Introduction
Pieter Idenburg is the Group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He is one of the most unique and exciting executives I have ever interviewed. Some people have such a brilliant minds that conventional education is simply not suitable for them. They are avid learners and thinkers but they must be allowed to learn in their own way. For example, Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University to start a new industry because he did not feel that classrooms at the university could teach him things and technology that did not yet exist. Pieter Idenburg belongs to the same ingenious group; he does not have a college degree but he made it to the top in his field anyway!
Pieter Idenbur began his career as a street musician in San Francisco. Later, he worked on all sorts of jobs in the hospitality industry while gaining experiences. He is a natural leader. When I interviewed him, he commented on my questions before he would answer them. He intuitively understood that instead of seeking well-prepared and formulated, standardized business answers, my questions were meant to find out more about “who” Pieter Idenburg really is: his psyche, his values, his passion, his thoughts, his likes and dislikes…
ADNEC Group is one of the most successful exhibition, conference and event centres in the UAE. The Group includes Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Al Ain Convention Centre, ExCeL London, Hyatt Capital Gate, Aloft Abu Dhabi Hotel and Aloft London Hotel.
Interview
When you were 19 years old, you bought a one-way ticket to San Francisco. You earned your living as a street musician in the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf area. What was going through your mind at the time?
When I was 13 years old, I had the opportunity to work for a local butcher shop to make some pocket money. I cleaned the shop, cut meat, etc., but what I really wanted to do was serve the customers in the front part of the shop. I liked the hustle and bustle atmosphere then and I still like it today.
When I was 18 or 19 years of age, I thought Holland was too small for my very open and creative mind. At the same time, I grew up with Levi Jeans, Coca Cola and American rags-to-riches movies with subtitles. Everything I saw about the US indicated that there were lots of opportunities. So, I went to the US with my guitar and skis. I wondered if I could also live the “American dream”!
The reality was much harder than what I had imagined. I wound up singing on the Berkeley campus to a large student-audience but students were poor and I didn’t make much money!
So, I went across the San Francisco Bay and sang in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, where tourists and locals gather. There I learnt a basic business lesson — I was singing songs that I liked, but they were too melancholy for my audience. Simon & Garfunkel songs seemed to be a real crowd-pleaser!
How do you feel about the fact that you do not have a college degree but you are extremely successful? What contributed to your success?
After graduating from high school, I went to the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague but I decided that it was not for me. I thought about getting a business degree but institutional learning was not for me either.
I do believe in learning. I learn every day, but for me, this does not need to take place in a classroom. I am receptive and interested in so many things. This helps me pick up new ideas. I am also an avid reader. I read all kinds of books from business books to autobiographies.
I believe in trying new things and I am not afraid to take on any job. I have worked in a number of industries; I have been a bartender, waiter, receptionist, agent trainee, ticket agent, supervisor and more before I was given the responsibility to be a manager and later to be in senior management roles.
Still, it was a long and hard journey! You need to have courage, so that when you fall, you will get up again with absolute gusto! If you can’t find the strength, take a deep look inside to determine whether you are the right person for the job!
I respect people who have spent years to get a degree. But I believe that it is not the deciding factor. In my experience and in this industry, vocational studies and experience can be just as valuable, if not more.
I wanted to interview you when you were the CEO of Suntec City Singapore, which included Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Then you had the ambition to expand Suntec in major international cities. What happened to that vision?
Unfortunately, I was not able to achieve my vision due to a change of ownership, and the new owner had a different focus. However, my vision is still alive. I’ve found a receptive audience where I am working now. I hope to realize my vision in the near future.
In addition to managing hotels and convention centers, you have also worked for a number of airline companies. In terms of business, what are the similarities?
There are a number of similarities:
Like seats in an airline company or rooms in a hotel, exhibition halls and conference rooms cannot be sold once the day is gone! Yield management tools, which were mostly developed in the airline industry and have been successfully adopted by the hotel industry, can also be adopted for convention centers, such as Suntec.
Now you are the Group CEO of ADNEC in Abu Dhabi. What is your vision?
ADNEC has a clear vision. We want to become a global player offering truly first-rate customer service without having to depend on government grants. We also want to be a staff training ground for the future generation of UAE nationals.
We were innovative in Suntec, and we were a serious player. It will be the same at ADNEC!
Do you look at your life differently now comparing to when you were belting out “The Boxer” by Simon & Garfunkel in San Francisco?
I think no matter what you do, you have to have an agile mind and be open to new ideas. You also need to keep a level of fun while working hard. For example, I am online 24/7. You need to play hard — and I don’t mean going to clubs — I mean you need to make your job a fun thing to do!
What brings meaning to your experiences?
