Together with
For the past year, Helen Smith and Eugenio Pirri have been operating from the unique arrangement as joint CEOs of Dorchester Collection. This company oversees legendary hotels such as The Dorchester in London, Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris, Hotel Eden in Rome, and the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air in California. Keep reading to learn more about this unique arrangement - and what they’ve learned about sharing responsibilities and leading together that you can take into your role and business - wherever that is.
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The Joint CEO Success Story of Dorchester Collection
Helen Smith and Eugenio Pirri have been operating as joint CEOs of the Dorchester Collection for the past year, creating a highly effective leadership arrangement. You can listen to us here on the podcast, and their success is rooted in several key practices that all of us can learn from:
Clear Division of Responsibilities: Helen and Eugenio strategically divided their responsibilities based on their strengths and experiences. Helen, with her background in sales, marketing, and branding, focuses on future vision and brand development. Eugenio, having extensive experience in people, culture, and operations, ensures operational excellence and a superior guest experience.
It seemed the right thing to do to play to our strengths.
This allows them to leverage their unique skills effectively while working towards common goals.
Strong Communication and Collaboration: The duo emphasizes the importance of daily communication. Their offices are next to each other, enabling constant interaction. They communicate consistently through daily face-to-face interactions, WhatsApp messages, and monthly calls with general managers. This helps align their efforts and ensures they support and challenge each other, enabling a collaborative environment.
It's really important to communicate what we're doing so that we can support each other, but also challenge each other.
Frequent Visits to Properties: Helen and Eugenio visit all Dorchester Collection hotels four times a year together. These visits include back-of-house tours and conversations with front-line staff, demonstrating their involvement and commitment to the hospitality they provide. This hands-on approach boosts team morale and ensures they remain connected to the operational realities and challenges of their properties.
“We've just finished one of those circuits. Is this effective? We were in the lobby of one of the hotels just before we were leaving, and the chief engineer came up and said, ‘I cannot tell you how beneficial it is when you visit, how excited the team was before you arrived. and how because you go back of house, shake hands, chat to everyone they really feel that you're involved in their work.’”
Unified Vision and Goals: From the outset, Helen and Eugenio established a shared vision and goals for their roles. They focus on strong communication and collaboration with their hotels to achieve desired results. Their alignment on what they aim to accomplish as joint CEOs has been crucial in maintaining a unified direction for the company.
Challenges happen every single day, but if you're aligned in what you're trying to achieve and that's very clearly articulated, that helps you get to where you need to get.
Mutual Support and Trust: The joint CEO arrangement allows Helen and Eugenio to support each other, especially during challenging times. Eugenio mentioned the benefit of having someone to "bounce ideas off of" and share the pressure of leadership. Their mutual trust and vested interest in the company's success create a solid foundation for their partnership.
"Before beginning we talked about what we want to be known for in our roles. And top of the list was definitely strong communication and working with the hotels to achieve the desired results."
Takeaway
Effective joint leadership requires clear role definitions, consistent communication, and a unified vision.
Put this in action:
Define Roles Clearly: Identify the strengths of each leader and assign responsibilities accordingly to maximize efficiency.
Establish Regular Communication: Set up daily check-ins, use technology and messaging for quick updates, and schedule regular meetings to ensure alignment.
Engage with Teams Frequently: Visit each of your properties regularly and interact with your teams there to stay connected with what’s going on and boost team morale.
Support Each Other: Build a trusting relationship where leaders can share challenges, bounce ideas off each other, and provide mutual support.
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-Josiah
