Hospitality Digital Overhaul
I climbed the ranks from front-end developer to UX designer to product manager at Mandarin Oriental, building a reputation for solving complex digital challenges along the way. When Deloitte recommended a shift to product-centric operations, I saw an opportunity that others missed.
Situation
Mandarin Oriental needed to modernize its digital presence across 35 global hotels. Deloitte's recommendation for a product-centric approach faced hurdles due to the organization's siloed structure.
Task
Leverage my internal knowledge and cross-functional relationships to accelerate the digital transformation that would typically take years, bypassing organizational inertia.
Action
Recognized that traditional internal routes would slow progress, so I founded a consultancy to drive change from the outside while maintaining my insider's perspective.
Crafted and launched 6 user-centric products, including a data-driven loyalty program, that spoke directly to guest needs and operational realities I understood intimately.
Introduced Agile methodologies, slashing time-to-market by a third. My familiarity with internal processes allowed for smooth implementation of JIRA workflows across previously disconnected teams.
Assembled a dream team of 39 experts through my consultancy, balancing technical prowess with the luxury industry insights I'd cultivated over years.
Developed a nuanced translation system for 13 languages, leveraging my understanding of brand standards and global market nuances.
Pioneered a mobile-first strategy based on user behavior analytics I'd been championing internally, now free to implement at scale.
Result
Drove a 40% increase in booking value, with an 18% boost in non-English markets, validating our global-first approach.
Scaled my consultancy to $2.8M revenue across 50+ countries, maintaining a 2% churn rate by delivering results other consultancies couldn't match.
Launched 12 products reaching 5 million monthly users in 18 months, a pace unthinkable within the previous organizational structure.
Set a new benchmark for digital luxury that the industry scrambled to match.
Key Takeaways
This experience taught me to:
Spot opportunities in organizational blind spots and have the courage to create solutions, even if it means stepping outside.
Leverage deep institutional knowledge to drive rapid, meaningful change.
Balance technical innovation with political savvy to navigate complex corporate landscapes.
Build and lead teams that transcend traditional organizational boundaries.
Transform insider insights into scalable, industry-leading solutions.
Recognize when to work within a system and when to reshape it entirely for better outcomes.
