Amanda Hyndman is a perfect blend of strength and elegance. Her stylish dress sense, engaging, down-to-earth manner and years of experience in the hospitality sector make her a worthy candidate to fill the coveted position of general manager at that grande dame of Bangkok hotels, the Mandarin Oriental.
As the newest incumbent at the Mandarin Oriental, Amanda Hyndman will need to draw on the wealth of experience she’s accumulated in the hotel business to successfully manage this majestic old property.
The British national, who was officially appointed to the post in mid-July, is only the fourth female GM in the hotel's 136-year history. Hyndman admits to having become emotional when offered the opportunity to head the legendary property, describing it as the ultimate assignment for any hotelier. Her last assignment was at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington DC.
On a rainy weekday evening recently, Hyndman took some time out to talk with Life. It was barely a week since her arrival in Bangkok, and her schedule was packed, but she seemed genuinely enthusiastic about sharing experiences she's had as a globe-trotting hotelier with a penchant for good food and wine and a taste for adventure.
"Honestly, this is my second week in Thailand, and it's been a joy. I find Asia seductive," said the 48-year-old who was born in the seaside resort of Bournemouth in southwest England.
"I know settling into a new working environment will take time and I know there will be no quick fixes, but I would like to think that by being open to learning about the culture, people will be tolerant of my mistakes and errors.
"Khun Angkana, our guest relations manager, invited me to a traditional Thai engagement and wedding ceremony, and requested I participate in the water-pouring rite. It was a humbling experience for me to have a women who has worked at the hotel for 60 years, and who still looks fabulous, invite me to join this private ceremony."
The new GM has a very impressive portfolio that spans 20 years and is studded with achievements. One of her proudest moments, she said, was when she was appointed general manager of the Copthorne Hotel in Aberdeen, Scotland; she was the first woman to be given the responsibility and _ she was 28 at the time _ also the youngest incumbent.
Hyndman, who comes from a middle-class background, started out in a chain of cafes washing dishes to save money for a trip to France on a student-exchange programme. The diligence she demonstrated in the kitchen soon had her promoted to clearing tables. She was later put in charge of the cash register. A fond memory of hers from this period was learning how to make a cappuccino for the first time; no mean feat, apparently, for a restaurant employee in the UK back in the 1980s.
Eventually it was suggested to her that she get a degree in hotel management, so she enrolled at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
There she got actively involved in student politics, a pursuit that provided her with valuable experience in public speaking and organising events. While studying, she put in a 40-hour week working at fine dining establishments, cocktail bars and catering jobs.
In retrospect, she said, passion for the job, the ability to work hard and to get along with other people are all attributes which she now holds in higher esteem than a university degree.
Since Bangkok is only her second assignment in Asia to date, Hyndman put a great deal of effort into preparing for the move here, reading up on Thailand's history, culture and economy and asking colleagues and friends who had worked or lived here for their take on the country.
She also reached out for guidance to ex-Oriental GM Kurt Wachtveitl, who has spent a large part of his life in the Kingdom, and even did an online teach-yourself-Thai course to acquire some basic vocabulary which, she thought, would be a help in breaking the ice with her new colleagues in Bangkok.
Thanks to having done a stint in Hong Kong five years ago, prior to her US posting, she was already well aware of the need for people in leadership roles like herself to be culturally sensitive.
''When I was assigned to Hong Kong a friend who had worked in Asia told me that the issue of face-saving is very important in Asia. He said you must praise loudly and in public when a job is well done, but when you want to correct somebody it should be down privately, with respect and discreetness,'' she said.
''Perhaps, before I came to Asia, my leadership style was very direct because I am usually in a terrible hurry.
''But after hearing my friend's advice, I made a conscious effort to adjust my style so I would be more patient, more understanding and take the time to listen more attentively.
''After leaving Hong Kong for the US, I realised that people in any culture like to be recognised, appreciated and praised publicly, but criticised quietly and discreetly. So it's the same everywhere. I think you have much more of a positive outcome if you deal with people in a constructive way.''
It was back in 1990 that Hyndman fell in love with the hotel that, unbeknownst to her, she would one day be running. By this stage she had climbed the career ladder to become an F&B manager and was working in Scotland.
She still has fond memories of her first visit to Thailand. She recalls checking into what was then simply called the Oriental, of being greeted by a butler and offered a glass of chilled, freshly squeezed orange juice. She also has a clear recollection of her first glimpse of the Chao Phraya and how amazed she was by all the activity on the river, the bustle of long-tail boats and ferries and barges.
''The highlight was dinner at Lord Jim's. I had the sea bass in a salt crust, which I had never seen before, and the waiter carved the crust off with a sort of ceremonial sword,'' she said.
''I've been speaking about my first-ever stay at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok for years to anyone who would listen and now I am the very humbled but proud GM of it.''
Several of Hyndman's work-related achievements shed light both on her leadership skills and her genuine interest in people. She recounted two of the more memorable experiences she had while working at the Mandarin Oriental property in Washington, DC.
Whilst the hotel had received lots of positive feedback from guests, success in the annual Mystery Guest Audit had proved so elusive that she and some members of her in-house team, came up with an initiative they called Mission Possible, a mechanism to help them achieve a substantial increase in the scores awarded by these anonymous reviewers.
''I explained the challenge on hand and there was a set of exercises that involved designing a fan, which is our logo, to reflect our mission statement, as well as a series of competitions around blackjack, roulette and Double Jeopardy to reinforce the pillars of our service and departmental standards,'' she revealed.
''This happened in March last year and then we spoke about it every day and launched weekly competitions where we tested our colleagues' knowledge and monitored them to ensure it was really put into practice.
''We kept training and testing until the Mystery Guests came, around mid-November, and it was one of my proudest moments when I gathered the team together to share [the news of] the 50% increase in score _ which was the biggest-ever improvement in the Mandarin Oriental [group].''
Her second anecdote was about an effort by the DC hotel staff to strengthen links with less fortunate residents of a nearby community. Hyndman and her team organised a 10km sponsored run, dubbed the ''FANtastic March'', to raise money to build a playground in a neighbourhood which lies a short distance from the hotel.
She said her colleagues showed great enthusiasm, really getting into the spirit of things by organising garage sales, raffles, cake-bakes and even pooling their own tips as a donation. Over 300 members of staff, friends, relations and even pet dogs of theirs competed in the fun run which took them along the National Mall and past several historic monuments. With support from the Mandarin Oriental, they eventually managed to raise the sum of $40,000 (1.2 million baht) which proved ample to construct a playground for the local kids.
While Hyndman derives great satisfaction from her professional duties, she doesn't allow herself to fall into the all-work-and-no-play rut.
Passionate about travelling, she particularly enjoys trips with a more adventurous, exploratory flavour.
''I drove a Range Rover with a friend from Harare in Zimbabwe up to Troutbeck in the Eastern Highlands, which is close to the Mozambique border, then down to Bulawayo and up to Victoria Falls. After which we cycled over into Zambia,'' she said.
''I also sailed with friends on a 10m yacht through the Belize Cays and then travelled upcountry on the back of a truck to the San Ignacio mountains for canoeing and horse riding before continuing on into Guatemala to visit Peten and the Mayan ruins of Tikal.
''I am definitely not all five-star when I travel,'' she said. ''I enjoy a balance of fresh air, plenty of walking, afternoon naps as well as interesting food.''
