 Many of us go through life looking for what we are meant to do with it. We change jobs, professions, even countries. But for Andrew Wood, general manager of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Pattaya, a summer job in the Lake District when he was 13 set the course for the rest of his - and he has never looked back.
"And that was it. I was hooked," he remembers. After finishing his A-levels, he studied a Bachelor of Arts University degree in Hotel and Catering Studies in Edinburgh. Ever since then he has worked in hotels. That was 30 years ago. "I recognised quite early that I received immense pleasure in being able to make people happy. Whether through good service or just a smile and a quick "hello", the hotel industry provides you with literally hundreds of opportunities a day to interact with people and make them happy."
Wood's talent at giving has taken him from humble beginnings to rise to his current position, where he not only oversees a property complex of four hotels and over 1,000 rooms, but one of the brightest lights in Thailand's convention facility armoury, the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH).
Challenges come thick and fast every day. However, a people-based management philosophy for motivation goes a long way to solving them. "It doesn't take a lot to get someone running on all cylinders. It is amazing what a quick "thank you" and "well done" will do for most people - including me! The more difficult part is getting them to work as a team."
All this is a long way from his heady days in London. "During my career I have worked with some of the best hotel companies in the world - Shangri-La, Hilton, Sheraton - but my most memorable was working at the 5-star Sheraton Park Tower in London during the 'good' days when everyone had money - especially the Americans and Saudis. They were fun days when people gave you a US$100 tip just for saying hello!"
Any regrets 30 years later? "Nope. I have enjoyed every second, although I wish I could have learnt Thai at school - Latin was pretty useless!"
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