A visionary leader

Travelling the world and inaugurating nearly 300+ properties in over 40 countries, Ian Rydin is one of the most illustrious General Managers with a 30 years stint in hospitality sector.

Shehara Rizly

Venturing into hospitality
A Swedish national, who loves numbers and was keen to be an accountant entered the hospitality trade by chance during a summer training. Today, Rydin holds the reins as the General Manager for Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate. This is his second appointment in Dubai. The first was opening of the Radisson Blu Downtown in 2010. Rydin holds an International Hospitality Management Diploma from Gothenburg International Hospitality College in Sweden, a bachelor’s degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management from Oxford Brookes University in Oxford, UK and has completed a General Manager Programme from Cranfield University, UK.

Responsibility and leadership
Rydin started off in Human Resources in London early in his career and was mentored by some of the best in the world. This paved the way for greater opportunities with headhunters of other various brands contacting him for varying roles. He was about to pursue a position as the Director of HR, when he was approached by a Scandinavian chain to take on the role of General Manager for one of their properties. His career took him to destinations like Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Brand promise
Rydin believes that in every organisation there should be proper communication and that diversity is an integral part which ensures balance. “With the RIISE programme, launched by Accor, we are gearing towards a strengthened presence of women in key roles across the board,” he shares.

Guest-centric approach
Rydin shares, “The need for a distinctive human touch in hotels remains indispensable and will definitely continue, however, there are essential needs which can be provided by technology like personalised communications and lightning-speed information at the palm of a guest’s hands. A guest-centric approach will never change in the hospitality industry and the data will keep growing for better analysis. Finally, Dubai is one of the best destinations in the world, we as hoteliers will ensure that we attract new markets and preserve the existing ones.