—An Exclusive Interview with Mr. Gary Fung, General Manager of Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel

——专访上海漕河泾万丽酒店总经理冯福明先生

Interview: Cherry Chinese version: Wendy  English Version: Helen  Photos by: Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel

With a distinguished 20 year career with Marriott International, Mr. Gary Fung, a native of Hong Kong, has been appointed General Manager of Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel, Marriott International’s 6th hotel in Shanghai. Launched in August 2012, Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel firmly established Marriott brand prominence in the hospitality industry of Caohejing New Technology Development Zone, as a result of the acute market insight and top hotel management by Mr. Fung, the hotel veteran and his young and vigorous team. During the current interview, Mr. Fung acquaints us with the hotel’s unique glamour and exciting prospects.

Centrally located in Caohejing New Technology Development Zone, Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel was the first hotel by an international hospitality group, and maintains this privilege till today. 30 years have passed since Caohejing New Technology Development Zone was approved to be one of the first 14 national economic and technological development zones, and it has been known for its high technology oriented development focus. Currently, it is accelerating its transformation to keep pace with the expansion of urban area, the extension of traffic hub, the shift in its own types of businesses. And Mr. Fung marvels at the recent growth momentum of Caohejing New Technology Development Zone, and feel confident in navigating a diversified market for a first-class hotel in the zone.

Firstly, the hotel benefits a great deal from its easy access to central business districts and traffic hubs. “It is just 20 minutes’ drive from Hongqiao Airport, Gubei business district, and the Middle-ring Road. And it takes 40 minutes to get to the hotel from Pudong International Airport. We enjoy an advantage over our counterparts in downtown Shanghai in terms of our geographic location, which offers greater time saving benefits.” With the operation of Metro line 9, Caohejing is widely acknowledged, in the past few years, as an upgraded metro station with convenient traffic. We are 5 minutes from Caohejing Station of Metro Line 9. What Mr. Fung is pointing to will be the upcoming Metro Line 12, which is to start operation soon and which seems to have delineated the heart of zone that reaches out in all directions.

Upgraded traffic facilities contribute to further development of Caohejing. With its solid industrial roots, Caohejing New Technology Development Zone is alluring an increasing number of international enterprises to set up regional headquarters or offices in its vicinity. This is what we are witnessing at the moment and what we believe will sustain into the future. For the hospitality industry, there is much to expect of this vast, premium business client base. When dealing with such sensitive question as occupancy rate, Mr. Fung responds in a rather poised manner. He is pretty satisfied with midweek occupancy rate, since the brand new team, starting from scratch, has gained and maintained an edge in acquiring business client in the zone.  The business climate and leisure ambiance are, however, less than mature. On the one hand, it seems somewhat vacant on holidays, on the other hand, the hotel shoulders part of the responsibility of enriching types of businesses in the zone. Mr. Fung holds that the hotel will benefit, in the long run, from the extended Hongqiao traffic hub and well developed Gubei business district. “ Prosperity in this greater area will soon become a reality. Furthermore, I have heard of a colossal exposition center to be opened shortly in the vicinity of Hongqiao Airport. It is his belief that the concerted growth of Hongqiao, Gubei and Caohejing will be the focus of attention even in East Asia. Therefore, a promising future is foreseeable for Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel.

