Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn personal email
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Michael is a performance driven travel industry professional and hotelier with eighteen years of management experience in e-commerce, sales & marketing, rooms division operations and hospitality & tourism management education. Having held diverse roles for a range of organizations, from Fortune 500 companies to late-stage startups, he has an in-depth understanding of the hospitality industry from the investment & development stage to operations management and sales & distribution.Michael is known to be passionate about his craft, professional, punctual, efficient, with great technical knowledge and unparalleled focus & attention to detail. He is an empathetic team-player and his leadership style has been described by his colleagues as structured and fair. Michael has a diverse international background; he was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended university at the Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland, where he specialized in Rooms Division Administration and Contemporary Human Resources Practice. He was trained in managing luxury hotels by The Ritz-Carlton and has hotel opening experience with Thompson Hotels in New York City. He currently resides in Seoul, South Korea were he broadened his market insight while he was at Expedia and led the Korean expansion of an innovative hospitality in-room technology solution called handy. He has founded House of Heritage Distillery, producing Korea's premier craft gin - KORI Gin, and is also the CEO of Korea's first and finest traditional hotel, Rakkojae. His most recent corporate role was the Country Director of Business Development, South Korea at Vinpearl Hotels & Resorts.Michael has obtained his Doctor of Hotel and Tourism Management (D.HTM) degree at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management, with research interests in cross-cultural studies in tourism. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Hospitality Industry Studies, with a specialization in Hospitality Investments from New York University.
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Founder And CeoHouse Of Heritage Distillery
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Founder & CeoHouse Of Heritage Distillery Mar 2021 - PresentYongin, Gyeonggi, South KoreaExperience a new K-Originwww.houseofheritage.krHouse of Heritage launched with the mission to introduce Korean heritage into a variety of alcoholic beverages with universal appeal for the global audience.During the Joseon Dynasty, the elite class would brew their own rice wine at home with added and other Korean herbal ingredients. This base alcohol was then distilled in a soju-kori to make soju. Our brand name KORI is based on this age old distilling apparatus and continues this tradition in spirit. House of Heritage Distillery strives to introduce Korean culture and the captivating array of Korean herbal ingredients to the global audience by adding them to internationally recognizable distilled spirits - first in the form of KORI Gin.
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Managing DirectorRakkojae Corporation Nov 2020 - PresentSeoul, South Korea- Responsible for all aspects of the company’s Seoul base of operations, including HR & P&L- Spearheaded a corporate restructuring to cope with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 lockdown- Executed the company’s first digital transformation, completely digitalizing all aspects of operations from reservations to staff management- Drastically pivoted the company’s sales & marketing strategy to change the hotel’s customer mix from 95% inbound to 100% domestic, due to the pandemic- Collaborated with numerous domestic and international brands in the luxury fashion, cosmetics, and entertainment industries to generate brand awareness and relevance with the MZ generation- Initiated a rebranding from Rakkojae Hanok Hotels to Rakkojae Hanok Collection, signaling a shift in strategy from:o 100% owner operated properties to a hybrid approach adding management contract operationso A fully real estate & service-based business to a brand that also has a strong product strategy - including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, lifestyle goods, antiques and artwork- Secured a contract from the Seoul Metropolitan Government to manage a multi-million dollar hanok development project involving site selection, consulting on architectural and interior design, construction supervision, and managing operations for a period of 10 years- Achieved 200% revenue growth versus pre-pandemic levels due to successfully growing the domestic business as well as the diversification of revenue streams- Developed the company’s first benefits package to enhance employee satisfaction, with the goal of improving employee retention and guest satisfaction rates -
Country Director Of Business DevelopmentVinpearl Jan 2020 - Oct 2020Seoul, South Korea- Head of the Vinpearl Korea Representative Office and responsible for driving forward all aspects of the Korea business- Worked with counterparts in Vietnam to create a Korean version of Vinpearl.com, including local language and payment support- Participated in the development of a new in-house travel agency platform called Vinpearl Travel that creates package travel options for the Korean and Vietnamese markets- Identified, contracted, and developed domestic Korean OTA partners to grow Vinpearl’s third-party distribution channels- Solicited bids from the leading marketing agencies to execute Vinpearl’s marketing, digital marketing, and public relations strategies- Developed a plan to execute a US$10 million annual marketing budget for the Korea market (including PR & social media)- Maintained relationships with partners and agencies to deliver a steady update of sales & marketing market insight and competitive intelligence to Vietnam HQ- Built and managed a team of two Sales Managers, ground-up – who are responsible for the traditional travel agent and corporate/MICE segments -
