Jean Pierre Mampaey
CEO
Maxxton
Q:æWhat does a day at work consist of for you?
A:æWith Maxxton’s global expansion a ‘ìnormal day at work’ does not exist anymore. The growth is going much faster than expected but we are ready for it. With four offices now on three continents and an heterogeneous clientele it is important we understand and ækeep together all the different cultures languages clients requirements and challenges. This is mainly what my role is about. I make sure that all of Maxxton Group grows sustainably and everybody in the organization works in unison to improve our services day in day out.
Q:æWhat’s the best part of your job?
A:æExploring new markets is a great opportunity. If you can do it and achieve success it’s a true privilege.
I travel extensively around the globe to support our new offices and meeting new potential clients. This also means I recruit new colleagues. For me it is essential that all Maxxton employees fit into the Maxxton ethos and feel involved in our mission whatever are their skills or roles and wherever they come from The Netherlands India Texas Italy or anywhere else. I am proud to say that our staff is very diverse ethnically and culturally women and men who come from all sorts of backgrounds. What do they all have in common? They are all Maxxtonees. This is what matters.
Q:æDo you have anyone you’ve looked up to?
A:æI don’t have anyone in specific I look up to. Instead I daily take inspiration from anybody who dare to think outside of the box. People that think of solutions rather than problems. That is what inspires me every day in my private life as well as within Maxxton.æ
Q:æDo you have any nice traditions at your office?
A:æAs we have offices in different locations also traditions are different. At Maxxton we work very hard to make sure that we achieve our goals and keep our clients happy. But we make also sure we have fun as a team. I am not in the Netherlands very often anymore but at the Head office in turn everybody brings ‘Öbolussen’ on Friday morning to share it’s a typical sweet from The Netherlands. Then we have beers in the afternoon and also we have some soft orange balls in the office to play games with. In addition to the usual Christmas meals we organize a barbecue in the summer and even corporate ski and snowboarding events just to name one.
In India instead we play cricket and also organize charity events. Divali celebrations are really big and are also celebrated in the office with the traditional dresses etc US and UK also they have their own special traditions it is great to have such a variety!ææ
Q:æHow long have you been a member of HSMAI?
A:æWe have been members only for a few months but I am excited about this new partnership. We already work with other organizations like VRMA (Vacation Rentals Managers Association) and HOSPA (Hospitality Finance Revenue and IT Professionals) and the newly founded EHHA (European Holiday Home Association). Promoting education and adding value to our clients and to the broader hospitality sector as a whole are for us centric points. I expect with HSMAI we will be able to do a great work.
Q:æWhat do you think is the best thing about HSMAI?
A:æIt is an established organization which has a really incredible number of connections. This is a great asset of HSMAI who definitely leads the way in terms of education and training for sales and marketing professionals in the hotel industry sharing best practice and innovation.
Q:æAre there any activities or projects you think HSMAI should start up?
A:æHSMAI is very well known in the hotel world and could now expand their educational focus to those complex hospitality organizations which are not hotels. This more hidden sector shows similarities with hotels but also has different specific needs. Think holiday rentals with the intricate administration different contracts and private owners or hostels with bookings p/bed and room or holiday parks with activities and labour intensive check-ins or membership organizations. At Maxxton we provide technology for all of these types of organizations including hotels. We define them the ‘ìbroader’ hospitality sector so not only hotels but also resorts holiday parks serviced apartments vacation rentals and holiday lettings hostels and online tour operators. Surely more support and awareness from HSMAI for this ‘ìbroader’ hospitality sector would be welcome by many organizations.
Q:æDescribe your perfect weekend.
A:æI sit on a plane 80% of my weekends as travelling from one side of the world to the other. Luckily I enjoy travelling. So a perfect weekend I am not sure maybe at home?æ
Q:æIf you were the prime minister of Norway what issues would you focus on?
A:æI’m not. I’m only the CEO of the Maxxton Group 🙂
Q:æWhat is the title of the book about your life?
A:ææNot too sure what it should be. I leave it to somebody else to decide.
Q:æWhat is your next travel-destination?
A:æI have been sitting for 10 hours in a plane connecting on the next flight after 10 hours. In the coming 10 days I have 12 more flights. Lately I have been spending a lot of time in the United States now going to Hawaii next to New Zealand to name a couple.æ
Q:æDo you have any special hobbies?
A:æI struggle to find time for hobbies I thoroughly enjoy skiing which we do once a year with the Maxxton team. Otherwise I think it is safe to say that Maxxton and what I do is truly where my passion lies.
Q:æThank you for your time. Do you have any personal comments?
A:æSee you in Oslo on September 4th. Thank you for taking the time to interview me!