In the past, ADNEC has been a successful company but the company culture was rather formal. I want everyone to feel that they are doing fun things — and learning at the same time. But of course, once you’ve learned something new, it could be a terrifying experience if you let your new-found knowledge or skill loose. Nevertheless, when people come to me and tell me that they feel motivated, it is very satisfying. It gives meaning to people’s lives! It gives meaning to my life!
What keeps you motivated?
There is something in me that keeps me motivated. It is music, painting and people whom I’ve spoken with. I learn from them. At the same time, people appreciate what I do for them. It feeds on itself.
Of course, from time to time, I need a little time for myself. When I need time to myself to think things over, I take my dog for a walk on the beach.
If you must make a choice, would you do the things right or would you do the right things?
I think you have got to do things right but you have to do the right things in order to give shareholders what they expect. You can’t cheat to get there! I mean, my career could have moved faster if I had cut corners, but I decided to do the right thing.
What is your leadership style, and what makes you an effective leader?
Leaders are chosen whereas managers are appointed.
People want you to lead them to make changes in difficult times. If you made a wrong decision, you communicate it to your people and come up with a solution to remedy the situation. My pet peeve is people blaming others and not taking responsibility for their mistakes. We all make mistakes. If you own up your mistakes and correct them, people will start to trust you and respect your courage.
What are your strengths? And what are your weaknesses?
My weaknesses:
- I tend to concentrate on one subject at a time.
- I am a bit impatient, and I do things too quickly! But I am working on it.
- I am opinionated. I love people who have opinions so that we can have great discussions.
- I have a hard time fitting in a corporate life. For instance, although I see the value of performance assessment, I have trouble getting into the details.
- I need an executive assistant to keep me on track with all of my appointments.
- I have such a difficult time remembering people’s names.
My strengths:
- I am tenacious; I don’t give up!
- I am tremendously creative. I use creativity to come up with the best solutions that will get me the result.
- I am optimistic and enthusiastic.
- I have the attributes of being a good leader. I am supportive and will reward my people for good performance.
- I am analytical and good at interpreting numbers.
- I am also savvy on deal-making and I am good at getting people to commit themselves.
- I play a mean game of golf!
At work, what puts a smile on your face?
I am a happy guy when I see humor in the most absurd situations!
What puts a frown on your face?
Real stupidity puts a frown on my face!
Life is too short to tolerate ____________________.
Life is too short to tolerate B.S.!
I detest mean people and deception! I always tell my people, don’t be a copout! If something went wrong, never cover it up! Tell the truth!
Some people say that life is a constant struggle. What has been the greatest struggle for you so far?
Being driven comes at a price. I did not see my children often enough when they were growing up. I had to travel constantly. My family had to take a backseat. It was a real struggle trying to balance my life. When I went to work for Suntec, things improved because I did not have to travel as much.
What advice would you offer to those who are inspired to become successful in the hospitality industry?
You have to work hard and always put your guests first. In the end, it will pay off.
Be honest and be responsible!
Take risks without fear! If you ever get fired for doing the “right thing”, the person who fired you is the biggest idiot!
Never stop learning!
Be a leader!
You get what you give.
Don’t be a whiner!
Do you still sing in public?
No. I only sing in front of a small group of friends. I still sing melancholy songs that I sang 40 years ago!
What’s next?
I am inspired to teach.
I want to write two books. One will be a “teaching” book and the second one will be my autobiography.
I’ve set some goals for ADNEC. I hope to be able to realize our vision.
People are traveling out of space and that sounds interesting to me!
Entertaining people! It’s in my blood; I love it!
About Lily Lin
ily Lin, MBA, Ph.D. is the Chief Editor at http://iworkinhotels.com. She is also responsible for business development in Asia and in the US. She has extensive experiences in marketing management, consulting and training. She has taught in American, German and Dutch universities. In addition, she is an academic board member of the Schouten University, Master of Business Administration. Schouten University is a British accredited online university. She has taught for the University of Maryland (from the State of Maryland in the US). In the Netherlands, she was an adjunct professor for the Phoenix University MBA program in Rotterdam, Webster University in Leiden, HES (Higher Institution of Economic Studies) in Amsterdam, European University in The Hague. She was also an adjunct professor for the Schiller International University in Heidelberg, Germany.
For more than 20 years, she was the designer and the senior lecturer of a number of courses at the Hotelschool The Hague in the Netherlands that include Revenue Management, the first ever offered at the School, marketing management and other marketing-related courses. She conceived her latest project, ”Interviewing Successful Hotel Managers Series”, in which she interviews hotel managers from major international chain and independent hotels. Her interviews and other works are published regularly at the http://iworkinhotels.com/dr-lins-blog.
