Unlocking the keys to success with Michael Benikos
The man with a passion for hotel security says: "Make sure you work in an area you enjoy because it will bring out the best in you"
I sat down with Michael Benikos, Managing Director, ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions Australia, to find out more about the man with a passion for hotel security and technology, a sector he’s been central to for over 25 years.
Where does your passion for door lock technology come from?
I guess it’s being involved in the industry for so long and seeing the wide variety of things you can actually do with a door lock, and how the technology has become integral to hotel operations. Whether that is in security, integrations to other systems, or the move to contactless since COVID.
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When did this passion begin?
In 1992. My first job was installing safes in the ANA Hotel Sydney, now the Shangri La Sydney.
When I started working in the industry, I had just come back from playing cricket in England, but subsequently went to university and now I have an MBA.
You had a career in cricket?
I wouldn’t call it a career, but I went over to play minor league cricket in Somerset and Essex for a few years in our winter but then realised I wasn’t quite good enough and needed to get a real job.
However, I fell in love with England while I was there and I am keen to return for a holiday one day.
Cricket was my sport but in my spare time I also played a fair bit of golf and got to a handicap of single figures but then kids came along and I don’t get to play much now. With three young kids ages 12, eight, and five, I just don’t have the time but I do plan to get back to golf when they are older.
Apart from the UK where is your favourite holiday destination?
I have always liked Fiji. It’s a beautiful place and the people are so nice.
When you are a hotel guest, what do you look for when it comes to safety and security?
I always look at the type of door locks installed. Not whether they are supplied by us but how they latch and secure the rooms.
I also look at how the perimeter entries and lifts are secured, and how easy it is to get into the back-of-house areas.
What irks you most about safety and security in an accommodation?
Hotels that use metal keys. Hotels that are very slow to adopt new technology and fail to use its capabilities to make their businesses more efficient.
What attracts you to this industry most?
It’s the variety of great people I get to meet. From backpackers to managers of 5-star luxury hotels, to builders, and electricians. There is so much variety in the projects I work on that no day is ever the same.
And job satisfaction?
Seeing a project through from concept, design and construction to opening, and then looking back remembering all the frustrating meetings and having a laugh.
What business achievements are you most proud of?
In Australia when I started in the business, electronic locks were considered by hotels to be a ‘nice to have’ system but I’ve been part of taking it to another level which is ‘needed by all’ and along the way embraced all the changes that came with it.
I am also proud to have built many great relationships with colleagues and clients over the years.
It has been a difficult few years, did COVID change your life?
Yes. Less travel and more conference calls but on the bright side, I was able to spend more time at home with my kids.
And what’s in store for the future of the sector?
The industry is finally embracing technology to the benefit of both hotels and guests. I look forward to seeing how hotels use the new technologies to improve the guest experience.
You are a highly successful business leader; do you have any advice for those looking to carve out a career?
Make sure you work in an area you enjoy because it will bring out the best in you.
What is the best advice you have been given?
Service is the most important part of the business. You can make a good product bad, by bad service, and a not-so-good product good, by good service.
Finally, who inspires you?
My father. He is a very hard worker and well-liked and respected by everyone I know. He keeps me honest and thinks I work for him!
See you at NoVacancy?
Want to catch up with Michael, myself, AccomNews, or another industry friend? There is a strong chance they’re attending NoVacancy!
Join us at NoVacancy + HDF on 7-8 September at ICC to discover and experience what’s new in our world of accommodation.
The details:
What: NoVacancy | Hotel & Accommodation Industry Expo
When: Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th September, 2022
Where: ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour (Level 4)
Details: https://bit.ly/Exhibitor-RESORT
Cost: FREE using our code RESORT
Mandy has over 17 years of accommodation and tourism industry writing experience and is Editor of AccomNews & Resort News, Publisher of SchoolNews & Director of Multimedia Pty Ltd. She is a retired registered nurse with a 25-year NHS career that followed a few unforgettable years in hotel housekeeping.
