in the Four Seasons, opening up and talking about, you know, all that imagination we're talking about is around the corner. It's very inspiring, but how do you inspire your team over Zoom to get there. Because you're working them to plan, you're opening up, you know, hotels, you're opening up restaurants. You're planning as if around the corner, we'll all being together yet again.
Christian Clerc
Well, I'll tell you, thank you for this. A great question. Technology's played a huge role. We were lucky that we rolled—actually this was—the timing was wonderful for that. We actually rolled out a new technology platform throughout the company. We're on teams, and I'll tell you what it's done to bring us all together. And ironically, even though we can't see each other physically, we've learned to really use technology to feel connected. And we're more connected than ever as a group, as a leadership team because of what's been happening. But think about it, before reopening—and you're right. There is light at the end of the tunnel. And it's a bright light and I will talk about it in a second. But, you know, in the past nine months, we have, you know, closed, you know, we at some point over 50% of our portfolio was closed. We had to adjust to new, you know, requirements, as we talked about with regards to our ability to operate. We had to implement, you know, new protocols and then reopening the hotels and trying to get momentum while doing it in a way that is safe for employees and our guests. That requires an incredible amount of coordination and connection. So technology is fundamental. And we're lucky to have the tools to be able to do this. And actually, I think that the level of connectivity is higher than it's ever been because, in times of crisis, you need each other. Right. In terms of how we have dealt with this from a leadership perspective, I think, first and foremost, from the very early days, we were very honest and very transparent about what we knew, what we didn't know, and the potential of how serious this was. So, you know, you sent me a great article one time that said hope, and not optimism, right, is fundamental to great leadership. And so we didn't want to be optimistic and disconnected with reality, even in the parts of the world where the pandemic had not had yet. We wanted to be incredibly transparent and be honest about those things that we know, the things we don't know, but also, why it was important to prepare. And I think where we were in, you know, we were lucky that because we had our hotels in China, and because we have a common friend that works at NIH, who told me early on that this had the potential to being a global pandemic, we organized and learn from China, to be able to really prepare the rest of the profile. I mean, nothing could prepare you quite for this extensive, you know, we thought it was going to be something like SARS, right, where it was going to be a few weeks, but it lasted months, and we're still in it. In terms of the future, look, we still believe we're going to have headwinds in the next few months. But I think we're going to really gain momentum. We're seeing again, over 100 hotels, so 80% of our portfolios reopen with the incredible news, positive news around the efficacy of the vaccine. But Alan, not only that, I think there's two other important dimensions here that we don't talk about enough, everybody talks about the vaccine. I think also the accuracy of rapid tests, and also the cost of the rapid test coming down. Right. So I think it's a combination over the next 12 months of—because the vaccine is not going to be available everywhere, right? At first. So the rapid testing, as well as, frankly, the progress that are being made from the incredible work that the medical community globally is doing on a cure for this. So if you end up being affected by it, hopefully we can cure that. I think these three dimensions are—it's inevitable that this will be behind us and when it's behind us, the world will travel with vengeance. And I think the pent-up demand will be extraordinary, not only in our business but in many other sectors. So I will say that if there's anything—if there's a silver lining there for me, it's been to see the global community come together, you know, the power of the common enemy. We have one enemy there. Regardless if you live in Micronesia, you know, in a small island, or if you live in Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, everybody's dealing with this. And to have seen the global, medical scientific community come together, almost using open source data to work together to find a cure, to find a vaccine. It's been remarkable. And I think there's a lot of positive there.
Alan Fleischmann
I mean, science is definitely winning. And to your point, there are treatments and therapies and vaccines. We're seeing things being done in ways we've never seen before. And we've seen this universality that the world has come together in a way that's quite humbling. You know, there's no such thing as a border when it comes to, you know, any of this. And in many ways, that's got to be gratifying. But the fact that you're planning and you're continuing and it's at a brisk pace, is pretty extraordinary as well. You know, that to me is everything as well. You know, and you've done some amazing things. Are you hiring also during this period?
Christian Clerc
We are well you know, we had to adjust and we are, in some parts of the world, we've been in we are starting to see business comeback. Our remote resorts, where you can travel are experiencing incredible demand. And also some urban resorts like Dubai and Athens have had incredible demand. Our markets for example in Orlando, our resort, you know Orlando. Out resort at the surf club in Miami are very, very busy. So in those areas, we are starting to rehire. And as momentum, as we gain momentum, we're going to bring back all these wonderful employees that have made the, you know, Four Seasons what it is today. So yes, there's a lot of positive out there. But again, we're still in the middle of the tunnel, I think, you know, we're seeing the light, you know, but we're still going to be in a period of transition. And you know, this recovery is not a straight line, it is ups and downs, it's peaks and valleys. And for a hotel company, like us, adjusting to these peaks and valleys is very challenging, right. Because when you got, you know, spurts of demands that come in very condensed periods, and then you got some low occupancy in between. It's very hard to plan accordingly. So our general managers and our teams around the world are going to have their hands full for a good part of next year. I'm hoping that in the second half of next year, there will be, you know, will be, for the most part, you know, out of this and rebuilding. But very, very confident in the future for sure.
