Q: Describe your responsibilities in one sentence.
A: Leading the commercial team for The Ungasan Clifftop Resort and Sundays Beach Club.
Q: What makes a typical day?
A: My day starts at 8am with numbers and comparing them to our objectives. After catching up over coffee with our General Manager and Director of F&B, I join the hotel-wide team briefing. In the afternoons, the focus shifts to meeting with team leaders, agencies, partners, and guests. At the end of the day, I try to leave early to enjoy family time in the evening. It sets a precedent for my team; as long as they do their hours and get the job done, I don’t want them to stay late. They should also enjoy their life.
Q: What’s the toughest part of your job?z
A: When performance dips, the commercial team is always first in the firing line. My job is to make sure that pressure doesn’t cascade down to the people who need to stay focused and motivated to turn things around. It means absorbing that stress, managing simultaneous expectations from every direction, and keeping the team shielded from noise that would only paralyse them.
Q: What do you find most satisfying in your job?
A: This one’s easy: the people. That’s the anchor and beauty of the hospitality business. You host people from different countries, work with diverse characters, and collaborate with all of them.
The beauty lies within that and what goes on behind the doors marked Staff Only. I’ve always loved to see the magic behind the scenes and what goes into being part of the hidden army that makes it all possible.
Q: Name one really special thing about your hotel.
A: From the villas to the view, the place is just stunning! Sundays is also one of the best parts here. It’s a place that takes your breath away every time you turn your head, that stunning showstopper that dazzles you whether from atop the cliffs or the beach and lagoon.
Q: If you hadn’t taken this career path, what would you have chosen?
A: I actually began my career in dive bars in Belgium ages ago, right after I dropped out of university because I was demotivated. My nerdy side with web coding skills led me to advertising agencies. It was after all those years that I came back to hospitality. Where I’m from, the industry was presented as nothing more than the negative side of waiting tables and cooking in kitchens. If I had known better, I would’ve gone into this industry since I was 18. So, technically, this current career path is what I would’ve chosen.
Asia Dreams Volume 59
The Ungasan Clifftop Resort
Jalan Pantai Selatan Gau, Ungasan
Bali 80361, Indonesia
T: (+62) 8119421110
E: reservations@theungasan.com
W: theungasan.com
IG: @theungasan
