Developing Great Leaders with Jelle Vandenbroucke of JW Marriott Houston
On this episode of the Hospitality Leaders podcast, host Chris Cano welcomes Jelle Vandenbroucke, General Manager at JW Marriott Houston Downtown, to talk about his career path and his philosophy on leadership development of his managers and staff.
Born in Belgium, Jelle took an early interest in cooking, and enrolled in culinary school at the age of 15. After graduation, he worked in several kitchens in the US, UK, Dubai, and France, all in a luxury setting. Always wanting to grow, he explored other areas, like banquet service and management, which led to his current GM position at JW Marriott.
Jelle wants to see everyone that’s working for him thrive and advance in their career. Leadership development can start very early in someone’s career. If someone wants to work in accounting but they aren’t quite experienced enough, he will put them in a position to work toward their leadership goal.
He also believes in a work/life balance, something that hasn’t always been embraced in the hospitality industry. He insists that his managers and staff take sufficient time off to be with their families and unwind. He says that balance makes them all better leaders.
Resources:
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