Alan Fleischmann
I love it, you know, when you think—I'd love you to tell me, what is the most, you know, unfathomable request you've ever gotten in one of your hotels before the pandemic? Like, I imagine that during the pandemic as well, where people wanted to be safe, and they want to actually know that they can get away, you've had some pretty amazing requests that you've had to accommodate, or that you did accommodate. I'd love to hear any of that insight here. Because you're, you know, just I know, by the people who expect the most unexpected things.
Christian Clerc
Yeah, and look, I have to tell you, there are many stories out there. But just picking up on your point about travel, I think one of the reasons why we are successful in you know, that if and when people are able to travel again, they will choose Four Seasons, because if you think about travel in the future, it's always going to be about trust, right, a very fundamental trust. The notion of care is a very fundamental notion of care. And so the brands that have built the strongest trust with their client base, I think will be the most successful. And that's why, you know, Lead With Care was so important to us. But in terms of demand, I think what we're seeing right now is, you know, obviously, as you can imagine, families that travel or individual travelers are looking as much as possible for—to create a bubble, right, they want to be able to predict themselves. And what's great, you know, we talked about technology earlier and how it brings us together. One of the dimension technologies is it gives you control as a client, as a guest. It gives you control over your experience. And so for example, at Four Seasons to technology into our app, you have the ability to almost have a contactless experience. Right from arrival to departure, from the moment you check-in, to the moment you leave. You choose how much interaction, physical interaction you want to have with our employees. If you do, obviously, we have a way to provide services in a completely safe way through our personal protective equipment and social distancing. So everything is done in a way that you can interact if you want to. But let's say that you want to have complete privacy, and you want to limit the interactions to a strict minimum. We have a chat function where you can chat with our hotels around the world, instant time. And you don't need to worry about which department, which employee you should be contacting for your demand. You basically say hello, Paris, you know, I will be at the hotel in an hour. I'd love to have a cup of coffee with some croissants. And immediately, right, Thank you Mr. Fleischmann, the coffee will be ready in your room when you arrive. It's the simplicity. It's like having a butler, you can ask Four Seasons anything and there are actual people responding to that request. It's not a robot or a chat box. So we've seen an exponential growth of digital interactions. But at Four Seasons, they're all manned by our employees. So it's just an extension of the great service that you're used to, just done, you know, through technology. And again, the importance of you know, you controlling—I think over time, people will be more comfortable having more interactions. But I think the biggest part of the equation here was providing that control to our guests. And we were able to achieve that through technology. In terms of requests that we get, most of them right now are based on this idea of creating a bubble so that people can feel comfortable and safe. And our hotels is a great place to be able to do this.
Alan Fleischmann
But I guess it goes back to the idea of personalization to a new level. I mean, it's proof that is tailored for you. But it is true, I think you can have the craziest requests in the world, I'm sure there are many you don't ever tell, that you accommodate.
Christian Clerc
I will tell you a story, I will tell you a story. And it's one that you, you know, that will be close to you because it happened in Four Seasons Washington. So a few years ago, one of the greatest conductors in the world was being honored at the White House. And so his wife came, you know, earlier. He was already in some meetings, and then they were going to meet at the White House. And on the way into the hotel, her bag was exchanged for another bag, which looks exactly the same if you can believe that. She just came down just for one night with her bag. And there was an identical bag at the front door and the doormen inadvertently mixed the two bags. And so, when she gets to her room, she has the wrong bag. Meanwhile, you know, she needs to be ready in about an hour and a half to go to the White House. She had jewelry, her, you know her dress in there. So, you know, imagine that she calls me, imagine the panic. When, you know, you have a situation like this, what do you do? And this is—we had no idea with the bag. Right? As it happens, it had been put in the back of a car in the trunk of a car for the guests.
Alan Fleischmann
Another guest.