A novice hotel as it is, its service team has made an extraordinary impression. “Here at Renaissance Shanghai, our team are not addressed as staff; instead, we call each other colleagues. And we have a special name for our service team: the navigator, which forms an integral part of Marriott brand identity.” It is a tenet under Mr. Fung’s management philosophy that teams of qualified personnels are the cornerstones of the Marriott brand.  In contrast to the common practice of its counterparts, the hotel avoids placards with corporate mottoes or expressions of staff culture. “We attach greater importance to direct, interpersonal contact.” Mr. Fung grins as he describes the daily schedule. Ever since the hotel launch, many senior managers equate the hotel with their home. “The day starts at 7 AM, when the management team, including chefs, and all team leaders set out to work. We hold regular meeting at set hours, imparting Marriott brand value to each and every colleague to ensure it is actively implemented on a daily basis. Mr. Fung’s human resource education background bestows him with an exceptional charisma in talent management. “After 20 years with Marriott International, I am grateful to Marriott for granting me the opportunity to move from an administrative role to an operational one, which marks a critical step forward in my career. And I am convinced that successful management is one that offers more opportunity to empower our colleagues to thrive. At Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel, apart from monthly awards to and celebrations for excellent colleagues, there is a 10% to 15% rate of promotion to arouse everyone’s aspiration. Meanwhile, Mr.Fung highly esteems the cohesion of the team. “I must talk to each colleague one-on-one during the interview, to give them a feeling of being needed and valued, and convey our philosophy in a smooth and the most straightforward manner.” Mr. Fung has always been in favor of the career development of individual employees. “Positive motivation is a necessity at all times. But when a certain colleague is likely to get promoted to a position where his or her ability can be exerted to a greater extent, the supervisor is expected to work out a well-defined,detailed package of training and support. The achievements of Renaissance Shanghai in talent management and other aspects establish it as a role model and place it among research topics for the worldwide seminar of Renaissance University to be held in Washington this July, which tremendously heartened Mr. Fung and his colleagues.

Smoki Moto, 1st floor, seems to be the center of hustle and bustle, and is likely to win most fame and fortune for the hotel. Speaking of Smoki Moto, Mr. Fung sounds very proud,----both chefs come from Korea, with Mr. Li Xi, executive chef boasting more than 12 years’work experience in upscale hotels. All over Shanghai, the Korean cuisine here is acknowledged as the most authentic and worshiped by a large number of Korean guests. Many Korean business clients inquire about the package price for dining and accommodation at Smoki Moto. LG and Samsung are even considering relocating their offices to our neighborhood. The charm of Smoki Moto’s delicacy is fully exposed by these intriguing remarks. And how does this affect the composition of the hotel client base? “In Marriott International, Korean guests rank among top 5 of all nationalities; whereas, in Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing, they rank among top4, if not top 3. Thanks to our authentic korean cuisine,coupled with our proximity to the Little Korean Town along South Jinhui Road--we do have a particular focus on serving Korean clients, Korean delicacy and culture are very likely to evolve into the highlight of Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing. Marriott possesses a sharp perception of market demand and have made great efforts, for the multitude of hotels under its umbrella, to interpret distinct elements of Marriott brand identity according to their respective characteristics. “For Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel, a relaxed, respectable image is what we are after.” With his 3rd appointment as the general manager within Marriott International, Mr. Fung stated his preference for newly opened hotels---established hotels are firmly grounded with a mature and stable client base, but it is an appeal to him, after so many years working for Marriott, to lead a brand new team and to explore an emerging market.

Our interview is larded with laughter, but Mr.Fung tends to describe himself as“ a less than funny guy.”I live a simple life. I neither drink nor smoke. And my only hobby is sports. Squash is Mr.Fung’s favorite sport and he has played it for 20 years. “Whenever there is an important game, I won’t miss it.” He headed for Sri-Lanka 2 years ago to participate in the Asian Squash Master Tournament. And this summer, another game will be held in his hometown, Hong Kong. “I will meet a lot of longtime friends. We got acquainted in our 20’s, and now many of us are turning 50.” Mr. Fung, radiant with excitement, displays much sensibility as he talks about squash and his friends. When asked if the high-speed game of squash impacts his mode of thinking for work and if he tends to seek velocity under the gradual, subtle influence of the high-speed sport. Mr. Fung thinks for a while and replies,“I am fascinated by sports and benefit from sportsmanship, which fills me with vitality, endows me with constancy, as well as the mobility to embark on a new journey at any moment. However, I am as patient as my job requires. So I am willing to take the time to field constant inquires from guests, and repeatedly communicate to colleague Marriott’s philosophy and requirements, so that all of these are expressly and clear-cut. Just as the saying goes: more haste, less speed.”

Rome was not built in one day. This universal rule applies to almost anything, be it hotel management or squash game. As breakthroughs emerge from mechanic repetition;  brilliant take-offs come after sustained accumulation; transcendence reaps from steadfast endurance. Mr. Fung’enviable accomplishments, over 20 years’ hospitality career and 2 years’service at Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel, have been the fruit of patience, perseverance,vitality and devotion, which, in turn, deserve more respect and acclaim.

