Page 50 - UpperCrust e-Magazine Third Quarter 2024

UPPERCRUST PEOPLE | DAVID MATHEWS

A Fine-Tuned GM

’m a Virgo, so you can imagine, group. He looks back on his time there. am, walking around to the restaurants
I’m a pernickety nag!’ His words, “(The late) Anil Madhok was my first VP and public places to have a look-see,
‘Inot ours! He’s half Malayali, half when I started at Sagar Plaza in Poona, then on to revenue meetings, followed
Punjabi, married to a Sindhi, father as F&B Manager, followed by Cama Park by HOD meetings and any other urgent
to a 24-year-old, and leader of a team Plaza, Ahmedabad, where I served as appointments he might have. From 11-
mostly comprised of 23 year-olds. David GM, from 1998-2001.” Then again, fate 12, he conducts interviews for incoming
Mathews is an interesting personality, had other plans laid out for the man who staff, for each and every member who
to say the least, who fusses over details, began his career with The Oberoi Group, joins the hotel has to go through him.
an industry professional for over three only to return to his roots. “Would you believe there’s a 40-50%
decades now. “Even if I wanted to, I can’t In 2001, when he was in Delhi, attrition rate in Bombay in the industry?
feel my age, for I’m surrounded by young he visited The Oberoi and met a It is all about hiring the right heart,
ones, and the hotel industry keeps you colleague who spoke to him about the one who works to delight the guests
on your toes,” smiles the GM of Trident, Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur being newly above all. I let the employees do the
Bandra Kurla, Mumbai. launched. And thus, David rejoined magic. This is Hogwarts and I’m Albus
From 1989 onwards, it’s been a the Oberoi Group and went on to head Dumbledore,” he quips, and continues
rewarding albeit challenging journey in hotel operations at one of our favourite with his schedule…Post lunch is a brief
the hotel management realm − as is de properties, Wildflower Hall in Shimla. with HODs along with other updates. 6
rigueur in the industry − for the young lad Trident Gurgaon followed, then again pm onwards he judiciously checks emails
who started off with a gold medal from to Wildflower Hall, where he served as to the tune of 250 a day, and finally, takes
the Oberoi School of Management. Funny GM for almost six years. It was back to a walk around by about 8:30. By 9, he
how life throws you off track and you Delhi in 2010 when David took up the is ready to call it a day and go home.
veer yourself back on, or rather you’re role of GM at Trident Gurgaon and then There is no work life balance as such,
veered onto the path that was destined GM at The Oberoi, Gurgaon, for the he confirms, and that’s how the cookie
for you by a divine force. This is David’s next four years. Where has he been the crumbles!
story. longest, you ask? “My current role as GM But David gets to go home to his
“I thought I would become a at Trident Bandra Kurla, where I have lovely wife, Dr Sonia Bharwani, a PhD
journalist and go abroad to do my spent seven + years already, since Jan academician who worked on bringing in
Master’s,” he begins. “I had done my BA 2017,” smiles David. “And retirement is the Lausanne School’s Hotel Management
in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, coming up soon!” He recalls an incident curriculum to Bombay and who currently
Mumbai. I always joke that I went from with the legendary late PRS Oberoi, serves as a senior consultant for VFS
Marx & Ricardo to mayo and risotto.” So when he was unsure of how a smaller Global Academy. Sonia and he look
he did, and it paid off for him and for the property like Trident, in terms of event forward to weekend getaways close by
industry. In 1991, David began his career space, will position itself against other and one international trip a year, the
with The Oberoi, Mumbai, in Food & hotels in the area. He got his answer in last being Turkey in June. His 24-year-
Beverage, at the erstwhile Rotisserie Mr Oberoi’s reply which was simply that old we mentioned earlier goes by the
and Kandahar, both for a year each. He a hotel near a large convention facility name Keisha, an MA graduate from
worked on the introduction of The Palms like BKC boasts of, requires a hotel with Switzerland, now working as a consultant
in 1993, a makeover from what was the enough rooms to accommodate business in Amsterdam.
famed coffee shop, Samarkand. travellers. “Trident, Bandra Kurla, has David also waits to get home to catch
Come 1994 and David did go huge potential for this very reason,” up on his Korean TV dramas and random
abroad to pursue his Master’s, but in David states. “We plan our room rates YouTube videos. “Hey, I need something
International Hospitality, not journalism, six months to a year in advance. We are to numb my brain at the end of the day.
from the University of Buckingham. booked years ahead even. Forecasting While the Korean shows help with that,
Vibrant Oman was his next stop, his is difficult in this industry, but being a the YouTube is more for my education
graduation cap still gleaming, where he manager is great fun; it’s been quite a and learning, mainly on subjects like the
worked for just about six months as F&B shift from my F&B background.” environment and technology, and I read
Manager before returning home and It’s all really great fun for David, a lot on current affairs.” With that, we
starting afresh with the Sarovar Hotels who starts his day at the hotel at 8:15 leave David to his me time.

48 | UPPERCRUST | JUL-SEP 2024