Adjunct ProfessorHanyang University Sep 2011 - Jun 2020Department of TourismGraduate School of International Tourism -
Senior Researcher, Hospitality AcademyHanyang University Aug 2011 - Jul 2012Seoul, South Korea -
Founder & Managing DirectorTailored Travel Aug 2018 - Dec 2019Seoul, South KoreaFounded and operated a luxury travel design service specializing in bucket-list travel itineraries to Scotland, the home of golf. -
LecturerSejong University Sep 2012 - Dec 2019College of Hospitality and Tourism ManagementGraduate School of Liberal Arts and Social Science, Hospitality and Tourism Management Departemnt -
General Manager, KoreaHi Inc. Mar 2017 - Jul 2018Gangnam-Gu, Seoul, Korea- Responsible for importing and launching handy in South Korea - a free in-room smartphone guest amenity giving hotels a platform for uplifting revenue and guest satisfaction- Developed the business from ground up and executed the country strategy for expansion in the Korean market- Leveraged personal relationships to single-handedly sign 6,000+ rooms within the first six months of launching sales efforts (versus annual target: 8,000 rooms) – Country performance ranked within the top 10% of the company- Actively collaborated in a virtual environment with cross-functional teams that support development and deployment- Found creative solutions for solving problems that undoubtedly challenge startups in a dynamic and uncertain market environment- Managed relationships with hotel customers to ensure satisfaction and collect feedback for continuous product enhancement- Represented Tink Labs in discussions with the Korean media, governmental agencies, and investors- Built and developed a matrix organization on the ground in South Korea, including two Sales Managers, one Account manager and one Designer. -
Area ManagerExpedia Group Dec 2012 - Mar 2017Seoul, South Korea- Manage a high performing team of one Associate Market Manager and three Market Associates- Launch new strategic initiatives that effectively shape the future landscape of the supply business- Grow net room night and raw margin dollar for international chain and independent hotels throughout South Korea.- Improve product competitiveness through consistent price and inventory renegotiations- Negotiate and secure exclusive deals to be distributed through merchandising and advertising opportunities- Manage market level partner relationships by addressing the specific needs of individual suppliers- Follow a consultative approach with partners in order to provide feedback on how to further grow production- Monitor, analyze, and forecast, major market trends and communicate them to partners via educational seminars- Evaluate potential hotel products then initiate contract agreements and credit arrangements with new partners- Ensure smooth execution of corporate level strategic initiatives- Track competitors’ pricing techniques, advertising methods, customer base, competitive advantages/disadvantages, and technology capabilities -
Assistant Front Office ManagerThompson Hotels- Two Roads Hospitality Nov 2008 - Aug 2009뉴욕- Participated in the hotel opening process until its soft opening on February 3, 2009- Acted as the department head of the Front Office department in the absence of the Director of Front Office Operations- Responsible for the hiring, management, and retention of Front Office staff (including Bell Desk and Concierge)- Assisted the General Manager with revenue management to increase the hotel’s REVPAR -
Assistant Manager, Front Office6 Columbus, A Thompson Hotel Feb 2008 - Nov 2008뉴욕- Ran each shift as the hotel’s Manager on Duty, managing a team of 20+ employees- Executed training & development plans and standard operating procedures for Front Desk Agents- Implemented the hotel’s upsell program increasing rooms revenue by more than $100,000 in the first 6 months- Gained management experience in a union environment
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Rooms Division Manager In TrainingThe Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park Feb 2007 - Feb 2008New York, Central ParkGained management experience in the following departments:Front Office, Housekeeping, Guest Relations, Revenue Management, Spa, PBX, Club, Loss Prevention, Quality -
Sales & Marketing InternDesign Hotels Ag Jan 2005 - Jul 2005뉴욕 -
F&B Management TraineeWilshire Grand Hotel Jan 2003 - Jul 2003로스앤젤리스
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Main Kitchen InternGrand Hyatt Seoul Jun 2001 - Aug 2001
Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn Skills
Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn Education Details
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3.88 Of 4.0 -
3.886 Of 4.0 -
Japanese Language Program -
Seoul Foreign SchoolHigh School Diploma
Frequently Asked Questions about Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn
What company does Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn work for?
Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn works for House Of Heritage Distillery
What is Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn's role at the current company?
Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn's current role is Founder and CEO.
What is Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn's email address?
Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn's email address is mi****@****ail.com
What schools did Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn attend?
Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn attended The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, New York University, Ehl Swiss School Of Tourism And Hospitality (Ssth), Keio University, Seoul Foreign School.
What skills is Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn known for?
Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn has skills like Hotels, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Revenue Analysis, Hotel Management, Tourism, Food And Beverage, Hospitality Management, Rooms Division, Event Management, Front Office, Pre Opening.
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