(Courtesy of Hotel Borobudur Jakarta)Danish-born and raised hotelier Poul Bitsch has worked in many parts of the world in the past 42 years, compiling a compendium of interesting “tales from the road”.

But the nitty-gritty of the management philosophy of the president director of Discovery Hotels and Resorts comes from his two-year stint in the Royal Danish Navy in his youth.

A good leader is a good example, he says.

“The thing about the Navy is you come as a boy and leave as a man. My experience taught me that loyalty to the leader is important but the leader has to be loyal to the group. That’s what taught me to be a good example,” Bitsch, 63, said.

After completing his naval service, he joined the Hilton International group. His various postings included Sudan, Dubai in United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, Ethiopia, the UK, New York, South Korea, Hong Kong and China, before arriving in Indonesia in 2000.

“The experience of traveling and working in many countries taught me to respect the culture of each country. It is very wrong if I come to a country and try to impose my culture. That will not work.”

He believes in finding a comfortable bridging of cultures to avoid misunderstandings.

When he worked as a restaurant manager in Khartoum in the mid-1970s, he found it was customary for people to eat with their hands while seated on the floor. While he respected the culture, he set up training programs and educated employees on the international culture of the hospitality business, including how to use a knife and fork.

“It’s not that I was trying to change them, I wanted to teach them how our guests should be served. We need to respect what is there and work with it in the best possible way.”

An experience in Dubai shaped his approach to carefully delegating tasks. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were scheduled to dine with the nation’s ruler. He decided to fly in several people he trusted from other Hilton hotels for the important occasion.

“We divided the jobs and I became the leader. We constantly communicated to make sure everything was done. It taught me that even though you are a captain of the ship, you need your people to perform to the best of their ability.”

Working in Indonesia for 13 years, including as the general manager of Hotel Borobudur Jakarta, has taught Bitsch to be more patient – and to expect the unexpected.

A few years ago, a government regulation on husbandry led to a shortage of oxtail. It was a major problem for the Hotel Borobudur, whose most famous dish is its oxtail soup.

“We had to struggle and talk to ministers, directors and people because how come Hotel Borobudur has no sup buntut? We had to drill a little at a time but continued in persistency until we got what we wanted.”

Ties that bind

Bitsch has also learned that Indonesians are very family-minded, something that can be detrimental to their work.

“Their family comes first, and if they have to lose their job because of their family, they don’t mind. I have to respect it because this is the way people are. I can change the system and the standard, but I can’t change people’s heart,” he said.

If he notices employees are underperforming, he talks to them to find the root of the problem, gives advice and tries to find a solution.

“Sometimes people have problems with family or with spouses, which affect job performance. But if it’s because they are not willing to work, we follow the law and provide the warning letter. If they keep underperforming, we give another warning letter. Or at the end of the day we should let them go.”

Bitsch laments a lack of qualified people in the hospitality industry. He deduced that it was because Indonesia only has a few schools with hospitality management courses.

The hotel has set up training programs to produce its own management staff.

“We have management trainees, who are on two-year management course. We have a Top 50, which consists of top 50 potential employees who will receive training courses and be sent abroad, so they get the knowledge to move up to the management level. Around 70 percent of our management people come from within [the organization’, we develop them ourselves,” he said.

Of course, good training can invite head-hunting from other organizations.

“We can only do our best. I won’t raise the salary of a person who gets an offer from another place. For me, they are only loyal to money. It doesn’t matter how good you treat them, there’s always somebody who give more.”

Fransiska Kansil, corporate communications and media relations manager at Discovery Hotels and Resorts, describes “Bapak” Bitsch as a caring person.

“We have a CSR program for underprivileged schoolchildren, and Bapak suggested the students do an internship at the hotel, so that they are not only completing their education at school but getting a life experience,” she said.

A Buddhist, he meditates before going to bed, wakes up promptly at 5 a.m. and breakfasts with his daughter. He arrives at the office at 7:30 a.m., answering all his e-mails in one hour.

A teetotaler who quit smoking four years ago, the youthful-looking Bitsch lists his guilty pleasures as spicy food, instant noodles, candy and Cambozola cheese with hearty German bread.

He also enjoys playing tennis, either with his daughter or a practice partner.

“I like to see how long I can last without a break. Sometimes my partner who is younger than me claims defeat before I do. Tennis can help get rid of tension because you need to move around and focus.”

Place and Date of Birth: Aarhus, Denmark, April 27, 1949

Career Experience:
2000 – present: President Director of Discovery Hotels and Resorts, General Manager of Hotel Borobudur Jakarta
1999 – 2000: General Manager, pre-opening, Grand Zenith Hotel, Zhengzhou (Zenith Hotels/Cathay International)
1998 – 1999: General Manager/Director of Operations, Xiyuan Hotel, Beijing (Zenith Hotels/Cathay International)
1997 – 1998: General Manager, Eastern Dragon Hotel, Hangzhou (Zenith Hotels/Cathay International)
1995 – 1997: Director of Operations, Mega Hotels Management Ltd. Hong Kong/Manager Kowloon Panda Hotel
1992 – 1995: General Manager, Yangtze New World Hotel, Shanghai
1991 – 1992: Director of Project, Kempinski Hotel, Beijing Lufthansa Center
1990 – 1991: Executive Assistant Manager for seven months, promoted to Resident Manager, Hotel Furama Kempinski, Hong Kong
1989 – 1990: Director, Food and Beverage Division, Paradise Beach Hotel, Pusan, South Korea
1986 – 1989: Executive Assistant Manager in charge of F&B, New York Penta Hotel, New York
1985 – 1986: Operations Executive, Penta Hotels Ltd. Ascot, England
1982 – 1984: Executive Assistant Manager, F&B, Hilton International, Addis Ababa
1981 – 1982: Hilton International Nicosia, Cyprus as Food and Beverage Manager
1978 – 1981: Assistant Food and Beverage Manager, promoted to F&B Manager in 1979, Hilton International Dubai, U.A.E
1976 – 1978: Restaurant Manager, Hilton International, Khartoum, Sudan
1971 – 1976: Hilton International West Berlin, Germany

Education:
Attended Cornell University Summer School, US, 1975
Obtained accounting certificate in Berlin, Germany, 1974
The Hotel School in Denmark, graduated, 1969

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