Francisco Rodríguez is our Professional of the Month for Mercosur. Although he was born in another continent, his work has focused on the development of new hotels in the region.
by: Alejandra García Vélez
He was born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain), but his profession has irretrievably linked him to Latin America. His current challenge is the general management of the Capital Hoteles chain that has three hotels in Montevideo, but his path in this industry began in his native Spain.
Francisco Rodríguez began his professional education at the University of La Laguna, where he obtained his Diploma in Business Sciences, at the end of that career he moved to the city of Malaga to complete his higher studies and obtain a Degree in Economics and Business In 1992.
It was then that he began to work as a consultant in an investigation on the possibilities of promoting congress and incentive tourism on the island of Tenerife. "Since I was studying at the university I saw clearly that where I liked to develop my professional career was in the tourism sector, and this first job confirmed that idea," he said.
After that first experience, Rodríguez worked for the Hotel Occidental de la Siesta, in the realization of a study to implement the quality plan, and in 1993 he was hired as head of administration at the Hotel Contemporáneo. His first foray into Latin America was in Costa Rica, where he worked for two and a half years as cfO of Barceló Hoteles in San José. He would then move to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, to serve as CHIEF Financial Officer of AMResorts.
Already in 2004, our Professional of the Month left Latin America and moved back to Tenerife for the birth of his daughter, but it was little time that he managed to be away from this continent; in 2007 he was offered to develop a new hotel project from the beginning in Motevideo and thus began his relationship with Capital Hoteles. "In this company I have created the entire business structure, from the simplest procedures to the management of structural reforms of the hotels. Of course it is the most intense and complete work I have done so far," he said.
Mentors
Francisco Rodríguez remembers that when he was 22 years old he began his fascination with the world of tourism. "I was curious to know the elements that affected a trip, from the sale of the ticket, through the work on the planes, and ending in the services that could be provided in a hotel. From that time I was already trying to compare prices and combinations to make the trip cheaper, and that in an era where there was no internet and the comparison of rates was very manual. "
Already in the field of hospitality, his first teacher was the director of the Hotel Occidental La Siesta. He taught her the inner workings of the hotel and the importance of the customer in all aspects of the business. "After him I have been fortunate to have good hotel managers as bosses, but I would highlight above all the learning I have had with Javier Coll, CFO of AMResorts, and alejandro Zozaya, CEO of AMResorts, in my opinion two of the best professionals in the current hotel industry," he said.
Today his main teachers are the challenges he faces every day in the exercise of his work. Technology, for example, is a constant, although Francisco considers himself an active professional in this field, as well as in the communication and management processes. Proof of the above is that as a manager he has been forced to use all possible resources to maintain the relationship with his collaborators.
Because the main office is located in Tenerife, and the hotels in Uruguay, you must keep in touch with your employees on a daily basis through video conferences, emails and calls.
"It is during my stays in Montevideo when I maintain closer contact with them, and that is where the bonds of trust must be strengthened, so that once we have the distance in between, the actions and strategies that we mark in the company are fulfilled without deviations," Rodríguez added.
Learning from difficulties
As always, after so many years of work in the industry, there are many situations that are lived. Our Professional of the Month remembers two especially, "a professional experience that I will not forget was the discovery of a robbery by a former worker in one of the hotels; we had to report him and force him to return the money. I had only been working for a month when I detected it in the accounting, and it is undoubtedly the most unpleasant experience I have ever had," he said.
It also highlights, from a more positive light, the passage of Hurricane Jeanne through Punta Cana in September 2004. On that occasion, dealing with clients and working under the pressure of a risky situation made him see things from a different perspective. "That situation confirmed to me that the hotel staff is that visible head, which can not lose the smile or optimism at any time, which all customers look at, who are having a hard time being outside their home. At that time, you must be the one to help them endure that situation and help them return home safely."
Francis also spoke of the importance of recognizing that the guest is the raison d'être of the hotel; "You don't always get to satisfy a customer in everything, but you have to direct all the effort to achieve it."
The future
From his experience in the industry, both in Europe and Latin America, Francisco Rodríguez sees tourism in Uruguay and throughout the region with considerable growth. "Latin America is not as affected by the financial crisis as Europe, and the regional public at large is finding that they can travel to short- and medium-haul destinations, at reasonable prices. I believe that, at least until 2016, tourism will continue to grow in the region, giving greater weight in the economies of countries that are not the leaders in the tourism sector," he said.
In that sense, Peru, Colombia, Chile and Uruguay will be, for our Professional, the fastest growing destinations in the region in the coming years. And he added that "the success of foreign companies must be based on an adaptation of their work system to the culture of the countries of America, helping to improve their efficiency and productivity, but avoiding impositions."
In the particular case of Uruguay, he stressed that the economic policies carried out in recent years have benefited job creation, and with it a strong demand in domestic consumption. That generates movement and growth of the country, but also carries a significant risk of inflation.
"The problem is aggravated because the economy is very dollarized, and with the decline the companies that sell in dollars, such as the hotel industry, cannot grow in a more sustained way because they have their costs in local currency. Prices cannot be increased in a significant way in a highly competitive market, so cost controls and efficiency in sales policies are our bread and butter. It is not the best scenario, but at least it is better than a situation of financial crisis and distrust, as is happening in Europe at the moment, "explains Rodríguez.
Finally, he stressed the importance of thinking about promoting Latin America as a regional destination.
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A family man
It's possible that your six-year-old daughter will follow in your footsteps in the world of hospitality, at least it seems that way. At his young age he knows that his father is a hotelier and where Montevideo is, he likes to go to hotels and enjoys all the activities that are done there, says Francisco Rodríguez.
He is also a sports lover, he practiced basketball during his time at school. In addition, for more than 20 years he has been surfing, playing squash and paddle at least once a week, even if he is traveling; and as if that were not enough, every year he dedicates a week to skiing.
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