Best job ever for a teenaged boy: pool attendant at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. A close second, 20 years later: creating a new luxury brand. That’s the career arc so far for Michael Fuerstman, the 34-year-old co-founder and creative director of Pendry Hotels, the younger sibling of Montage Hotels & Resorts. He joined his family’s business in 2009, after helping launch social networking startup SocialMonkey.com and working for a hotel development company, the Athens Group. Pendry has been a labor of love for Fuerstman, who saw an unfilled niche for a next-wave luxury product that stresses design, new types of programming, high service levels and offbeat locations.
Fuerstman is one of 20 rising stars (all 40 and under) HOTELS interviewed for our May feature. All shared their insights about their lives in the business and thoughts about some of today’s challenges and opportunities. In a Wall Street Journal-sponsored series, read Fuerstman’s responses to our questions and click here to link to the full list of interviews with HOTELS 20 Next-Gen hospitality leaders.
Contributed by Megan Rowe
HOTELS: What’s the state of career opportunities in the hotel industry?
Michael Fuerstman: I think hospitality is a growth industry, and there are a lot of jobs. If you’re coming out of school and you’re willing to humble yourself and start anywhere, and you have great passion and a work ethic, there is really great upward mobility potential.
H: Do you think glass ceilings and the old boys’ network in the hotel industry remain intact?
MF: Generally, it feels like hospitality is 15 or 20 years behind other industries. But I see that changing. I like to think we are agents for change; Montage and Pendry are newish brands, so we are mindful in our hiring practices, training and continued education, and I feel like we’re certainly doing our part toward creating a more forward-thinking culture and community.
H: Do you see evidence that companies are shifting their cultures to meet hotel staff and corporate needs?
MF: The great thing about starting a new company is you get to create a culture. We are a values-driven company. Creating a culture where people feel empowered to act as well is very important to us. With Pendry, which launched last year, we made the decision from a values and culture standpoint to adopt the same values as Montage. Our styles are a little different, but we have a lot of strong ties to our first brand and familiarity between both brands that creates growth opportunities for employees.
H: How are your needs and priorities different from those of your father’s generation?
MF: It’s a different world. This generation is more connected, and everything feels smaller and more global. We’re expected to be familiar with a greater array of things than the previous generation. Technology is huge; specifically, social media has really changed the industry.
H: Why are people getting into the hotel business and what does the industry need to do to become more attractive?
MF: It’s a very fun industry. It’s dynamic, always changing, certainly not a 9-to-5 job. It’s also very social. There are a lot of attractive factors. I think what we can be doing better is touting how there is truly opportunity for upward mobility in hospitality. If you have a positive attitude, a great work ethic and a sense of urgency, you can achieve. My dad is a great example of that. He was a bellman at a hotel in New Jersey, worked in many positions, then became a GM, then a regional GM, then split off to create Montage. I believe the American dream is alive and well in hospitality in a stronger fashion than in other industries.
H: What do you care about most when it comes to hotels and careers?
MF: I care that we are creating really special places, places that guests and associates like. Within the hotel, we want to create real opportunity for growth and a place where people can work hard and prosper.
H: What about the business keeps you up at night?
MF: Balance. We are growing, so I need to balance my responsibilities to our existing hotels with spending enough time on the business development side and a growing pipeline, developing the concept and the hotels the right way.
H: To what do you most attribute your success and growth?
MF: Recognizing opportunity and working very hard to take advantage of it. We recognized opportunity that there was a new luxury customer who was not being taken care of the way they wanted to be. They want design and a great experience, and they also want to be taken care of by a professional organization with a great service culture.
H: What advice would you give people entering the industry now?
MF: Be humble and appreciate the opportunities you are given. If you have a positive attitude and a sense of urgency you will do well.
H: Describe the things that you try to do every day, and why you do them.
MF: I like to do anything physical — I really like working out, especially if I can work out by not working out — surfing or playing a sport. The older I get the more I realize I work out to think better and feel good. And when I’m home, I spend time with my family. Both are very grounding.
H: Where do you find inspiration?
MF: My dad is a big inspiration for me — his story is beyond inspiring. It’s amazing to have the opportunity to work alongside him and grow our brands together. Besides him, Elon Musk is awesome. To see somebody create multiple businesses and tackle problems and issues that are both technologically important but also important for the future of the planet and mankind is amazing. Kanye West is also an inspiration. The guy is a musical savant, a cultural savant, a fashion savant who is far ahead of his time.
H: What’s one prediction you’re willing to make about the coming year?
MF: As operators we will continue to be asked to do more with less. We will need to find ways via technology, smarter systems and operations to create better guest experiences, drive more profit and do right by our associates with even less resources than before. That’s just the nature of the industry.