With 20 years of experience in Hospitality, Tiago has been working in different sectors of the business. From PMS and POS to Network Systems Integrator and lately at Belmond, leading local IT Operations, supporting the local teams, managing the systems and infrastructures and acting as a facilitator on the different projects within the company. With a passion for Technology and Hospitality, Tiago deals with the day to day challenges always with the goal to streamline and simplify the Hotel Operations Processes.
Diogo Vaz Ferreira is a dynamic and innovative hospitality leader with a strong focus on leveraging technology to drive optimal performance and revenue growth. As the Head of Commercial at Clink Hostels, Diogo has led his team to achieve remarkable results, consistently surpassing targets and gaining market share, despite difficult economic conditions. His expertise in implementing cutting-edge tools has not only enhanced operational efficiency but also significantly improved revenue performance.
Gerald Scheurmann-Kettner (GSK) is founder of the IT Department at Event hotels in 2001 and member of the executive board. With a blend of technical and business experience, he has collaborated with 2-5 star hotels, overseeing more than 60 hotels and offices across Germany and Europe, including over 10,000 guest rooms. One of his key accomplishments has been transforming IT into a profit centre within the organization. He manages a team of over 20 IT professionals and bringing innovative ideas to the IT environment of hotels.
His expertise spans small, medium, and large-sized businesses, with experience in single and multi-PMS systems. He also has a strong background in personnel management, leadership, and budgeting. His proficiency in IT security is backed by certifications in PCI and BSI, and an ITIL v3 Foundation for process management. He as also well-versed in Microsoft licensing and have successfully onboarded service delivery, F&B, and cleaning robots. Inside project and process management he manages client-server infrastructures and operates a data centre for over 2000 users, including mailboxes and MS Office. He also oversees hotel takeovers ranging from 10 to 200 workstations, implementing new concepts, terminal server solutions, virtualization, and provisioning. An additional experience also extends to manages telephone systems with 30 to 1500 extensions, and the TV domain. He worka with digital signage, sound systems, conference systems, and door lock systems. His role involves consultation, support, and planning during renovations.
With virtualization and cloud technologies GSK has a strong background in virtualization technologies with VMware and Citrix. He has built and maintained thin client environments and developed network infrastructure. GSK has implemented transnational networking sites for real-time applications, utilizing different firewall clusters and centralized systems.
Nicholas runs the global research and analyst teams.
With 14 years' experience in the Business Intelligence industry and Nicholas has worked at GlobalData for 9 years. In that time, Nicholas have developed expertise in market sizing, competitive assessment, company and destination strategy, and product management.
Modern hotels need to be digital-first, so as Hotel Co 51’s Chief Information Officer, Paul is responsible for all the IT systems and processes. He makes sure the booking systems, intranet and internal systems work across borders, ensures privacy laws like GDPR are complied with and the IT Security is as strong as possible . Paul has worked in similar roles for more than 20 years at several international hotel chains. With this experience, he can make sure the hotel operations and the IT systems are aligned and running smoothly. He’s a big fan of sports like skiing, fitness and sailing and also has wide-ranging hobbies such as model building, gaming, programming and electronics.
Miguel Valério is the IT Director at HotiHoteis, where he plays a pivotal role in driving the company’s technological vision and digital growth strategies. With a career spanning over a decade in the information technology field, Miguel’s expertise lies in blending cutting-edge solutions with seamless operational workflows, ensuring that HotiHoteis remains at the forefront of a competitive hospitality market.
Before joining HotiHoteis, Miguel worked with various organizations, honing his technical acumen and leadership skills. He developed a strong track record of implementing robust IT infrastructures, integrating next-generation software platforms, and cultivating agile methodologies that elevate business performance. At HotiHoteis, Miguel leverages his extensive industry insight to supervise data security, optimize internal networks, and facilitate stable, user-friendly reservation systems for both guests and staff.
Miguel’s management style is defined by open communication, collaborative problem-solving, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. He maintains close relationships with his teams, encouraging them to explore innovative technologies that enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the overall guest experience.
With a passion for continuous learning, Miguel regularly updates his skill set by attending industry conferences, participating in professional workshops, and engaging with thought leaders. His dedication, technical prowess, and forward-thinking mindset make him an invaluable member of HotiHoteis’ leadership team and a key driver of the organization’s long-term success in the digital era.
Strategic advisor and responsible to introduce new business models, technologies, partnerships and solutions for the areas of both guests and employees for all Strawberry’s 245 hotels. Involved during incubation and concept phase of new projects and hotel concepts.
Experienced international keynote and inspiration speaker within innovation, future trends, digitalization and the importance to think differently.
Director of Future Business department in Strawberry until March 2020 that was doing more of disrupting innovation. Testing a lot on a small scale (MVP’s) and educating internally about trends within and outside our business.
Running several “worlds first” projects such as mobile keys (now also live with both Google Wallet and Apple Wallet Key as first and only hotel), AI, blockchain, voice assistance (Alexa), VR/AR, digital guest journey (App), project mapping and many other hotel related solutions for staff/guests.
Coming from ten years in hotel operation as Hotel Manager in different hotels within the Winn Hotels Group.
Magdalena is a marketing strategist captivated by behavioural, wellbeing and new lifestyle trends. She has 15 years of multi-market experience across trade, client, and agency sides. At European tourism association (ETOA) she led campaigns promoting Europe as a destination. Working for marketing agency Accord, she promoted campaigns for various travel clients including hotels, tour operators and destinations. She has co-organised events with Google London, ETC, UN and other partners. Subsequently, Magdalena moved to work on concept development for new openings and repositioning in Portugal (Vale do Lobo, Vilamoura, Palmares). Magdalena works on profiling audiences and designing creative ways of promoting destinations, and both residential and tourism experience. She embraces the need to focus on ‘new luxury’: community-feel, wellbeing, active living, sustainability, growth and contribution. All delivered through integrated campaigns led by social, influencer, content and events campaigns. She regularly speaks at international conferences. As a typical unsettled mind, Magdalena has a keen interest in digital, holds Tourism Management MA, Google Squared Digital Marketing certification and is an MCIM. She is also a mindfulness & flow state coach, passions which she embraces both personally and professionally.