在万豪国际集团经历了20余年的职业生涯，来自香港的冯福明先生此次奉命出任上海第6家万丽品牌酒店——上海漕河泾万丽酒店总经理一职，这也是他在集团内的第三次总经理任命。上海漕河泾万丽酒店于2012年8月正式开业，在短短两年内，万丽品牌成功地在漕河泾开发区内奠定了酒店行业标杆地位，经验丰厚的冯先生与他的年轻团队始终保持着敏锐的市场洞察力与一流的酒店管理效率，在这次专访中，他尽心与我们分享了漕河泾万丽独特的魅力和令人心动的未来蓝图。

上海漕河泾万丽酒店座落于漕河泾开发区中心地带，在开发区内，它是最早的、也仍然是目前唯一的国际品牌大酒店。漕河泾作为首批14个国家级经济技术开发区之一，实际上到今年已历经了三十个年头，漕河泾开发区多年来一直以其高新技术为主导的区域形象为世人所知，但随着城市的扩张，交通枢纽的蔓延，以及开发区本身产业形态的发展变化，漕河泾升级转型的步伐正在迅速加快，漕河泾短期内的发展态势令冯先生感到惊艳，同时，他也对引领区内第一流的酒店开拓更多元的市场，感到更加充满信心。

首先，交通上的便利使得漕河泾万丽酒店获益匪浅，“无论是从虹桥机场、古北商圈出发前往酒店，或者是以中环沿线为起点，客人的路程都可以用二十分钟完成，甚至从浦东机场下机至酒店，也不过是四十分钟时间，在节约时间成本方面，我们甚至拥有比市中心酒店更稳定的优势。”冯先生在亲自引导参观的一路上非常熟捻地向大家介绍酒店的区位优势，在9号线运营的带动下，漕河泾这几年已经在大众认知内升级为交通便利的一站，“从9号线过来，5分钟就可以了”，而随着冯先生手势的方向，12号线的即将开通更是为漕河泾万丽在地图上描画出四通八达的开发区中心形象。

“交通的升级也是推动漕河泾更上一层楼的重要力量，开发区本身就有扎实的工业背景，眼下我们正在亲眼目睹越来越多的国际企业来到我们附近设立总部或办公室，相信这也会是未来的持续趋势，对于酒店行业来说，更优质更庞大的商务客群是非常值得期待的。”在问及入住率这样比较敏感的问题时，冯先生倒是十分坦然，一个全新团队从零起步，到现在能够在吸引开发区内商务客户方面保持稳定的优势，他对漕河泾万丽酒店的周中入住率颇感满意。不过目前开发区本身的商业和休闲氛围并不发达，一方面显得节假日多少有点冷清，另一方面，也使得漕河泾万丽担起了丰富区内业态的引领责任，冯先生认为漕河泾万丽将能够长期受益于虹桥枢纽扩展和古北成熟商圈的辐射效应，“这一大区域的繁荣是近在眼前的，甚至我听闻未来不久将会有一座大型展览馆于虹桥机场附近开幕”，他相信虹桥、古北、漕河泾的三区域联动在东亚地区都非常引人瞩目，因此，对于漕河泾万丽的前景，也必然是充满希望的。

作为一家仍算得上“新手”的酒店，漕河泾万丽的服务团队给人留下了不同寻常的印象。“万丽不会用‘员工’来称呼自己的团队，我们之间完全是同事相称，万丽对服务团队的同事有一个特别的名称叫做‘导航员’，这也是万丽品牌的重要部分”，将人才和团队视为品牌的最根本基石，是冯福明管理理念中的一大信条。在同行中，办公区域并无那种常见的员工文化企业精神的宣传招贴或提示板，“我更看重人与人之间的直接接触”，冯福明笑着与我们描述他的工作作息，从酒店开业至今，酒店许多的高级管理层都把这里当成了家，“每天早上7点，所有管理层就开始上班了，包括大厨、各个团队的负责人，我们有很规律的各时段的工作会谈，向所有同事持续不断地传递万丽品牌的价值，保证每一天都可以有积极的工作执行力。”冯福明的人力资源管理专业背景使得这位领导者在人才管理上显示出格外的魅力。“我在万豪集团工作了二十多年，从行政岗位转向前端运营，是我自己职业生涯的重要一步，我很感谢集团给予我的这一转折机缘。也使得我更为坚信一点，好的管理，是要给同事更多机会，要帮助人才获取成功。”在漕河泾万丽，除了月度的优秀同事嘉奖与庆祝，更是有10-15%的职位擢升比率激励着团队每一个人的进取心，与此同时，冯福明也格外看重酒店团队的凝结力，“每一位同事我都必须自己一对一交谈面试，我希望他们能感受到万丽对大家的重视与需要，并且能够最直接地和大家进行顺利的理念转达”，对于员工个人的职业发展，他一直都秉持着全力支持的态度，“正面激励是时刻必需的，但有时某一位同事可能会被提拔到一个更能展现能力的职位上，这就需要更高的管理层做出非常细致和明确的支持和培训引导。”漕河泾万丽酒店在人才管理以及其他方面的优秀成绩使得他们将在今年七月于华盛顿举行的全球范围内的Renaissance University中成为研究课题与榜样，这对冯福明和他的同事们不啻为极大的鼓舞。