Christian Clerc
Driven up somewhere, you know, I think, somewhere north and we have no way to get in touch with them. So look, she called me, she said, Christian, you know, I don't even know what, you know what to say. My husband is waiting for me. It's probably the most important moment in his life. And I need to be there. So imagine that, you know, the moment and she tells the story actually, still to this day. But basically, to make a long story short, we got, you know, we got in touch with, you know, Ralph Lauren. We got her basically a dress. Within half an hour, we had her in the store. There were like five different seamstresses working on her dress. Meantime, we went to Harry Winston got the, you know jewelry, that would go well with this, on consignment. We then had a hairdresser ready to do her hair while she was getting fitted. Anyway, to make a long story short, within an hour, she was ready to go to the White House. And when she came down, she looked absolutely gorgeous. And of course, it wasn't the dress that she was gonna wear originally or the jewelry that her husband had picked for her. But, you know, it was one of those moments where, you know, it was wonderful to be able to come together and to be able to make that happen. So those are moments that you never forget. And it reminds you how personal right? A hotel stay reminds you how important those moments are. And you know, if I think of anything, I think people also choose Four Seasons not because everything is always going to go well. But sometimes things are not going to go the way you want them to go in your business life, in your personal life. And you know, it's almost like peace of mind, stuck back in the trench. You know that we will do whatever it takes, right, to help with the situation. Regardless if it's within our control or not. You know, Muffie Cabot, right, Ali Wentworth's mom. She has a great line.
Alan Fleischmann
She was the Social Secretary under Reagan.
Christian Clerc
So if you read, there was an article a few years back to check out. And Ali wrote a wonderful book called Ali in Wonderland. But in that, she quotes her mom and, you know, she talks about being, on September 11, being at home, watching television. Her mom calls her and says, Where's George? And, of course, George Stephanopoulos. And she said, Well, he's at work, and her mom said, pack your bags and go to the Four Seasons. And her line has always been, when anything goes wrong, just go to the Four Seasons, you know, and it's one of my favorite lines. And of course, I can talk about it openly because it's been—
Alan Fleischmann
It's been published. She talks about it, I say she talks about it. It's like a safe haven, but it gets to the whole issue of safety. But it also gets to the issue of, you know, beyond safety, it's connectivity. I mean just like you dealt with the other story, it's trust. You know, you're going to end up knowing that the people at the Four Seasons know who to call. I know this from people actually who actually needed help with kids and doctors, you know. Or they've had an emergency need for Kid Care, you know, for their children. And you know, and they're like, called the Four Seasons, they know who to go to, they know what to do.
Christian Clerc
Oh, and we get—
Alan Fleischmann
Who you have on speed dial, you know.
Christian Clerc
We have, as you know, our concierge can get you pretty much anything anywhere. And our regulars call, you know, call the hotels, even if they’re home and they say, Listen, I'm trying to get this done, how can you help me? And you know, this is part of what we do. You know, we want to, you know, for me, a great brand, a brand that you trust, stays with you. I want you to think of us outside of your stays in our hotels, right? So, how can we add value to your life? And if we can be there to help with requests big and small, and make a difference, then, then that's relevant for us. And it's, you know, we want to be part of your life.
Alan Fleischmann
Well, what's amazing, also, I'm a huge fan, as you know, a huge fan of you, and I want to spend the next few minutes, the final few minutes on this, to talk about you as well. But it is about culture, it's about individual care. It's like creating a home, whether it's a home for you while you're doing business, or a home for you while you're with family or friends. But you're really selective about how many properties you have. You're very selective about who owns and works with you and properties as well.
Christian Clerc
You're so right. You know, for us, Alan's not about more hotels, it's about better hotels, and we want to be of course, in any destination where our guests want us to be, where there is a need for Four Seasons. But you know, we have markets where we should be and we're not today. And like Rome, for example. We are very focused on Rome, we'd love to have a hotel in Rome, how can you not have a hotel in Rome. But for us, it's always about finding the right location, the right building, right, or the potential to create the right building. The right partner, because remember, we're a management company, we don't own these hotels. So each one of our jobs has a specific partner, an owner. So these three are fundamental: location, what can we do with the building? And it has to be a world class product, and the quality of the partner. And by that, I mean, not only somebody who can pay to build a Four Seasons but somebody who is aligned with us in terms of culture, in the long term view, in terms of what this building, what this hotel represents. Because, as you know, like, you know, we're going to open in New Orleans next year, you know. When you bring a Four Seasons to a market, right, it has a real impact on the local community, on the positioning the destination. So the bar is very high, both from a guest and client perspective, but also from the local community. And we want to live up to those expectations. So for us, it's all about, you know, ensuring that we can be the best hotel in town for, you know, in the luxury set. And ultimately, if we can't find the right product, we're not going to force it. You know, the worst thing we could do is—because there's such trust, back to trust, there's such trust in this brand. I know that if we open a hotel somewhere, you, Alan, would say, oh, I'll go there because there's a Four Seasons, you know, but if you get there and it's—
Alan Fleischmann
My expectations, it's going to be the quality that I know all Four Seasons.
Christian Clerc
That's exactly right. And what we try to do is not only meet them, we try to exceed those expectations every time, right, it's hard to do but we try to make sure when you get there you're like, wow, you feel a sense of place you see it, feel that there—you feel like you're connected to the environment where you're in. And of course, you feel like you're getting the exceptional level of service that we've built our brand on. So the bar's really high and that's why for us it's about quality and not quantity.
