Roland Jegge: 20 years of exceptional leadership

As Executive Vice President of Worldhotels, Asia Pacific, Roland has led his team on the path of success for the past 20 years. A dedicated leader and a true visionary, Roland serves his 20th consecutive year at the helm of the organisation and has played an integral role in successfully expanding the footprint of Worldhotels in the region.

Roland’s responsibilities include overseeing all facets of Worldhotels’ strategic development across Asia Pacific and day-to-day business and management responsibilities of the regional headquarters in Singapore in addition to empowering eight other offices in the region: Beijing, Hong Kong, India, Melbourne, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.

When he first took over the reins as the head of Worldhotels in Asia Pacific in 1996, there were three sales offices and 28 affiliate hotels in the region. Fast forward 20 years and the group now boasts eight sales offices and almost 100 affiliate hotels including industry heavyweights such as the Lotte Hotel, Seoul and the Stamford hotel chain in Australia. The organisation has also evolved from its initial days of providing a single business model for affiliate hotels to now offering hotels the option of becoming a Full Licence hotel of Worldhotels.

A constant source of inspiration and a pillar of strength and support for the individuals under his wing, Roland has been with his team every step of the way over the past two decades. Under Roland’s leadership and guidance, Worldhotels in Asia Pacific has successfully developed into a tight-knit team of 30 people, hailing from nine different nationalities – with a majority of them having been with Worldhotels for over five years and counting!

The Worldhotels’ team forms the heart and soul of the organisation and Roland believes that the diverse portfolio of relevant partnerships garnered by Worldhotels over the years is instrumental to the organisation’s success. This partnership includes a total of 24 Frequent Flyer Partners, with 11 of these airline partnerships coming from the Asia Pacific region, and features some of the world’s premier international carriers including ANA, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Singapore Airlines. Worldhotels has also maintained a close working relationship with major credit card companies, such as Mastercard and American Express.

Hotels that are recognised and seen as one-of-a-kind have replaced cookie-cutter hotels and this phenomenon has taken over the hospitality world by storm. Having devoted more than 35 years of his life to the industry, Roland has developed a flair and keen eye for spotting the subtle nuances of a hotel that allows it to stand out from the crowd and be truly considered unique. He has now set his sights on bringing these independent and authentic hotels into Worldhotels’ growing portfolio.

Roland is also spearheading a brand new initiative, World Luxury. This initiative supports a specially curated collection of exclusive hotels that meet stringent criteria not only in product, but in the delivery of personalised services and highly customised experiences on property. World Luxury is targeted at discerning luxury travellers who seek not only the finer things in life, but more importantly, are constantly looking for a truly experiential time overseas. Besides World Luxury, Roland has also been instrumental in initiating Worldhotels’ loyalty programme, Peakpoints, which was launched less than two years ago. Results have been stellar with the Asia Pacific region holding the largest base of member recruitment figures globally.

“I am privileged to have spent 20 years of my life at Worldhotels and consider myself extremely lucky to be doing a job that I have such deep and profound love for,” says Roland Jegge, Executive Vice President, Worldhotels, Asia Pacific. “I am always hugely excited by new opportunities in the independent hotel space, coupled with our dynamic strategies and fast to market approach, it keeps me energised and allows my team and I to constantly push the envelope and remain innovative, deliver on our promises and most importantly drive value to our hotels.”