THE CONVERSATION Radisson Hotel Group FEDERICO J. GONZÁLEZ The hotel group’s Chairman of the Global Steering Committee tells Andy Hoskins about his company’s transformation and its grand aspirations ighteen months have passed since “Jinjiang is very focused on hotels whereas segment that are competing against each Federico J. González joined the [current owners] HNA are more dispersed other in the same town or neighbourhood. E Radisson Hotel Group and he has in different sectors, so I think you can Our investors and hotel owners know they already overseen a re-brand of the two expect to see significant growth across all won't be competing against another Radisson arms of the company (based in Brussels our brands in China,” says González. in the same segment in the same town.” and Minneapolis) and implemented a And in a world of big brand mergers and If the group has a weakness it is perhaps five-year plan to “transform the company acquisitions, could Radisson and Jinjiang up its relatively uneven distribution of brands, in terms of revenue and reputation”. the ante? “I think so. We have a very strong, with Radisson Blu and Park Plaza strong in Previously known as the Carlson Rezidor aggressive five-year growth plan but that is Europe, for example, while Radisson hotels Hotel Group, the change of title brought the without factoring in any acquisitions. There and Country Inn and Suites are abundant Radisson name – its best-known brand – is already a significant amount of revenue across North America. to the fore, ditching the incongruous and profit potential in the existing business. At the economy end of the scale it has Carlson and Rezidor monikers. ”We are currently in year one of the plan only a 49% stake in German brand Prizeotel, With 1,400 hotels around the world, the and I think 2019 will be a very good year. with an option to acquire the rest of the group is on the brink of the top ten largest And once we're two years into the plan you company in the coming years. ”It works very groups worldwide – by both rooms and can start looking to do other things at the well in Germany and now we are looking at properties – but González is interested in top as long as your base plan is still working how to broaden its appeal across Europe more than just numbers. well,” González explains. and Asia,” says González. He also notes the “We want to be a top three hotel group For the time being he is content with growth of its fledgling 'lifestlye select brand' but, let's be clear, not necessarily in terms Radisson's eight brands across all sectors, Red, originally targeted at millennials. ”We of room numbers. I want to be one of the from economy to premium luxury. think Red is going to be one of the biggest top three in terms of reputation,” he says. ”We have only one brand per segment – Radisson brands for the future,” he says. “So if you say to someone in this industry economy, midscale etc – which I think is a The Radisson Blu brand, meanwhile, is set ‘tell me the three hotel brands which you real advantage over our competitors. Some to grow rapidly in North America while in think are the best’ – we want to be one of of them have four or five brands per Africa the group's development pipeline is those. It doesn’t matter how big you are, we second only to that of Hilton. want to have the best reputation in the eyes González certainly has a penchant for a of our guests and our investors.” We have a very strong transformation project. After a career in Over €200million has been earmarked to five-year plan but that marketing – which saw him live and work in “transform and reposition” Radisson and several European capitals – his first job in to deliver “improved management and is without factoring in any hospitality saw him bring back NH Hotels redefine the Radisson experience”. And that acquisitions. There is a lot of from the brink of bankruptcy and transform investment is unrelated to the impetus that revenue and profit potential in it over a period of six years. Radisson is Radisson's takeover by Shanghai-based considerably better placed, but González Jinjiang International will likely deliver. the existing business” nevertheless has big aspirations for it. 22 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM THE CONVERSATION in brief... Do you travel much in your role? I spend most of my time in Brussels [home of Radisson Hospitality AB] but I travel a lot to Minneapolis [home of Radisson Hospitality Inc.] and around Europe. And if possible I spend weekends at home in Madrid. I get back there on a Friday evening and then on Sunday evening I fly off again to Brussels or Minneapolis or wherever. Do you manage to switch off from the day job? I don’t find I have to switch off that much because I enjoy my work and I have a lot of fun. I don’t suffer! Weekends are just a different kind of fun. Throughout my career I have been able to work a lot during the week and then to not work at the weekend. And I never work from home. I don’t have any place at home like an office so if I have to work at a weekend – which is fairly exceptional – I will go to a Radisson office. If I’m at home then I’m not working. I think it helps keep the right balance. Do you like to check out your rival hotel groups on your travels? Yes, I like to check out the FEDERICO J. GONZÁLEZ competition and it's good Madrid-born Federico J. González is Chairman of the to experience them for Global Steering Committee, Radisson Hotel Group, and President & CEO, Radisson Hospitality AB. Prior to myself. But I find I'm joining Radisson Hotel Group, he was Chief Executive spending more and more Officer of NH Hotel Group and before that served as Deputy General Manager of Disneyland Paris. He time at Radisson hotels to previously spent 16 years in senior management ensure the experience is positions at Procter & Gamble in Brussels, Madrid and right. There’s always Stockholm before becoming the company’s Country Head of Portugal in 2000. something to improve. THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM 23.