Alan Fleischmann
So here I wanted to mention again you’re listening to Leadership Matters on Sirius XM. I'm your host, Alan Fleischmann. I'm here with my good friend, Christian Clerc and Christian is the president of Four Seasons, hotels and resorts. You know, when I think of you and your title, its operations, its people, and its culture. The people that are listening, many of them are either CEOs or aspiring CEOs, certainly leaders in their fields. And they're big on leadership. In the next couple of minutes, as we wrap the show up, unfortunately, because I could go on another many hours with you, and I hope you come back. What would be your—there must be some leadership, you know, mantra or something that you hold close, that allows you to think operations people and culture and integrate them. I'd love to just you to give a little bit of an insight at the very end of this, would be great. Just something that people can take with them.
Christian Clerc
Yeah, thank you, it's a great question, and there's so many things that come to mind. But I think maybe one of the most important fundamental values here is, you know, ultimately, I chose this business because I like people and I don't believe in the myth of self-made man or woman. I think all of us are the product of the people that have helped us along the way. And by the way, these people are not all the leaders in the top, the most powerful and influential. Sometimes, you know, it is a co-worker, or somebody who works for you and, you know, gives you advice or helps you along the way. And so it to me, you know, the fundamental value that everyone is important, regardless of their role and responsibility, if they're in your organization, they are fundamentally important to your success. And what to me, has been a guiding principle is to first and foremost, you know, be a good leader to the people that make this brand what it is. This is why I focus quite a bit on emotional intelligence and the ability to connect with people at all levels, right. And so, you know, that has been—and in today's times, it's more powerful. But to show vulnerability, to be honest, to be transparent, to listen and to value people at all levels of the organization, regardless of what they can do for you. I think that has always served me well. But it's very genuine, because it comes from a place of true genuine care for, not only frankly, the people of Four Seasons, but the global community at large. You know, I again, I am in this business, because I love meeting people, I love discovering new cultures. And so, you know, I'm lucky that Four Seasons is a people company. And I think that the value that we bring is every time you can ensure that your team and the people that work with you have opportunities, feel empowered, are feel connected, and are really motivated, and aligned, you know, magic happens. And that's how you can bring any company to its full potential. So that's just one answer. But I think it's one that is, for me very fundamental.
Alan Fleischmann
When I think of the Four Seasons, I think of, humility, elegance. You mentioned something really important to me to go and you don't have to be a leader, or among elite to actually enjoy and be part of the Four Seasons. In fact, what you do is you really have an open invitation to people who just want to get away from it all and have a best opportunity or best ever experience and it could be at your resorts, it could be your hotels.
Christian Clerc
It could be for a cup of coffee.
Alan Fleischmann
Your grandfather, you know, for a cup of coffee.
Christian Clerc
We couldn't afford—my grandfather couldn't afford to stay at Four Seasons. But to me, the relationship you have with the brand is important, no matter what your relationship is, it could be that you just come to look at our flowers, it could be that you want to have a cup of coffee, or you're staying in one of our suites. But you know, the definition of the relationship you have for us, if you're with us, you're a guest and we want to treat you that way.
Alan Fleischmann
I love it. I love it. So you have the humility in which you confidently guide your team. And the way you speak of them. I'm struck also by the fact that I—it's about loyalty and devotion. You have been, I'm sure offered amazing opportunities over many years to do other things but for 20 years you've dedicated yourself to the vision of Isadore Sharp and others. I remember reading his memoir, you know, buying it at the Four Seasons, actually. many years ago, and you know, understanding that there was a dream, in many ways like Ralph Lauren created in fashion. There, you know, there was a dream that Issy Sharp created in hospitality. And that's like Tiffany, open for all. But it's like Tiffany in quality. It's amazing. I would urge you to write a book about, you know, about how you combine culture, people, and operations. Because at the end of the day, we're all trying to figure out how to execute. If there's one thing we learned in 2020, is the importance of being focused on people and culture, and creating opportunity that we may have taken for granted before. But like you said, with the pendulum shift, as we get out of the pandemic, people are going to want more coming together than they've ever wanted before. So it's been a pleasure having you here today on this show, and I hope to have you back and I'd love to find ways to capture more and more of your wisdom, your humility, and the way that you and your colleagues lead the Four Seasons because it's quite extraordinary during what's been a really difficult year I'm sure.
Christian Clerc
Thank you so much, Alan. It means a lot. And the work that you do is important, you're a delightful person and I'm just honored that you would invite me on on the show. And I wish everyone great holidays.
Alan Fleischmann
Thank you. Have a great holiday. Talk to you soon.
