One of my earliest memories connected to hospitality dates back to childhood. I was attending a wedding with my family at a local banqueting venue, and what left a lasting impression was not the event itself, but the environment it created — the atmosphere of the ballroom, the intentional design, and the calm confidence of a well-presented service team. Even then, I was struck by how space, service, and organization could shape the experience.

Years later, during my teenage years, I entered the industry in its most practical form. I worked as an assistant gardener at a small independent hotel and gradually took on additional responsibilities, including supporting front office operations by delivering items to guest rooms. These early roles gave me an operational understanding of how hotels function behind the scenes — long before I had the language to describe it.

A pivotal moment came through a conversation with a school counselor, when I realized that these experiences — were all part of the same professional industry: hospitality.

What began as fascination evolved into intent. I recognized hospitality as a field that rewards discipline, operational excellence, and commercial thinking, while offering the opportunity to work across borders and within diverse cultural contexts. That realization set the direction for every decision that followed.

Today, I see those early experiences not as nostalgia, but as the foundation of how I lead. They shaped my respect for frontline operations, my belief in well-designed systems, and my conviction that strong hotels are built through consistency, clarity, and people who understand the impact of their work.