酒店一楼的“雾山”韩国料理看上去像是漕河泾万丽内部最热闹的地方，很可能也是酒店最响亮的一块招牌。谈到这间餐厅时，冯福明多少显得相当自豪，雾山的两位大厨均来自韩国本土，总厨李锡东先生拥有超过12年高星级酒店丰富职业履历，在上海，雾山的韩国料理被很多韩国客人推崇为最正宗的，“不少韩国企业的客人都会询问雾山用餐与房费的打包价格，LG和三星甚至考虑要把办公室移到我们附近”，说笑中雾山美食的诱惑力显露无遗。那么美味的魔力是否也影响了客群的比率？“在整个万豪集团，韩籍客人的数量是可以排到前五位的，在我们这家店会更高一些，维持在前三或前四，除了雾山可能会带来的一些影响，我们和‘小韩国城’金汇南路的近距离也是一个原因——我们确实非常关注韩国客人这一群体，韩式美食、韩国风情——很可能会成为漕河泾万丽品牌的一大特色。”万豪集团对市场的把控是非常敏锐的，并且也下足了功夫，旗下众多酒店也都分别就各自特点向市场输送着不同的品牌认知，“对于万丽来说，放松、有型是我们的主要诉求，也能让我们和兄弟品牌有所区别。”漕河泾万丽已是冯福明在万豪集团内部的第三份总经理任命，他坦言了自己对新酒店管理的偏爱——历史较长的酒店会有更好的基础，成熟的客群，但是工作多年下来，他感受到带领一支全新团队、开拓一片新鲜市场，对他来说是更大的诱惑。

尽管采访中总是间杂着欢笑，冯福明还是自述为一个“算不得很有趣的人”，“我的生活极其简单，几乎没有什么爱好，不品酒，也不近烟草，除了运动，运动是我唯一的爱好。”壁球是他的挚爱，打了二十多年，“有重要比赛一定会赶去”，两年前，他奔赴斯里兰卡巡回赛，而今年夏天更有一场赛事会在老家香港举行 “会见到很多老朋友，大家二十多岁时开始一起玩，现在好多都要五十岁啦。” 难掩兴奋的冯福明，说起壁球和朋友们来显得人情味十足。记者于是问他：壁球这么高速的运动是否也会影响你的工作思维？会不会潜移默化你成为一个在工作中也追求速度的人？他想了想作答，“我为运动本身著迷，而体育精神也让我终身受益，它带来活力，赋予个人坚定的品格，以及随时可以上路的行动力。但是我并不性急，我们的工作要求自己有很好的耐心，我乐意向客人不断解答他们的问题，乐意和同事一直重复集团或者团队管理中的理念和要求，我希望这些都是清晰和明确的，欲速则不达吧。”

也许酒店管理也好，壁球比赛也罢，任何事情达到一定的成就就会有一些共通的体验：有重复机械后的挥洒、有静默沉定后的飞驰、也有坚强忍耐后的豁然。20多年酒店生涯之于冯福明先生，2年时间之于漕河泾万丽酒店，斐然的成就固然让人企羡，而成就里，时光中所积淀的执着、耐心、活力与奉献，更让我们尊敬、赞叹。